Transitioning from working as a team member to leading it can be a BIG change. The journey from team member to leader, to management is transformative, often marked by intense learning, mistakes, and a growing understanding of oneself and others. You’ve finally been recognised for the hard work that you’ve put into your role: the dedication, long hours, and value which you bring to the company. The horizon has opened up and you begin your journey into emergent leadership. Being promoted feels great, the future looks bright again…
However, dynamics are bound to change. The skills which brought you to recognition as a team member are no longer a measurement of success in your new leadership role, the pressure starts to rise and relationships with colleagues are shifting. Is it supposed to feel this lonely?
Whether we have described your exact position or not, there is a great deal to learn in our latest episode about team dynamics, developing boundaries, and the challenges that individuals face when climbing the promotion ladder.
EP. 7 of The Point In Leadership Podcast, Emergent Leadership with Coach & Influencer Imran Datoo
Join executive consultant and founder, Mike Hopkins, in his latest conversation with Leadership Influencer, Imran Datoo, on the subject of Emergent Leadership. Discover insight on the unspoken challenges that come with promotions & new leadership as Imran recounts his own experience in the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Discover:
✅ What emergent leaders should focus on
✅ Challenges which emergent leaders face
✅ Friendship or respect?
✅ Unique Leadership & communication Insights from Imran Datoo
Emergent leadership is a management style where a group member takes on a leadership role without being formally appointed. 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. It also empowers team members to make decisions outside the traditional structure of a business organisation.
Although emergent leadership can greatly benefit teams, it can be quite confusing when an emergent leader does eventually get promoted to an official leadership position. This can shatter their initial perception of what official leadership looks like and be difficult to adapt to in the initial stages.
This article and accompanying Podcast Featured Episode should help you navigate this experience with more clarity and purpose.
A License to Make Mistakes
Leveraging Past Experience to Elevate Teams
Now an accomplished leadership coach and working working with the startup, Creatingly, Imran Datoo already has a decade of experience leading and managing pharmaceutical teams in the UK. His emergent leadership lessons offer valuable insights into how to navigate path of promotion (as it rarely comes with an instruction manual).
Everyone is shaped by the challenges they’ve overcome, and often the very circumstances that test leaders become the foundation for their leadership style. There is great value in leveraging past experiences to improve team performance. However, this also means that you need to be first given the space and license to make mistakes as a new leader.
Shifting a team from compliance to commitment requires understanding what has worked in the past, applying those insights, and building on them. In exceptional circumstances, there may be no room for you to make mistakes (such as in Imran’s case where the lives of others would be at risk). In such a case, receiving in-depth training to strengthen specific competencies to improve leadership performance is highly suggested. In addition, it may also be possible and valuable to find a mentor within your company who has a few more years under their belt.
The Emergent Leader: Setting Boundaries & Dynamic Changes
Emergent leaders are often thrust into roles without formal leadership training, which can make the experience jarring. They have to navigate the new dynamics of leading while still struggling with the idea of being a leader. This shift from being part of the tribe to sometimes feeling like an outsider can be unsettling. Confidence is often mistaken for arrogance, and leaders must strike a balance between self-assurance and humility.
The shock of moving into leadership can be disorientating, particularly when it involves managing former peers. This is why leaders need to embrace the concept of boundaries. Navigating friendships as a manager is particularly fraught; the lines between personal and professional relationships can blur, leading to perceptions of bias. Creating clear boundaries is essential, not just for the leader’s credibility, but for team cohesion as well.
Depending on the situation, these are the possible types of boundaries that you may need to set:
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- Define Communication Expectations
- Clarify Responsibilities and Delegation
- Set Limits on Scope of Work
- Establish Rules for Conflict Resolution
- Set Emotional Boundaries in Stressful Situations
- Set Boundaries Around Feedback
- Limit Personal Involvement in Minor Issues
The Complexity of Workplace Friendships
A common question for new managers is whether it’s possible to be friends with employees. While people naturally gravitate towards their boss, leaders need to ask themselves if they are a friend or a leader. Establishing boundaries isn’t just about maintaining professionalism; it’s also a form of empathy towards colleagues, ensuring fairness and clarity.
Emergent leaders often fall into the trap of wanting to be liked, sometimes at the expense of their authority. This is a lesson Imran and Mike had to learn the hard way. Imran recalls reaching a point where he had to ask, “Why do I want to be part of this circle? Why am I willing to sacrifice my self-worth for acceptance?” True leadership, they learned, comes from recognising your own value and realising that not everyone will like you – and that’s okay.
The Trap of Emergent Leadership
Many new leaders struggle with the desire to be liked. This often leads them to tolerate behaviour that undermines their authority. As Imran and Mike discuss, leaders must ask themselves,
“Why am I letting people treat me this way? Do I want to be liked or do I want to be respected?”
The quest for approval can prevent a leader from setting the necessary boundaries and making tough decisions.
Routine can be another trap and often unspoken about, can stifle growth and breed frustration. While it offers comfort, routine can also make leaders feel unproductive despite a full day’s work. Emergent leaders should question if they are merely going through the motions and, if so, push themselves out of this rut by taking action to re-energise themselves and their teams.
Leadership and Accountability
One of the toughest lessons in leadership is the weight of accountability. Imran’s role as a Responsible Pharmacist highlights the visceral nature of leadership responsibility. In this role, ultimate accountability lies with the leader. Regardless of who made a mistake, the leader bears the consequences. Trusting in the training and competence of others becomes vital when the stakes are high.
Yet, extreme responsibility can feel isolating and contradictory to the principle of delegation. In high-pressure situations, leaders may have to make final decisions themselves, which contrasts with the ideal of shared leadership. Extreme circumstances often compel leaders to take control, leading by example and demonstrating what visual leadership looks like. In this context, a leader doesn’t just give orders but steps into the fray to provide a visible model of how challenges should be tackled. From the customer’s perspective, seeing a leader step in to solve a problem personally fosters respect and trust, reinforcing the power of visual leadership.
Challenges and Opportunities for Emergent Leaders
Emergent leaders often find themselves in roles that offer significant opportunities for personal and professional growth, such as promotions. However, leadership training, when provided, can often be cursory – a “tick-the-box” exercise rather than an in-depth development programme. This is why so many leaders are self-taught, learning through experience rather than formal education. Leadership requires adopting a new perspective – one that views responsibility and decision-making through a wider lens.
Communication, both visual and verbal, becomes key. The shift from competence to incompetent in a leadership role can be unsettling, especially when a leader suddenly lacks the confidence that initially distinguished them. Emergent leaders may feel like they’ve lost their edge, making it crucial to develop resilience and adaptability.
Breaking Free from Comfort Zones
Leadership is about constantly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Keeping pace in a rapidly changing world requires not just the ability to adapt but also the skill to improvise. Improv or theatre classes, for example, can train leaders to think on their feet, break out of autopilot functioning, and respond to dynamic situations with creativity and confidence.
Leaders must also accept that they will make mistakes. Giving themselves the licence to fail fosters growth, as does embracing the lessons that come from regret and hurt. Ultimately, leadership is a continual process of learning and evolving.
What’s Your Leadership Brand?
One of the final reflections Imran and Mike offer in the 7th episode of the podcast is the importance of understanding your leadership brand.
How do you want to be perceived?
Leadership is not one-size-fits-all, and the way you lead needs to align with your values, your strengths, and your goals. Whether it’s the extreme responsibility of a role like the Responsible Pharmacist or the day-to-day challenges of leading a team, knowing your brand helps you navigate the highs and lows of leadership with authenticity and confidence.
