Methodology for determining a leader in a team. example about the influence of an informal leader on an organization

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From this article you will learn:

How does an informal leader in an organization differ from a formal one?

What kind of informal leader can appear in an organization?

What qualities does he have?

What is the role of an informal leader in an organization?

How to work with it

Can an informal leader in an organization be re-educated?

An informal leader in an organization can both benefit it and harm it. It is quite easy to detect its appearance, although employees who have every chance of taking on this role do not indicate this fact in their resumes and do not talk about it during an interview, but they will not hide their ambitions for long. Is it necessary to fire an informal leader? Maybe try to negotiate and benefit from his activities? You can find the answer to these and many other questions in this article.

Formal and informal leaders in an organization: what is the difference

In every team there is a relationship between leader and followers. In this case, the leader can be both formal and informal. A leader is an official position that provides a certain amount of power over subordinates. The position of the manager is secured by specific rules, regulations and instructions. An informal leader in an organization influences other employees without relying on his place in the corporate hierarchy. He can only use his own authority and established relationships.

It is quite simple to recognize an official leader in any office: he has his own office, he gives orders and demands their implementation within the specified time frame. Finding an informal leader in an organization is a little more difficult. Visually, this person can blend in with the rest of the employees, but at the same time he manages to competently subordinate people to his own ideas. Often, ordinary employees are not aware of the level of his influence, although in difficult situations they turn to him, discussing the problem more actively and energetically than during official consideration.

What contributes to the emergence of an informal leader in an organization? Many experts believe that this is an absolutely normal situation for any team, since informal relationships have always been and will be part of the work process. Whatever abilities the appointed boss has, there will be candidates for the role of informal leader in the organization. How to become a real leader not in words, but in practice? Take part in the Practicum Group Business Regatta 2018 in Croatia.

There is another opinion, which is that the appearance of such a person in the team is dictated by the omission of certain functions by the immediate supervisor. They are taken over by an authoritative employee. In any case, it should be noted that the role of the informal leader in the organization is directly related to the position of the official administration; they can be an inverse reflection of each other. If a strict authoritarian management style reigns in a company, and the manager does not strive to establish friendly relationships with his subordinates, then there will definitely be a sociable and charming employee in the team who will be able to defuse the situation and relieve tension in relationships by listening and comforting colleagues. And a very soft and pliable boss guarantees the appearance of a tough employee, capable of making decisions for all the people in the company.

We present several standard scenarios for the formation of an informal leader in an organization:

It appears only due to the situation: any employee can become an authority, but under the right circumstances.
Leaders sometimes change, and usually this happens when the team or management changes.
Sometimes a company has several authoritative employees who interact well with each other. It also happens that each of this group serves as the leader of one direction, and in this case the work process is very efficient and effective.

There are informal leaders who strive to occupy the position of official leader. Such employees do not want to fade into the background, as this does not correspond to their ambitions. Often they do not reveal all their cards, but manipulate the team covertly. Such a person can stand in opposition to the official leadership and act in his own selfish interests.

If an informal leader leaves the organization, then long-term unrest may occur in the team, lasting until a new authoritative employee appears. The official manager is obliged to find these hidden leaders and direct their activity in a direction useful for the company. To do this, you need to have conversations with them, praise, encourage and motivate.

The emergence of the position of an informal leader in an organization is dictated both by the human desire to be in charge and to influence certain situations, and by the modern trend in society. But this is a bold decision, because this place is not always safe. In addition to increased attention, the employee faces great risk and a lot of difficulties. Today, leadership is a clear indicator of social importance, it implies popularity and a better life. On this basis, many leadership development trainings have appeared, where a huge number of people are sent, many of whom are not intended for leading roles. Unfortunately, it is difficult to become the first even in the absence of certain abilities, and even after special training.

Types of informal leaders in an organization

There are different types of informal leaders in an organization, some of which are useful for the company, others are only harmful. Let's look at the most common options:

Emotional leader. This is an employee who is useful for the organization in many ways, who has a good imagination, offers many interesting ideas and inspires the team. He easily convinces his colleagues of the merits of his proposals, but quickly gives up at the first signs of criticism against him. For such people, the efficiency of the work process depends very much on their mood. They often show selfishness, and their dreams and goals do not always come true.
Organizer. This type of leader knows how to organize colleagues well - he makes plans, knows who needs to be involved in the work, who needs to be entrusted with what, and calculates time perfectly. But he has problems with charisma and expressiveness. If a person does not show emotions, he alienates other employees. His ideas may actually be useful, but he does not know how to “infect” his colleagues with them.
Anti-leader. This employee absolutely accurately selects the right words and can correctly express his thoughts. He easily gets into an argument because he is confident that he is right. If a negative informal leader of an organization conflicts with management and quits his job, then most of the department may follow him. Such a person is capable of destroying the most friendly team.

Informal leaders can also be divided according to motivational and behavioral indicators.

