Northhouse (2016 page 8) explains that some people are leaders because of their formal position in an organization, whereas others are leaders because of the way other group members respond to them. These two common forms are called assigned leader versus emergent leader.
An example of where I emerged as an emergent leader is on my sporting team. At the beginning of the season the team voted on Captain’s and Assistant Captains. I was omitted from one of these positions as instead I was the Team Manager. As a Team Manager my duties included attendance at games, finding players if we were short, keeping contact records of players, communicating schedules and helping to find a coach for our team. As I started into my role I would be considered an Assigned Leader and really one could argue that the Captain and Assistants were as well. I played on this team for a number of seasons and got to know my teammates and became known as a hard worker both on and off the field. As an adult playing on a team there really were not many duties for the Captain or Assistants at the games. I came prepared each game with a line-up, knowing which position each player enjoyed playing. I stepped into positions that no one wanted to do such as goalie when I had no experience. Off the field I got to know many of the players because when they couldn’t make a game for personal reasons they often confided in me. Within a few years the team really bonded and so I put together a team trip, arranged transportation and accommodations which everyone seemed to enjoy. I became known as the glue that kept the team together and often players would comment about how much they enjoyed being part of the team and how unorganized it was playing for other teams. Within a few years I became established as an emergent leader. Northhouse (2016 page 8) says that emergence happens over a period of time by being verbally involved, being informed, seeking other’s opinions, initiating new ideas and being firm but not rigid.
There is a role for both an assigned leader versus an emergent leader. In the early days of an organization it takes time for roles and responsibilities to be established and for emergent leaders to find their place. In order for employees to function day to day and have accountability an assigned leader becomes important. Eventually though as an organization matures, so does emergency leaders. These leaders display qualities that make employees want to follow them. Emergent leaders display good ethics, a high degree of intelligence, make others feel comfortable/welcome and are people that employees can trust and have their best interest at heart. An organization that does not eventually have an emergency leader may accomplish tasks however it will increasingly become difficult to motive staff. Sometimes organizations have emergent leaders as well that often go unrecognized. This can come from jealousy, age, race or gender discrimination, as well as a number of other reasons. The question is how does an organization make this change when there is an inherent culture in place that promotes things like gender discrimination?
Northhouse (2016 page 8) Leadership Theory and Practice