Lateral leadership is about exerting influence without hierarchical authority. You wonder if you are a lateral leader at all? Get an answer by checking our overview of lateral leadership roles.
Lateral leadership roles at a glance
1) Team member/Expert leader: You are part of a team of co-equal team members. Together you have to master a task or project in a special field. You are the expert in this field and therefore in the team. It is your duty to lead the team to success by using lateral leadership methods.
2) Process leader: On a typical working day you meet a lot of different people, teams and departments – to none of them you are line manager and you have no power through hierarchical authority. Nevertheless it’s your responsibility to lead a process to success with all those groups. Lateral leadership tools can simplify this task and minimize power games and conflict risk.
3) Project manager/Program leader: This is most typical and familiar lateral leadership role. Without being directly superior to your team members you are responsible for the success of a project. Lateral leadership is your toolbox to win the team members´ favour, to avoid conflicts, to simplify communication and to finish the project in a successful way.
4) Negotiator at a table: This is the role in which also „normal“ leaders happen to meet the need for lateral leadership skills. With co-equal leaders as counterparts they try to achieve goals in negotiation without having hierarchical power.
Classic leadership tools often reach their limits in the regard of above characterized roles. Lateral leaders operate in a territory between the opposing poles of different interests, potential power games and a huge result responsibility. To master this challenge they need a mixture of communicative, strategic and social skills combined with effective self-management.
You are a lateral leader?
We are keen to hear your experience.