"Conductor". Works well with management. If a manager needs an excellent result, but does not strive to build trusting relationships with subordinates, then this particular employee can be used to manage the team. Such informal leaders in the organization strictly adhere to the line set by the boss; they are motivated by a sense of their own importance in front of their superiors. Most often, these people are efficient and friendly, they perfectly organize the team’s activities within the framework of the company’s goals, and instill in their colleagues a desire and interest in work activities. “Conductors” are distinguished by their slow but steady career growth. The position of middle manager is the most suitable profession for this type of people; top management is more difficult for them due to the need to make independent decisions.
"Shirt guy." The soul of the company, sociable and charismatic, he is perfectly capable of motivating individual employees to carry out those instructions that they would like to avoid. This effect is achieved with the help of charm and positive energy. In his mouth, even ordinary tasks become interesting, and it is very difficult to refuse this informal leader. His own motivation is that he has the right to communicate with his superiors “on an equal footing.”
"Eminence grise". A very important employee for a manager. This informal leader will create competent and effective tactics for achieving goals, while taking into account the individual characteristics of each person. Such an employee remembers all the little things well, because it is with their help that it is easiest to manipulate people. He does not claim to be the author of all projects, does not try to grow in the eyes of others, a role in the background is enough for him, since the “Grey Cardinal” understands that in reality many tasks were realized precisely thanks to his efforts.
"Rebel". A rather complex type of informal leader in an organization. Feels a natural call to protest, cannot come to terms with any injustice and is constantly faced with it. A characteristic feature of this employee is the frequent setting of any conditions, and even the organization of riots. Such a person will actively defend the interests of others, both the boss and the subordinate - it all depends on whose rights were infringed.

Typically, management does not try to build special relationships with the informal leader in the organization, which can lead to a number of problems. An uncontrolled authoritative employee can seriously reduce the performance of the team or become the cause of constant conflicts.

The most “harmless” type of informal leader in an organization can be called the “conductor” and the “shirt guy.” But even they can create certain difficulties in the work of the entire company.

Informal leader in the organization and his main qualities

Regardless of the people around him, an informal leader in an organization is characterized by a number of distinctive features, which include the following:

High communication skills. It will not be difficult for any informal leader to find a common language with the right people and start a conversation with them.
Ability to win an argument and correct the interlocutor’s opinion in such a way that the opponent himself does not notice it.
The desire to be in charge. Such employees try to completely take control of the situation and manage other employees.
The ability to focus the attention of others on one’s own personality and on your opinion.
Charisma. An externally and internally attractive person can become an informal leader in an organization. Such an employee attracts people and inspires trust.
No fear of change. This person easily navigates in an unusual environment and is able to find a way out of a difficult situation that he encountered for the first time.
Positive attitude. An informal leader in an organization radiates positivity even in difficult times; he does not give up in the face of difficulties because he believes in success and charges the rest of the employees with his energy.

If we turn to nature, we can see that among animals the leader is that representative of the species who has a number of distinctive qualities. Eg:

Fighting skills and features:

Body size and weight.
Better development of organs that contribute to success in fights.
Aggressiveness.
Agility.
Tendency to fight.
Physical courage.
Confidence.
Assertiveness.
Experience.
Vigilance.
Quick reaction to danger.
Physical strength and endurance.
Great physical activity.

Sexual characteristics:

Increased sexual capabilities (the leader chimpanzee copes with several females every day, sometimes resorting to violent acts).
Sexual attractiveness for sexually mature females.

Qualities that help a leader achieve success in relationships with his relatives:

The leader must remain in the pack for a fairly long time, because newcomers do not inspire trust and do not have the necessary authority.
The leader needs to find a common language with the rest of the group.
He is the organizer of all the actions of the pack.
Usually the leader has a fairly high and developed intelligence, and in this indicator he is superior to other individuals.

It should be noted that the leaders of the animal kingdom differ mainly in their physical capabilities for exercising dominance. In primitive society, men could be leaders, because they are much stronger and more resilient than women. And in our time, an informal leader in an organization most often stands out at first sight. Usually this is the employee who looks more impressive than the rest. He may be tall, slender and pleasant. Another distinguishing feature is age. Typically, the leader is older than most of the company's employees.

3 examples about the influence of an informal leader on an organization

Do informal leaders have a positive or negative impact on the organization? It is impossible to give an exact answer to this question. The role of an informal leader in an organization is very ambiguous.

Example 1. A new employee was hired into the accounting department, but the manager did not tell her in detail about her responsibilities, but only indicated where the papers were located - invoices, invoices, etc. The chief accountant did not introduce the woman to the rest of the team and did not even show where other departments were located that needed to be worked with. But the situation was saved by a colleague holding the position of senior accountant. It was she who provided the necessary information in detail. The senior accountant was an informal leader in the organization. She had extensive work experience, and even the general director recognized her authority.

In this situation, the leader directs his energies to actions that are beneficial to the company. The official leader does not fulfill the full list of his responsibilities, deliberately or unconsciously shifting them to an informal representative. Such people are supported, given special powers, and sometimes made into a kind of boss. To do this, you can promote the employee to deputy or add the words “senior”, “chief”, “leading”, etc. to the existing job title. It should be noted that this will not give the employee special power, but he will become the official representative of the head of the organization’s department.

An unusual approach was used in the United States military. They were able to competently use informal leadership. All units, except the chief officer, have a sergeant. It is he who organizes the execution of orders given by the officer. This is a special rank, since the sergeant must prove himself as a true leader. He is considered a model of behavior for ordinary soldiers, and therefore is obliged to keep his performance at the highest level. In this army there is even a kind of parallel hierarchy of sergeants - staff sergeant, master sergeant, sergeant first class, master sergeant.

Example 2. The organization's chief accountant noted that his instructions are not always carried out equally quickly - sometimes this happens immediately, and in other cases the matter is seriously delayed. He decided to talk to his employees about this topic, and it turned out that before starting work, most subordinates turn to the informal leader in the organization. An authoritative employee gives advice and recommendations, and makes his own changes.

