Recognizing and Shaping Your Informal Leaders...Apr 06, 2019  · Informal leadership means taking charge of a group without being formally appointed in such a role. Simply put, informal

Recognizing and Shaping Your Informal Leaders

Presented by:

Dr. Dean Russell

Objectives

• A clear understanding of what an informal leader is

• The power and influence of an informal leader

• Avoiding conflict with them

• Techniques to confront unwanted behaviors from them

• How to successfully confront another leader’s unwanted influence

• A method to disarm informal leaders

• Long term versus short term success with them

Definition

Informal leadership means taking charge of a group without being formally appointed in such a role.

Simply put, informal leadership refers to someone who has no formal position of authority over people but becomes a group's leader informally.

Problem: Might not show on resumes, 360 reviews, and LinkedIn profiles, hidden in plain sight.

Informal Leader Uniqueness

Informal leaders are perceived by others as showing higher levels of leading than formal leaders overall.

They have the ability to influence the behavior of the group, but not through formal authority.

No official power to lead.

(But do not make them your enemy)

Informal Leaders Attributes

Make agenda stray

Can be active or

passive aggressive

Be sarcastic

Uses body language to approve/disprove

meeting objectives and agenda

Can set the tone and pace

Crave influence but not

responsibility

Have You

• Sat with a person who will act as the spokesperson of the group and talk about how others in the group feel about the current setup?

• Others turn to them for advice, their opinions carry weight, and they sway views on tough issues.

• Thought that sometimes they "emerge" simply because others in the organization have great respect for them.

Questions

•Have you identified them?

•Are they working for,…… or against you?

• You cannot serve two leaders at the same time.

Informal leaders

• What do they want?

• How do you identify them?

• Why are they important?

• How is your relationship with them?

New Leader

10

2

7

9

4

7

4

1

2

4

5

3

People Change Direction to Follow the Strongest Leader

10

2

7

9

4

Informal Leader

4

1

2

Leader A

5

3

Power

Formal Leader

• The ability to command

The person who acts as leader.

Responsibility + Authority = Accountability

Informal Leader

Informal leaders are perceived by others as

showing higher levels of leading than formal

leaders overall. Crave influence, not

responsibility

Informal Leader

The Dancing Guy Can wield tremendous positive influence, or, when things go bad, wield a lot of destructive influence. May not realize they are actually a part of management. Leadership Lessons from “The Dancing Guy”.

Informal Leader Unique Position

One of the elements that gives informal leaders the ability to lead (and inspire) is their perceived independence from

the formal authority structure.

Perception is very important! Leadership Development For Informal Leaders, by Robert Bacal

The Powers They Use (Tribal Chiefs)

1. Expert power – employees come to them for their expertise, they make sure the knowledge is controlled 2. Lead by example power - perceived by employees as someone who is

worthy to immolate 3. Motivation power – they praise and reward employees, also called

recognition power 4. Peer pressure power – they can have the tribe put pressure on

employee to conform to their wishes 5. Charisma power – naturally charismatic, charming

Can Be the Ethics Interpreter…

Informal Leader Beliefs and Practices Vary Different informal leaders at different times differ over:

• Who gets what (Property rights)

• Acceptable conversations

• Equality between the sexes

• Appropriate modes of dress, etc.

What Happens When A Formal and Informal Leader Don’t Get Along?

What happens if you have two informal leaders working for you and they don’t get along?

“Houston We Have A Problem!”

Disarming Informal Leader Techniques

• “I” Twice and the three outcomes

• ”I can’t _________________________________.

• Role Reversal

Remember

• Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional

• Avoid power struggles (defending credibility, past history, button pushing)

• Use the Four Diffusers

1. I understand

2. Probably so

3. Nevertheless

4. I’m sorry

21

Prioritizing Grid Neutralizer: Have Your Group Make A List of

Changes They Think are Needed

No $ $

Control Do Not

Control

Control Do Not

Control

Recognition

Better

Communication

Work

schedule

Modify

procedures

Daily ops

Tools

More equipment

Raises

What Not To Do:

1. Try to co-opt, or manipulate informal leaders (Consequences are fight back, rebel, stand against, create a false dilemma.)

2. Techniques that backfire: bribery, coercing, pressuring them.

3. Not communicating with them in hard times (Understand they understand how the grapevine works)

4. Don’t Halo Effect: the tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area.

The Bad News

• If they are in opposition to the vision, goals, and success of the department can be toxic to your department

• Can be a “Hugh” impediment to the formal leader’s value to the team

The Good News

• If they are working towards the organization’s same vision and goals they can be tremendous help (Delegate/Elevate)

• They have unique strengths which compliment yours

• You respect them and they respect you (And you don’t mind ceding some control)

• Their level of commitment, level of intensity, and performance level are respected and perceived as super competent (The 110% principle) and they emerge naturally

• If you are here in this seminar, you are a _______________

The Good News: 4 Positive Informal Leaders

• Pride Builders

• Exemplars

• Networkers (Known and connected)

• Early Adopters

• Four Types Of Authentic Informal Leaders, by Jon Katzenbach, Carolin Oelschlegel, and James Thomas

Developing A Successful Informal Leader

• Question: G,W,C *** Training alone with not make a successful leader

• Be careful about treating them too different (fine line = favoritism)

• Succession planning (grooming your successor, great leaders groom leaders who groom leaders)

• Formal or informal grooming? Objective: Give them more ability to lead

• Do a “Trial Run”, probe and let them decide, rather than a leader appointment

• Mentoring plan Understanding Informal Leaders In An Organization (and Benefiting From Them)By Robert Bacal

Recognizing the Informal Leader: Moving Someone Up

• “I’m curious … why are you asking me about …?”

• “What would you like to do?”

• Express your confidence in them

• Ask them to act … then inform

• What will you do about mistakes?

• Why might an employee continue to check in?

Possible Reactions

Thank you, I was sick of coming to you!

Suspicious

That’s your job!

They Have Been Watching Your Actions

• If you have been a poor leadership example…

• They need a good role model

• They have been paying attention to your actions, not your words

• Remember they don’t want “too much” power, it robs them of their power.

Don’t Be Hazy

Can’t differentiate personal values

versus library values

• Selfish

• Both

It’s All About Leadership Choice

It’s about the ability to consistently put the right person in the right seat with the right power in your decision-making department actions

Not about being nice…..

Thanks!