Mark Heinlein.com

Jerome Bettis

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life, as by the obstacles which have been overcome while trying to succeed.”  –Booker T. Washington 

Let’s expand a bit on power and talk about formal and informal power.

Formal Leaders are the easiest to understand and recognize.  These are individuals who have been given title and authority to influence others to achieve established organizational goals and objectives.  They are generally measured and incentivized by their ability to motivate the team to accomplish these goals.  In this manner, success of the formal leader is linked directly to performance of the team.  If the team does well, the leader is considered a success.

Informal leaders are a bit more complex.  An informal leader is an individual, without formal title or authority, who is perceived by the group as an individual worthy of being followed.  This may be because of subject matter expertise, longevity with the company or in the industry, or prior successes recognized by the organization and/or team.  Informal leaders are critical to the success of the team and may wield more power and influence than the formal leader. 

Here are some of the key differences between the two:

1) Informal leaders are not accountable to the same group goals and metrics assigned to the formal leader. 

2) An informal leader’s influence can extend to areas outside of the organizational goals

3) Informal leaders demonstrate leadership traits that are recognized by the team.  They motivate, mentor and even inspire the team.  Formal leaders may or may not have these characteristics.

4) An informal leader has garnered the trust and respect of the team.  For the Formal Leader, this is something that often has to be earned.

Every organization and group has informal and formal leaders.  For example, sports teams have managers and Head Coaches, however, how often do you read about them being replaced because they simply could not relate to the players or motivate them?  A new coach comes in, recognizes who the informal leaders are and partners with them to point the team in the right direction.

Informal leaders can do things that the formal leader cannot.  Using the sporting analogy again, frequently you read in the media, especially during the playoffs, of informal leaders holding team meetings to inspire and motivate.

I’m a Steeler fan…so I’ll use them as an example.  Prior to the AFC Championship Game a few years back, Jerome Bettis stood up and gave an emotional speech to his team that culimated with the words “Just get me to Detroit” (where the Super Bowl was being held).  The Steelers later went on to beat the Broncos 34-17 and advance to Super Bowl (where they beat the Seahawks 21-10).  Bettis was the informal leader of the team.  His words motivated in a way that Head Coach Bill Cowher’s could never do.

This same dynamic holds true in the corporate world as well.  A team where the formal and informal leaders are working toward the same goal are incredibly effective.  Formal leaders who are able both through words and actions demonstrate that they are concerned about the organization, care about the welfare of the team members, and support developmental opportunities for the team, stand a far greater chance of achieving the goals for which they are being held accountable,

So…if you are a formal leader ask yourself, who is your Jerome Bettis and how can you partner with him/her to get your team to the Super Bowl?