Informal leaders can negatively influence both the work of official management and the activities of ordinary employees.

Example 3. The organization's personnel service noticed that accounting employees were rapidly leaving one after another. The chief accountant for a long time could not find the reason for this phenomenon, but soon interesting information was received from one of the employees who quit. It turned out that an authoritative employee had organized a kind of hazing in the department. The informal leader formed a coalition around himself, whose members made life difficult for other employees - those who did not want to submit to his authority. The team waged a real war: they forced opponents to stay late, did not share work data, forced others to take vacations at inconvenient times, jointly filed complaints with management, showing the “oppositionists” in an unfavorable light, and at the same time covered up each other’s mistakes.

Negative informal leaders in an organization can unite workers, organizing a kind of “criminal” group. This has an extremely negative impact on the entire activity of the company.

How to identify the informal leader of an organization

In order to determine which employee of the organization is an informal leader, you will have to answer several questions:

— Whose assessment of the company’s performance is most significant for you as an employee?

— Who would you prefer to work with if you have the opportunity to take a higher position?

Also, consider the following points, which will also help you recognize an informal leader in an organization:

Pay attention to who the majority of employees' eyes fall on, tracking leadership reactions when announcing any news, for example, at a meeting or meeting.
Find out who company employees usually ask for help or advice.
The informal leader of the organization often visits the smoking room with different employees.
He can form a circle in which there is an active discussion of any issues.

Based on these signs, the official head of the organization can easily identify an informal leader.

Informal leader in an organization and ways to work with him

Many managers believe that informal leaders in the organization must be constantly encouraged and motivated. This is a completely logical approach, since in order to achieve common goals, it is possible to create optimal and favorable conditions for such an employee to work. Remember that unofficial leaders in the organization act as transmitters of information among colleagues, unite the team, and help newcomers find their way. A lot depends on the manager’s ability to direct the abilities of an outstanding employee in the right direction. They respect him, ask for advice, etc. In addition to helping organize the company's current activities, leaders can assist in organizing holiday events.

If the head of the organization wants to cooperate with such an employee, then he needs to determine his strengths and vulnerabilities.

But there are also negative informal leaders in the organization who undermine the image of the leader and reduce the overall performance of the company. HR specialists have developed methods to deal with such employees. You can give them more tasks or send them to another department. If these methods do not work, then experts suggest taking measures to reduce the authority of the leader, compromising him in front of ordinary employees and then saying goodbye to him.

But first, find the root of the problem. Perhaps the matter is not at all in the individual characteristics of the person, but in a misunderstanding of the organization’s policies or in the difficulties that have arisen within the team. If your attempts to improve relationships and direct the employee’s energy in a direction useful for the company do not bring the expected results, then it is better to fire this employee. But if the initial cause of the emergence of a negative informal leader in the organization is not eliminated, then the situation will repeat itself, and people will have to be fired again and again.

6 tips on how formal and informal leaders in an organization should get along

An informal leader in an organization understands perfectly well that he has a serious influence on the team; he strives not to lose his authority. A situation that could put him in a stupid position in front of other employees may have a negative impact on his image, which is why he will try to prevent such a development of events or eliminate its cause.

For example, an employee of the accounting department was recognized as an informal leader in the organization; her authority was not in doubt among the team in areas that are not related to work activities - fashion, makeup, style, etc. But the new employee had the imprudence to express her ridicule about her taste preferences in front of the majority of her colleagues. Naturally, the authoritative woman immediately reacted, starting an operation to complicate the life of the employee she disliked: every day she complained to her superiors about the girl, seeking her dismissal.

An ordinary employee puts his job at great risk by demonstrating disagreement with the informal leader in the organization. Remember that an authoritative employee has many more ways of influencing than others, and he can also use official leadership to achieve his goals. You should not show your competence, even if you are actually more professional than the leader. This is often what newbies do. Having settled in a company, they try to prove to the rest of the employees their high level of abilities. Too much activity will only irritate the informal leader. Moreover, you should not evaluate an authoritative employee and point out his work or personal shortcomings. There is no point in evaluating a leader at all.

You should not arrange competitions with an informal leader, even comic ones. This also includes corporate competitions, because winning such games sometimes turns into a serious problem for an ordinary employee. A leader tries in any way to maintain his high position in all areas; he is very sensitive to his reputation and tries to seem the best in everything.

At a corporate party, one of the employees defeated an authoritative employee in a power competition. It would seem, what does this have to do with the work process? But the leader was so wounded that he decided to use his official position to take revenge. He provided the employee with incorrect information to prepare the financial report. It is not difficult to guess in what position the informal leader of the organization was able to put the employee he hated.

What is the reason for this behavior? It's all about five sources of power:

Violence (if the leader has physical power; such situations are not uncommon in the army).
Reward power (if the boss can influence financially: pay bonuses, bonuses, give benefits).
Information power (if a manager knows something that other employees do not know, he will be able to manage by releasing information in parts).
Expert power (if the boss has knowledge and has skills and experience superior to ordinary employees).
The power of charisma (the ability to competently use charm, attractive appearance, or successfully adjust one’s behavior).

Officially, the leader is able to use most of these sources of power. His influence extends to the payment of wages, he can control certain information and force employees to perform duties. This and much more is dictated by the high position held. The leader perceives criticism more balancedly, because nothing threatens his power. With an informal leader, everything is different; his only leverage can be charisma, so he very carefully shapes his image and tries with all his might to support it, because the authoritative position of such an employee is less stable.

