Three sources of leadership: claim it, grant it, own it.

I’ve come to recognise that leadership in teams is more organic and less ordained. There are three sources to the organic leadership in teams; it is either claimed, granted or owned. Let me elaborate.

1. Claimed Leadership – the consequence of Floundering Teams

In underperforming teams, leadership is often a competition. Team members vie for influence, recognition, and control—seeking to claim leadership over one another. These teams operate in silos, protect their turf, and value individual success over collective progress. Relationships are transactional. They result in fractured trust and missed opportunities. Claimed leadership is fragile.

2. Granted Leadership – the dynamic of Functioning Teams

In stable, cohesive teams, leadership is often granted—usually to the formal leader. These teams value harmony, avoid conflict, and pride themselves on a ‘culture of connection’. They fail to see how consensus can mask avoidance. The team may settle for alignment at the expense of accountability.  People follow, but rarely challenge. They support but seldom stretch.  Leadership is conferred but not distributed.

3. Owned Leadership – the standard of Flourishing Teams

In high-performing, collaborative teams, leadership is owned by everyone. These teams understand that collaboration isn’t the absence of conflict—it’s the ability to engage with and learn from difference. They hold each other accountable, speak up with courage, and commit to shared goals that can be achieved only working interdependently. While there’s always a formal leader, leadership is taken and owned by the team.

CHALLENGE

What’s the source of leadership in your team?

• Are they competing to claim it?

• Are they cohesive, granting it to a leader?

• Or are they collaborative, and collectively owning it?

You’ll know the answer by the quality of the team’s relationships and the impact of the delivered results.

May you flourish.