“Leading without Authority”: The Emergence of Informal Leaders in Local Social Services

While the importance of social work leadership in motivating staff and promoting changes is well recognized, there is limited evidence regarding informal leadership, particularly regarding the emergence of informal leaders in local social services. The present study addresses this gap by identifying personal characteristics that enable social workers to emerge as informal leaders, the environmental conditions that facilitate this emergence, and the leadership styles adopted by informal leaders. The study is based on semi-structured interviews with social workers who were identified as informal leaders within local social services. The findings indicate that personal characteristics, including personal traits, commitment to social work values, and professional skills; environmental conditions, including organizational support, space for action, and professional autonomy, and opportunities for learning and development; and leadership styles, including moderate, confrontational, and integrative leadership, are necessary for the emergence and expression of informal leadership within organizations.