He has only three possibilities for gaining power:

Win fairly.
Win by dishonest means.
Lose and then eliminate the winner.

Tip 3. Accept feedback from an informal leader

As already mentioned, informal leaders do not tolerate criticism well, but they actively evaluate other employees, which a manager can use. If you strive to cooperate fruitfully with the main authority of the team, then you should pay attention to his recommendations, both professional and everyday.

Some employees try to distance themselves; they are in no hurry to follow the informal leader, having their own opinion on many issues. Unfortunately, this position is not sustainable. Ultimately, you will need to decide whether to confront the informal leader in the organization or cooperate with him.

An easy version of confrontation, which is based on the return of one’s own power.

For example, a group of accountants of an organization carried out an inventory, and this is a very long and complex process. The informal leader proposed changes to the standard procedure; the counting system he invented turned out to be much more effective. In this case, you need to support a useful idea, but take control of the process into your own hands.

Seizing the initiative is necessary in order to maintain the authority of the official leader.

Another soft way is to ignore the activity of the informal leader. Managers resort to it when it is necessary to “punish” an authoritative employee who has crossed certain limits of what is permitted.

For example, the chief accountant of an organization regularly accompanied him to important meetings by an employee who was a recognized leader of the department. At one of these meetings, an employee made a harsh statement, and the next time he was simply not included in the list of invitees.

The image of an informal leader is firmly based on two foundations: the loyalty of ordinary workers to him and the favor of his superiors. The team very subtly determines that the attitude towards their representative has changed. And the authority of the informal leader begins to decline rapidly.

Sometimes circumstances force you to take conflicting actions in relation to the informal leader. This option cannot be called the best, because such an employee is necessary for the team, especially if he takes on some of the functions of the boss. For example, if the manager is very different from his colleagues in his age category.

If the relationship with an authoritative employee does not work out, then he needs to be eliminated. Constant conflicts can undermine your position in the eyes of ordinary employees, and at the same time, the influence of an informal leader will only increase.

How to fire an informal leader

You should not advertise your actions in such a situation, because the position of a leader is usually based on the image of an expert and his charisma, which means that you can prove to the team that in reality he is not a professional and undermine his authority.

Method one. Look for errors

Even highly qualified specialists sometimes make mistakes, but an informal leader should avoid them as much as possible. If you notice mistakes in the work of such an employee and demonstrate them to the team, and in the future you repeatedly mention this, you can reduce his influence on people.

Method two. Give an impossible task

The informal leader of the company constantly tries to demonstrate his unique abilities. Give him this opportunity in the form of a special assignment. A person will not refuse the chance to show his superiority. But remember that the task should be difficult, not absurd.

Method three. Grow a new leader

If an established informal leader negatively affects the image of management, then it is necessary to find a worthy competitor for him. There are various ways to do this. You can hire “your” employee who will have the appropriate professional training and leadership qualities. The problem is that a newcomer, regardless of the level of professionalism, is not able to quickly earn authority in the team. The easiest way is to single out one of the current employees of the organization. For example, assign him a fairly complex task, assign assistants, and after completion, demonstrate your approval in the presence of the majority of employees. If the team did not accept the new informal leader at the first attempt, then actions to build authority must be carried out again.

If an informal leader demonstratively laughs at the boss, provokes conflicts, and makes sarcastic remarks about him, then you will have to fight him openly. If possible, emphasize his incompetence and point out the mistakes he has made. But remember that your claims must not only be justified, they must take your opponent by surprise, so be tough and confident. Prepare in advance for retaliatory accusations, think through all possible options and worthy reactions. After such a battle, the employee will quit or change his position to one more favorable to you.

Let's summarize. To work effectively, it is necessary to identify the informal leader of the team. It is most profitable to build a company policy taking into account its presence. In any organization there is a place for cooperation between the official management and the informal leader, but if it is not possible to establish a profitable relationship, then you will have to fire the employee.

Is an informal leader in an organization amenable to education?

Is it possible to train such an employee specifically? It must be remembered that the informal leader is not endowed with any special powers; he has at his disposal only the personal qualities that are given to him by nature. Naturally, people are capable of developing different abilities, but this is very difficult and not very justified in this situation.

There is an informal leader in every organization; his positions are secured naturally in accordance with his individual characteristics. Such a person becomes a strong, energetic, interested and responsible employee. He is able to lead the entire team. It is for these reasons that it is impossible to raise an informal leader from scratch, but it is quite possible to use for this purpose an employee in whom you saw the necessary inclinations. Try to develop them in the right direction.

Situations in which it is really justified to train an informal leader in an organization:

If the boss needs a successor. Such a need may arise if a manager seeks to actively grow up the career ladder and decides to put someone in his own place.
The boss intends to split his department into two, then he will need a head for the second group of employees.
The boss intends to form an informal leader in order to better control the team. Then the manager will have information about the mood among employees and an excellent way to influence the situation.

A potential leader in an organization must be identified at an early stage, then it will be easier to form profitable cooperation. Good ways of effective interaction are considered to be communication as equals, assignment of important tasks and financial motivation. This way you will acquire a useful employee who, with your input, will be able to regulate the mood of the entire company team.

Practicum Group business coach Evgeniy Kotov will tell you more about the rules of interaction with informal leaders at his own trainings “Strengthening Leaders. Personnel motivation" and "Effective personnel management".

