Discover where leaders are found in organisations. Learn how to identify emerging leaders, informal influencers, and hidden leadership potential at every level.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sat 10th January 2026
Leaders are found at every level of organisations—not just in corner offices with formal titles—including emerging leaders who step up naturally within teams, informal leaders whom colleagues acknowledge regardless of position, and hidden high-potentials who influence peers without authority, though research shows only 30% of high performers are actually high-potential future leaders. Finding these leaders requires looking beyond obvious indicators.
Who leads in your organisation? The question seems straightforward until you recognise that leadership extends far beyond organisational charts. Genuine leadership often emerges from unexpected places—the project coordinator who rallies teams through crisis, the junior analyst whose insights shape strategy, or the technician whose expertise commands natural authority.
This guide examines where leaders are found, how to identify emerging leadership talent, and why expanding your search beyond conventional candidates strengthens organisational capability.
Understanding where leaders actually exist.
"Nominal leaders were appointed formal leadership positions by the organisation. On the other hand, emergent leaders are team members who become leaders over time as a result of how other group members see, treat, and respond to them."
Leadership type comparison:
| Type | Source of Authority | Influence Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal/Formal | Organisational appointment | Position power |
| Emergent | Group recognition | Circumstance and interaction |
| Informal | Peer acknowledgement | Expertise and respect |
"Informal leaders are not assigned by the organisation. The informal leader is that individual whom members of the group acknowledge as their leader."
Common locations:
"Most work groups contain at least one informal leader."
Informal leader characteristics:
Leadership potential exists everywhere.
"Leadership skills are distributed throughout the workforce with emerging leaders, not just at certain levels of a hierarchy. Emerging leaders are present at every level and age at your organisation."
Where to look:
"Emergent leadership occurs when a group member is not appointed or elected as leader, but rather that person steps up as the leader over time within group interactions."
Emergence patterns:
"Many leaders emerge out of the needs of the situation. Different situations call for different configurations of knowledge, skills, and abilities."
Situational factors:
| Situation | Leadership Need |
|---|---|
| Technical crisis | Subject matter expertise |
| Team conflict | Mediation and communication |
| New project launch | Vision and coordination |
| Change implementation | Influence and credibility |
| Client relationship | Relationship skills |
Identifying high-potential individuals.
"Emerging leaders are high-potential professionals early in their careers. These individuals are aspirational and energetic in their approaches to their careers. They already have many of the qualities of a leader without being in a leadership role."
Observable characteristics:
Research identifies specific traits in emerging leaders:
Trait checklist:
"Emerging leaders appear organically in the workforce as high potential employees, influencing peers and leading strategic change without an official leadership title."
Signs of organic emergence:
Avoiding common mistakes.
"Many organisations think they know who has high leadership potential, but they frequently get it wrong. Only 30% of high performers are also high potentials. The remaining 70% only have what it takes to succeed in a lateral or similar role."
Identification challenges:
| Assumption | Reality |
|---|---|
| High performance = High potential | Only 30% overlap |
| Visibility = Capability | Self-promotion varies |
| Technical expertise = Leadership ability | Different skill sets |
| Confidence = Competence | Can mask limitations |
Looking past obvious indicators:
Evaluation expansion:
Improve identification accuracy:
Systematic approaches:
Expanding the search beyond conventions.
Leaders emerge from unexpected backgrounds:
Alternative sources:
"Emergent leadership empowers team members to make decisions outside the traditional structure of a business organisation."
Cross-functional examples:
Virtual environments reveal different leaders:
Remote leadership indicators:
Nurturing identified talent.
Structured development accelerates growth:
Programme elements:
Enable organic leadership development:
Support mechanisms:
Prepare emerging leaders for formal roles:
Transition preparation:
Leaders are found at every level of organisations, not just in formal management positions. They include emerging leaders who step up naturally, informal leaders whom colleagues acknowledge regardless of title, and hidden high-potentials who influence peers without authority. Most work groups contain at least one informal leader who shapes outcomes without formal designation.
An emerging leader is a high-potential professional early in their career who demonstrates leadership qualities without holding a formal leadership position. They appear organically in the workforce, influencing peers and leading strategic change. These individuals are aspirational, energetic, and already display many leadership characteristics before formal appointment.
Emergent leadership occurs when someone steps up as leader through group interactions, gaining influence through circumstance rather than appointment. Formal leadership derives authority from organisational position. While formal leaders have position power, emergent leaders gain influence through how group members perceive, treat, and respond to them over time.
Organisations frequently misidentify future leaders because only 30% of high performers are also high potentials. The remaining 70% succeed in current roles but lack capability for leadership advancement. Organisations mistake current performance for future potential, visibility for capability, and confidence for competence.
Organisations can better identify emerging leaders by using multiple assessors, assessing across different contexts, including peer perspectives, evaluating over time rather than in snapshots, testing with stretch assignments, gathering 360-degree feedback, and looking beyond performance metrics to influence, learning agility, and behaviour under pressure.
Characteristics indicating emerging leadership potential include self-awareness, learning agility, effective communication, collaboration skills, results focus, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and courage. Emerging leaders show initiative without being asked, influence peers, focus on solutions, take responsibility, and demonstrate resilience under pressure.
Organisations should develop emerging leaders through stretch assignments, mentoring relationships, coaching support, leadership training, senior leader exposure, and cross-functional experiences. Support natural emergence by creating space for initiative, recognising informal contributions, providing resources, offering visibility, and preparing leaders systematically for transition to formal roles.