A query of the term “leadership” on Google returns over 8 billion results, and the exact search on Google Scholar yields over 5.3 million published works. It’s clear that professionals want to know more about the topic: the qualities impacting success, various types, etc. But there continues to be a misunderstanding or lack of attention paid to what or who is a leader. Further complicating the issue, the terms leadership and leader have become so intertwined in everyday use and conversation that they’re often viewed as the same. They are, and interchanging the two terms means that proper attention in context is not paid to either. As a result, providing leadership continues to be associated with a position of authority, also known as a positional leader.

Authority is defined as “the power to give orders or make decisions.” As such, it’s easy to see how positional leaders are viewed as people with authority. Obtaining power through role attribution doesn’t guarantee the presence of leadership. Rather, power in this sense (positional) implies a level of hierarchical control over outcomes or people and has the potential to be experienced negatively by the workforce through forced obedience, fear of repercussion, or control of resources. In this situation, the leader uses positional power to influence others and is indifferent as to whether this power is from voluntary or involuntary obedience.

Leadership Requires Voluntary Cooperation

A 2021 article in The Leadership Quarterly shared that leadership is a relationship between parties that rests on “voluntary obedience,” where individuals choose to cooperate and follow instead of simply obeying. Therefore, leadership involves mutual agreement with both parties finding meaning in the relationship, and it’s through this agreement that parties willingly engage. This voluntary component makes the presence of leadership distinct from rulership-type approaches where influence is due to positional power, independent of party agreement. So, independent of titles, the relationship individuals have with one another determines the type of power present (i.e., freely given or not) and, ultimately, if there’s a mutual and voluntary relationship reflective of true leadership. Understanding this difference is essential when considering the presence of leadership behaviors within an organization and identifying the source of leadership.

Identifying Leadership

Recognizing genuine leaders (those exhibiting leadership) within a company demands moving beyond the boundaries of positional titles and traditional hierarchies. In fact, everyone within an organization is active and can provide leadership. As a reflection of individuality, multiple leaders are likely to be found as each may be uniquely suited to lead under varying circumstances. Remember, just because a person leads in a particular situation doesn’t mean this person is the best to lead in all situations. Recognizing leaders in context isn’t difficult if one is open to inquiry or observation.

Here’s what organizations can do to identify those displaying leadership and leadership behaviors:

• Observe. This is an exercise in awareness and requires movement, patience, and a little bit of humility. Be intentional about moving throughout the workforce at various times, days, and locations, and be mindful of the interactions among team members. Look for who’s demonstrating, explaining, or positively influencing others, independent of their positions (i.e., who are they looking to for direction). Humility can play a role in this, as it’s crucial to avoid a hierarchical mindset because observed sources of influence might collide with organizational structures or desires.
• Keep it simple and ask. In addition to being a silent observer, ask the workforce, groups, or individuals who they listen to and seek input or clarity from in each situation. For example, new hires frequently turn to seasoned employees for guidance. These individuals have influence and are leaders in the true sense of providing leadership.
• Performance reviews. A third opportunity to identify the hidden leaders within organizations is to take advantage of scheduled performance reviews and use the opportunity to further inquire about team members who have a positive impact on those around them. When listening to the “stories” about others, pay particular attention to those that demonstrate encouragement, trust, growth, respect and support.

Of course, discovering genuine leaders will be easier within cultures of organizational openness and psychological safety rather than in environments of low trust and poor communication across ranks. In open environments, people are more willing to identify who they look to for guidance and won’t feel as pressured to name someone in an authority position for fear of repercussion.

Creating Leaders

Leaders are found across every level, division, group and interaction within organizations. Unfortunately, many are never recognized, or their impact is never known, partly due to the conflation of leadership with positional roles. Because influence is a precursor to action, those who have established trust and rapport with their peers (regardless of their level within the organization) may be in more influential leadership positions than those with positional titles. The words or actions of these individuals carry much weight with co-workers and can be instrumental in the success or failure of organizational pursuits.

By identifying and including these influential “hidden” leaders in the development and planning of strategy, vision, and the pathways forward at the outset, improved workforce collaboration around company goals can be enhanced in implementation as these are key players at the point of impact. Failure to identify them or ignoring their existence means overlooking valuable opportunities to harness their freely given power and influence in support of organizational efforts. In addition, it neglects their impact on the workforce in areas such as organizational commitment, turnover intention and job satisfaction. While there’s no expectation of change regarding positional roles as an organizational model, it’s essential to consider the benefits of embracing these quality touchpoints as another opportunity to improve the employee experience and workplace collaboration proactively.