St. Petersburg State Institute

Psychology and Social Work

Identifying a leader in the work team

Practice

Completed

3rd year FPP student

Litenkov S.I.

St. Petersburg 2009

Goal of the work

Identify a small work team consisting of three people working in the same department for placing delivery orders. To what extent each of them is able to manifest himself in the role of a leader in practice. The level of their emotional responsiveness to each other, the ability to empathize. And to what extent are they capable of displaying aggression in creative activities?

For this purpose, I chose three methods: “Leadership Effectiveness”, “Study of the Level of Empathic Tendencies”, the Bassa-Darki Questionnaire, a description of the Bassa-Darki psychological test for identifying aggression.

Method 1. Leadership effectiveness

Note: If this technique is used for self-assessment of a manager, then there is a danger of distortion of the results due to a subjective desire to show oneself in the best light or simply a person’s insufficient awareness of his own characteristics. Therefore, it is recommended that this questionnaire be offered to subordinates together with the manager, and then summarize the results obtained.

Korshikova Irina. 33 points.

Galanov Anar. 37 points.

This subject's leadership style is considered highly effective (taking into account the above comment).

Dobrolyubova Maria. 32 points.

This subject's leadership style is considered highly effective (taking into account the above comment).

General conclusion based on the methodology: Among the interviewed reviewers, the highest level of leadership was identified in Anar Hasanov.

Method 2. Study of the level of empathy tendencies

The methodology proposed below is used to study empathy (compassion), i.e. the ability to put oneself in the place of another person and the ability to be voluntary emotionally responsive to the experiences of other people. Empathy is accepting the feelings that another person experiences as if they were our own.

Empathy promotes balance in interpersonal relationships. It makes human behavior socially conditioned. Developed empathy in a person is a key factor for success in those activities that require adaptation to the world of a communication partner, and, above all, in training and education.

Note: Before calculating your results, check the degree of frankness with which you answered. Did you answer “I don’t know” to some of the statements numbered: 3, 9, 11, 13, 28, 36, and also did you mark points 11, 13, 15, 27 with the answers “yes, always”? If this is the case, then you did not want to be honest with yourself, and in some cases, you tried to look in the best light. You can trust the test results if, for all the listed statements, you gave no more than three insincere answers, but if there are four, you should doubt their reliability, and if there are five, you can consider that the work was done in vain.

Korshikova Irina. Taking into account the above comments, she answered the questions of the questionnaire frankly. 61 points.

Galanov Anar. Taking into account the above comments, he answered the questions of the questionnaire frankly. 60 points.

This subject has a normal level of empathy, characteristic of the vast majority of people. People around you may not call you “thick-skinned,” but at the same time, you are not one of the particularly sensitive people. In interpersonal relationships, people are more inclined to judge others by their actions than to trust their personal impressions. You are no stranger to emotional manifestations, but for the most part they are under self-control. When communicating, you are attentive, you try to understand more than what is said in words, but if you are overly influenced by the feelings of your interlocutor, you lose patience. You prefer not to delicately express your point of view without being sure that it will be accepted. When reading works of fiction and watching films, follow the action more often than the experiences of the characters. You find it difficult to predict the development of relationships between people, so it happens that their actions turn out to be unexpected for you. You do not have relaxed feelings, and this interferes with your full perception of people.

Dobrolyubova Maria. Taking into account the above comments, she answered the questions of the questionnaire frankly. 50 points.

General conclusion on the methodology: Among the respondents surveyed, the level of empathy corresponds to the level inherent in the vast majority of people. No over or underestimated levels were identified.

Method 3. Bass-Darka questionnaire. Description of the Bassa-Darki psychological test for identifying aggression

Note:

1. Physical aggression - the use of physical force against another person.

2. Indirect - aggression directed in a roundabout way at another person or not directed at anyone.

3. Irritation - readiness to express negative feelings at the slightest excitement (hot temper, rudeness).

4. Negativism is an oppositional manner of behavior from passive resistance to active struggle against established customs and laws.

5. Resentment - envy and hatred of others for real and fictitious actions.

6. Suspicion - ranging from distrust and wariness of people to the belief that other people are planning and causing harm.

7. Verbal aggression - the expression of negative feelings both through form (screaming, screeching) and through the content of verbal responses (curses, threats).

8. Feelings of guilt - expresses the subject’s possible conviction that he is a bad person, that he is doing evil, as well as the remorse of conscience he feels.

Korshikova Irina.

Physical aggression - 6 points

Indirect aggression - 5 points

Irritation - 5 points

Negativism - 4 points

Resentment - 3 points

Suspiciousness - 8 points

Verbal aggression - 7 points

Guilt - 7 points

Aggression index - 18

Hostility index - 11

In this subject, the level of aggressiveness is normal, but the level of hostility is slightly elevated. Prone to conflict.

Galanov Anar.

Physical aggression - 7 points

Indirect aggression - 6 points

Irritation - 5 points

Negativism - 4 points

Resentment - 2 points

Suspiciousness - 7 points

Verbal aggression - 6 points

Guilt - 6 points

Aggression index - 18 points

Hostility index - 9 points

This subject's level of aggressiveness is normal. The level of hostility is also within the normal range.

Dobrolyubova Marina.

Physical aggression - 5 points

Indirect aggression - 4 points

Irritation - 3 points

Negativism - 3 points

Resentment - 2 points

Suspiciousness - 8 points

Verbal aggression - 5 points

Guilt - 7 points

Aggression index - 13 points

Hostility index - 10 points

This subject's level of aggressiveness is reduced, hostility is within normal limits. Not conflicting.

