Emergent leadership occurs when a member of the group is not appointed or elected as the leader, but rather that person becomes the leader over time in interactions within the group. Have you ever encountered difficulties in being accepted in your new role as a leader? Groups do not automatically accept a new “boss” as leader. Emerging leadership is what you need to do when taking on a new group. Learn more about emerging leadership.
Have you ever noticed that the person who has been assigned a leadership position does not always become the true leader despite holding a formal leadership position in an organization? Similarly, there are informal leaders because of the way they are treated, their orders and directives followed, the respect they inspire, the way other members of the group respond to them. When others perceive an individual as the most influential member of a group or organization, regardless of the individual’s title, the person is demonstrating leadership. How a group member emerges and maintains a position of leadership has been a subject of study for over a century now and since then various emergent leadership phenomena, theories and techniques have been identified, developed and advocated. The individual gains emerging leadership through the support and acceptance of others in the organization and it is the “emerging leader” who is most respected and followed in any leadership setting.
1. Valencia Model of Emerging Leadership:
This model is based on Tuckman’s (1965) sequence of group development proposed by Stein, Hoffman, Cooley and Pearse in 1979. According to this model, the emergent leadership process goes through three distinct stages; Orientation, conflict and emergence. During the orientation phase, potential leaders announce their candidacy, during the conflict phase, there is more than one leader competing for the same emerging leadership position, and finally, in the emergence phase , group members voluntarily begin to follow and obey the leader who has passed the “emergence phase”. ” threshold “.
2. Theory of idiosyncrasy Credit:
This theory was proposed by Hollander (1958, 1961) where he theorized that the group member who emerges as the leader is perceived by other group members as meeting the expectations the group has for the leader. The more leaders are expected to meet group expectations, the more credits leaders accumulate. Thus, leaders both assert their influence and gain acceptance through the credits they earn. If the leader does not innovate and conform to group expectations, the leader will lose credits. If enough credits are lost, the leader can be replaced by another party member.
3. Social Identity Theory:
This theory offers a unique perspective on leadership. According to this theory, leadership is the degree to which a person matches the identity of the group as a whole. As groups develop over time, a group prototype also develops. Individuals emerge as leaders in the group when they most resemble the prototype of the group. Being similar to the prototype makes leaders attractive to the group and gives them influence over the group.
4. Neo-emergent theory:
Neo-emergent leadership theory (from the Oxford school of leadership) holds that leadership is created by the emergence of information by the leader or other stakeholders, not by the actual actions of the leader himself. -same. Leaders can only be recognized after a goal has been achieved, and followers’ perceptions of leaders are heavily influenced by stories of how those goals were achieved.
1. This type of leadership emerges over time through communication, they are candid and seen by others as bringing great ideas
2. Emerging leaders are verbally involved with their team members
3. Emerging leaders seek the opinions of others, are innovative and seek out new ideas
4. Emerging leaders are more dominant, smarter, and more confident about their own performance
Emerging leadership is a style of leadership based on creating a collaborative culture that is proven to increase innovation and profit. Emerging leaders are armed with perseverance and effective communication skills that help them engage with people, seek out first-hand information, and be innovative by taking input from the whole group. This form of leadership is more adaptable to change and emerging leaders are more effective and more likely to succeed in any setting.