Leadership Without Limits: The Relevance of Self-Leadership and Informal Leadership

Aim: Self-leadership and informal leadership have been widely researched in recent years, as organisations increasingly move towards less hierarchical structures, emphasising shared leadership and team-based work. This semi-structured literature review explores the relevance of these concepts in the contemporary landscape. One key objective is to examine how both leadership concepts function outside the realm of formal leadership. This raises the question of how self-leadership and informal leadership manifest beyond formal organisational settings and what implications their emergence has at an individual level. Methods: Through a thematic analysis of the literature and the identification of key themes, this review aims to assess the significance of these concepts and identify research gaps. Results: While both self-leadership and informal leadership coexist alongside formal leadership, they differ in focus: self-leadership emphasises self-motivational strategies, whereas informal leadership involves exerting influence without formal authority. As a result of the shift towards a knowledge-based economy, organisations are becomming less hierarchical and adopting shared leadership, which increases the relevance of self-leadership and informal leadership. However, research has mainly focused on the application of these concepts in formal settings. Conclusion: Understanding how the emergence of self-leadership and informal leadership impacts informal settings such as family or volunteer work environments, contributes to a deeper understanding of leadership development. Recommendation: The review highlights the need for further research to understand how self-leadership and informal leadership impact individuals in both organisational and informal settings.