Conclusion: In the presented team, leadership qualities in practice and the ability to lead are most expressed in Anar Galanov. team Thesis >> Psychology

Includes working conditions and equipment workers places The provision of labor with technology, communications... sociometry is used for the purpose of identifying cohesion team and the presence of informal leaders. The sociometry method was developed...

Development of leadership qualities in older schoolchildren

2.1 Identifying leaders in the student body

The purpose of the experiment is to identify leaders in the student body. 33 students from the class took part in the study. We divided the students into two groups: experimental (15) and control (18). At the first stage of the experiment, we conducted diagnostics to identify the leadership qualities of each subject. To do this, we used the generally accepted methods “Method of Sociometric Measurements”, the Cattell Multifactor Questionnaire, and the “Personality Differential” test.

Using a sociometric test designed to diagnose emotional sympathies between group members, we measured the degree of cohesion - disunity in the group, and identified the relative authority of group members on the basis of sympathy - antipathy (leaders, stars, rejected). The answer form for this method is presented in Appendix 1.

The next technique that we used to identify leadership qualities in the subjects was the Cattell multifactor questionnaire. Raymond Cattell's outstanding achievement is the development of the 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire). The questionnaire was first published in 1950. The questionnaire was designed to measure 15 factors and intelligence (16 personality traits). Each of these factors received a double name, characterizing the degree of its expression - strong and weak.

The question of how many factors are necessary and sufficient for an adequate psychological description of a personality remains open. Some researchers believe that for a complete psychological characterization of a personality it is enough to consider only three factors (G. Eysenck), others argue that it is necessary to evaluate 5 independent traits (R. McCrae), and others that 20 traits are not enough (R. Meili ). For my work, I chose the 16PF test questionnaire, because... it, in my opinion, gives a more complete description of the personality. In addition, it is very easy to process. The polar values of the factors of the 16PF questionnaire are given in Appendix 2.

To more accurately determine the qualities characteristic of a leader, an attempt was made to take for comparison the personality of the rejected person in our class. But when analyzing the answers, it was revealed that the answers of the rejected person do not correspond to reality, that is, what is desired is presented as reality, and this confirms Cardell’s theory about the existence of qualities - “disconnectors”, which have a sharply negative impact on the formation of such a quality as leadership. In histogram 1 we see the distribution of personality profiles.

Histogram 1

If you analyze all 16 traits presented in this diagram, you can determine which of them are characteristic of a leader in a given social group (my class).

(I) empathy, sympathy, gentleness, understanding, etc.

(Q4) increased motivation in implementation, active dissatisfaction of aspirations

(B) intelligence

(M) imagination, high creativity

(Q1) intellectual interests, desire for awareness.

(E) independence

Many of the personality traits of a boy and a girl are not the same. This is explained by the fact that, firstly, we have been studying with the boy since the first grade, and the girl came to our school only two years ago, so, of course, in addition to the qualities that the boy possesses, she also needs others - such as, for example , sociability. Secondly, boys mature and develop later than girls, and this to some extent affects the fragmentation of their personality traits.

All these factors can be divided into three groups:

B,M,Q1 - intelligent features

C, G, I, O, Q4 - emotional-volitional

A,H,F,E,Q2,N,L-communicative

It follows from this that to be a leader in our class, intellectual and emotional-volitional personality traits are necessary. This is confirmed by the following experience.

At the end of this stage we used the Personality Differential test. The personality differential (LD) technique was developed on the basis of the modern Russian language and reflects the ideas about personality structure that have formed in our culture. The LD technique was adapted by the staff of the Institute named after. V. M. Bekhtereva. The purpose of its development was to create a compact tool for studying certain personality traits, self-awareness, and interpersonal relationships, which could be used in socio-psychological practice. The criteria for carrying out this technique are given in Appendix 3.

The purpose of using this test was to study the internal factor structure of a unique “personality model” that exists in culture and develops in each person as a result of the assimilation of social and linguistic experience.

120 words denoting personality traits were selected from Ozhegov’s explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. From this initial set, features were selected that most characterize the poles of the 3 classical factors of the semantic differential:

3. Activities.

We showed the interpretation of the factors of the Personality Differential test in histogram 2.

Histogram 2 Interpretation of LD factors

Legend:

(O+) self-esteem, self-concept, self-satisfaction

(O-) critical attitude towards oneself

(C+) self-confidence, independence, self-reliance - strong-willed qualities

(C-) dependence on assessments and circumstances

(A+) high activity, impulsiveness, sociability, extroversion

(A-) introversion, passivity

From the obtained results it is clear that the leader in our class is characterized by an increased strong-willed side of the personality, and the other two characteristics do not play a role in obtaining the status of a leader. All this testifies only to the subjective point of view of the subject, but these results also confirm the importance of the high emotional and volitional qualities characteristic of the leader of our class.

As a result of the assessment of the main sociometric characteristics of the members of the team under study (sociometric status, emotional expansiveness, indices of volume, intensity and concentration of interaction), as well as the analysis of a generalized concentric sociogram emphasizing the hierarchical structure of relationships in the group, conclusions were drawn regarding informal leadership in the team. The study revealed that in the group under study there are no leaders who unite the entire team or most of it. The study group is represented by several small subgroups, in which 7 informal leaders were identified: Nos. 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15 and 16.

It is also worth noting that informal leaders have a different impact on the team. Thus, 4 students (Nos. 7, 8, 11, 13) are positive leaders and gravitate toward a favorable situation in the group structure. 3 people (Nos. 5, 15, 16) were identified as negative leaders leading the team to disunity and the establishment of a conflict situation.

The degree of influence of both positive and negative leaders also varies. Among the positive leaders, Nos. 7 and 8 clearly stand out. These group members have close to the maximum volume of interaction (0.94), which indicates their connection with almost all members of the group. They are able to concentrate the main flows of psychological information on themselves. At the same time, the indicators of the group’s attitude towards leaders as an object of communication and the latter’s attitude towards the team as a subject of communication are the highest among group members. It should also be noted that the position that the group ascribes to leaders Nos. 7 and 8 is equivalent to the position they wish to take (the sociometric status index is equal to the emotional expansiveness index).

Leaders No. 11 and 13 have less influence on the group than their colleagues No. 7 and 8. At the same time, the connection between leader No. 13 and the latter two is quite close, in contrast to leader No. 11, who has a constant positive relationship with only one of them. leaders (No. 7). Another fact indicates a higher position of leader No. 13 in the group structure: his need for communication and interaction with others is very high (emotional expansiveness index is 0.63), in contrast to leader No. 11, whose desire for communication is lower than this assessed by the group. Also, the concentration of interaction of leader No. 13 is higher than No. 11, which indicates a more significant position of the first in the group structure.

Negative leaders can also be divided according to the degree of influence on the team. The influence of leader No. 5 is not as great as leaders No. 15 and 16, who closely interact with each other and represent a single group, which leads to an increase in their influence on the team as a whole.

As for the connection between positive and negative leaders, positive interaction, although quite weak, takes place only between negative leaders and leader No. 8. Leader No. 11 has practically no such connection. Leaders Nos. 7 and 13 interact very weakly, but negatively, with almost all negative leaders.

In the team, 4 people have a positive index of influence on the group (No. 4, 9, 10, 2). At the same time, Nos. 4 and 10 influence the group independently of others, in contrast to Nos. 2 and 9, whose status in the group increases due to their close connection with leaders No. 8 and 13, respectively.

Six people in the group have practically no influence on the team as a whole (Nos. 1, 3, 6, 12, 14, 17): their connection with others is unstable and weak. Two of these 6 people are students who rarely attend classes. Perhaps this explains their low degree of influence on the team. However, there is no point in talking about any regularity in this case. Of all its members, students No. 12, 17 have the least influence on the group. However, these people have a very weak, but positive connection with the group.

Using the results of a sociometric analysis of the study group, we made an attempt to organize the activities of the members of the team under study, taking into account their socio-psychological characteristics and the structure of informal leadership when developing a set of classes for the development of leadership qualities in senior schoolchildren.

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You are a successful leader and a competent manager, your team works as a single whole, one for all, and all for one. Sure? Or maybe the team is not following you, but following what in psychology is called an informal leader?

Roosevelt also said: “The leader leads, but the boss controls.” Let's try to figure out if this is so and understand who an informal leader (IL) is, how to identify him, what informal leaders are like and how to cooperate with them.

There are often cases when informal leadership gives rise to endless squabbles, conflicts and the stratification of the team into warring factions. The tug of war between the manager and the informal leader can seriously affect labor productivity and the psychological climate in the team.

Who is an informal leader

In order not to dive into complex psychological terms, let us explain simply. The boss is appointed to a leadership position. An informal leader can be either a junior specialist or a middle manager.

The main thing here is not the position, but a set of personal qualities, life experience and authority.

There are leading players in all areas of activity. After all, each team is a mini-society. And society needs to follow someone. And in this situation, the authority of the individual is stronger than the authority of the position. It is important for every manager to know and understand how to cooperate and generally coexist with IP.

First, determine who it is.

How to identify an informal leader

The most accurate way to determine NL is a sociometric test. Do you remember how psychologists did similar things in schools? If it is not possible to invite a specialist and conduct testing, then analyze it yourself:

with whom employees communicate most often on non-work issues;
who to turn to for professional advice;
who voices the reasons for discontent in the team;
who brings new proposals and ideas.

Surely, when drawing up plans and discussing innovations, one of the subordinates expressed a common opinion, asked questions more often than others, or acted as an instigator. Take a closer look at this person and his behavior with colleagues.

There are two styles: constructive and destructive. In the first case, the informal leader generates ideas, organizes the work process and motivates colleagues; in the second, he causes discord and creates conflict situations.

It is important to establish partnerships with constructive ones, because their activities benefit both the department and the business. It’s more difficult with the destructive, but its energy can also be controlled. The main thing is to recognize the true motives of leadership: the desire for power, the desire for self-realization. Once you understand what motivates this employee, you will know what to do.

6 types of informal leaders

A competent leader knows how to manage subordinates and build trusting relationships with various informal leaders. The description below will help you correctly identify IP and understand how to act.

1. Innovator

Emotional and creative. His ideas are original. This informal person is able to give a boost of energy to the team and shift stereotypical approaches towards innovation. If he does not find support or faces criticism, he quickly gives up, like any creative person.

How to use it

Consult him when your business needs a breath of fresh air. The team is ready to follow innovators and bring their ideas to life. Perhaps behind such innovations there will be another round of success for the company.
This type gets satisfaction from finding and implementing new things. Every brainstorming session in your team should take place with the participation, or better yet, under the leadership of an innovator.
Emotional outbursts in this person’s behavior will help expose problems in the team. Use this signal to resolve troubles in a timely manner and neutralize discontent among subordinates.

2. Coordinator

Busy and organized. Ready to plan work and clearly coordinate processes. He has reasoned answers to all questions, so he enjoys great authority in the team. And some may even be afraid of the dry nature of the coordinator.

How to use it

Entrust a business leader with organizational work - he will be happy to do it.
Make the coordinator your right hand. You can safely entrust some of your supervisory responsibilities to this type. Legalize his power by promoting him and making him a partner.
Use the authority of the coordinator to earn a couple of points in the eyes of employees and for yourself. He can be your voice or an evangelist for unpopular decisions.

3. Cardinal Gray

Lives in the shadow of his boss. But at the same time, he knows everything: who has deadlines, who recently quarreled with their husband (or wife), and who is looking for a new job. But the cardinal does not collect this information for gossip in the smoking room.

How to use it

Find out useful information to keep abreast of internal processes in the team.
Be careful: gray cardinals influence the boss himself. Therefore, subject even competent advice to analysis.
Respect the eminence grise and let him feel it. Then he won't play against you.
The Cardinal will never take responsibility for the decisions you make. Even if he influenced it.

4. Revolutionary

Rebel and critic. The one who stands at the head of the mood of discontent in the team. He doesn't like anything. The revolutionary states what is wrong, but does not suggest how to fix it. This type can cause conflicts and the formation of warring factions.

How to use it

Invite the revolutionary to solve the problem, and not just shake the air. This will most likely confuse him. And it will help those team members who follow him to understand that the NL is strong only in words.
Channel the violent energy of a revolutionary into social activities.
Assign additional projects or transfer to another department where contact with colleagues is minimal.
If these steps do not help, and the conflicts continue, there is only one way out - to introduce fines or fire the rebel.

5. Veselchak

These people are called “the life of the party.” The team follows him because he is charming and it’s not boring to be with him. Under easy and relaxed leadership, employees are ready to do even monotonous work.

How to use it

Collaborate as equals. After all, in the eyes of his subordinates he is one of his own.
Hand over some difficult tasks through a funny guy, appoint him as a project manager.
Designate such an IP as the main one for working with newcomers. Then the adaptation process will go faster.
Veselchak creates a comfortable atmosphere in the department. Instruct him to come up with joint leisure activities for colleagues. Events outside the office are his strong point.

6. Crisis manager

This is a situational leader. It may not manifest itself in any way in daily work, but in case of force majeure it can quickly navigate and make decisions.

How to use it

Let yourself express yourself in stressful situations. Say it straight: “You’re in charge now!”
Based on the results, evaluate the work of the crisis manager and thank him in front of the rest of the team.
Encouragement is an important factor for IP. But you need to praise when there is really something for it.

Finally

Collaborate with the informal leader and try to make him an ally. Don't be afraid of the appearance of NL. Analyze his personality, competencies, authority and determine what qualities you lack.

Perhaps Theodore Roosevelt is right and your main task as a boss is to govern? Use peer leadership to benefit your business. And then success will be just around the corner!

Most people dream of leadership, but, unfortunately, only a few achieve it. Leadership can give everything - status, title, position, success and... This list can be extended indefinitely. Therefore, people in all centuries have strived and strive to be leaders. Some of them are attracted by the opportunity to influence the behavior of other people, for others the presence of this power pleases their pride, and for others they assert themselves in this way. Some try to “play” a leader in a team, while others really are.

So, how can you determine whether you are a leader in your team? To do this, I suggest you take the following test. Main rules of the test:

1. Your answers to questions should be as sincere as possible.

2. The test is unusual and consists of statements. You need to either agree with them or refute them.

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

2. “If the team I am in discusses any problem, then they listen to my opinion most of all, and the last word always remains with me.”

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

3. “Do I believe I can influence other people?

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

4. “In situations where some action is needed, either on behalf of the entire team, then people from the team most often follow my call.”

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

5. “As a child, I was the main ringleader among the guys and the initiator of all children’s games.”

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

6. “Most of the goals in life that I set for myself were achieved.”

A- I agree

B – I don’t agree.

7. “I know how to take responsibility and do it quite often.”

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

8. "People's attention to me and the fact that they attach great importance to my opinion brings me satisfaction and contentment with myself."

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

9. “I love noisy and cheerful companies, as they give me an additional chance to attract attention and be in the center of it.”

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

10. “I often come up with interesting ideas for active pastime that I can happily offer to my team.”

A - I agree

B – I don’t agree.

Key to the test: for each answer with which you disagree, give 1 point, and for each answer “I agree”, give 0 points.

Let's summarize. Calculate the number of points received.

You scored from 0 to 5 points. You would like to be a leader in your team, but, unfortunately, you are not very successful at this yet. You need to work on yourself a little... Or maybe you don’t need leadership, but a “modest” position in the team simply suits you?

You scored 6 - 8 points. Sometimes you can take the initiative and direct the team in the right direction, but, unfortunately, it happens that some people from the team do not want to follow your calls and listen to you. Maybe it's because you haven't yet found the right approach to each of them?

You scored 9 – 10 points. You are a born leader. People follow you, they value your opinion, you have a lot of weight in your team. People expect you to solve the problems of the team and completely trust you with its fate. They know that you will never let them down. Well, this is very commendable. We give you an A for your leadership!