Lateral leadership is the ability to influence and collaborate with peers, partners, and cross-functional stakeholders without relying on formal authority. It depends on trust, persuasion, empathy, and credibility to align others toward shared goals.
“Real leadership is shown in how you influence people who don’t have to follow you.” Jim Kouzes
Barriers to lateral leadership
Poor relationship-building skills: Lateral leadership relies heavily on building and maintaining relationships. Leaders lacking interpersonal skills may struggle to build trust and collaboration with peers.
Used to power: Indirect leadership relies more on personal influence than on issuing commands. Leaders who struggle with persuasion, negotiation, and diplomacy may face challenges.
Role ambiguity for all: In lateral leadership, roles and responsibilities are often less defined than in traditional hierarchical settings, leading to confusion and tension.
Poor communication: Clear, transparent communication is essential for influencing without authority. Leaders who struggle with communication, particularly in managing cross-functional teams, may fail to align peers around shared goals.
Resistance from others: Peers may resist lateral leadership due to competition, jealousy, or a sense of territoriality, especially if they do not perceive value in collaboration.
Conflict capability: In lateral leadership, conflict often arises due to competing priorities and a lack of apparent authority. Leaders must manage these conflicts diplomatically, which can be challenging without direct control.
Struggle with multiple goals: Lateral leaders must often align the interests of diverse teams or departments, each with its own priorities, resources, and goals. This can be difficult without direct authority to dictate direction.
Slow to build trust: Trust is the foundation of lateral leadership. Without trust, gaining peer cooperation and commitment is difficult, especially in complex, matrixed organisations.
Over-reliance on formal processes: Leaders accustomed to relying on formal structures and processes may struggle in lateral leadership, which often requires informal approaches and adaptability.
“Your ability to connect, not your position, is what gives you influence.” Susan Cain
Enablers of lateral leadership
Raise your EI: Emotional intelligence (EQ) helps leaders manage their own emotions and navigate social complexities. It is critical for understanding peers’ perspectives, building rapport, and resolving conflicts. Focus particularly on improving self-awareness, empathy, and relationship management.
Be persuasive: Effective persuasion involves presenting logical arguments, appealing to emotions, and demonstrating benefits for all parties. Use storytelling and data to make a compelling case.
Listen better: Active listening fosters understanding and builds trust, which is essential when working laterally. Leaders can create a more collaborative environment by genuinely listening to colleagues’ concerns and ideas. Practise paraphrasing and asking clarifying questions to ensure understanding.
Build more trust: Trust is the foundation of any influence-based relationship. Leaders can build trust by being reliable, transparent, and consistent in their actions. Make commitments and ensure you follow through to demonstrate integrity and reliability.
Raise collaboration skills: Leaders in lateral roles need to be excellent collaborators, working across teams to solve problems. This involves facilitating discussions, aligning goals, and sharing resources. Adopt and foster a win-win mindset to ensure mutual benefits when collaborating.
Expand your influence network: Strong relationships across departments increase a leader’s influence. Networking gives access to diverse expertise and perspectives that can help raise your credibility and influence. Regularly engage with colleagues from various parts of the organisation, both formally and informally.
Leverage YOU: Personal expertise is a powerful source of influence in the absence of authority. Leaders who demonstrate deep knowledge are more likely to be trusted and followed. Stay updated in your field and actively share valuable insights with your peers.
Deal better with difference: Lateral leadership often involves managing conflicts between teams with competing goals. Effective conflict resolution ensures that disagreements are addressed constructively without escalating tensions. Use a collaborative approach to conflict, aiming to find common ground and solutions that satisfy all parties.
Be clear: Ambiguity often arises in lateral leadership due to unclear roles. Being proactive in clarifying expectations with peers helps prevent confusion and misalignment. Use clear communication to establish who is responsible for what, and regularly revisit these discussions to adjust as needed.
Request openness: Transparent and consistent communication is crucial for lateral leaders. Open channels of communication reduce misunderstandings and ensure alignment on goals and strategies. Create the space for regular updates and discussions and encourage feedback to improve collective performance.
“In a networked world, leadership is less about command and more about conversation.” Meg Wheatley
Lateral leadership reflection questions
How do you build trust with peers who do not report to you? Could you identify recent situations where you succeeded in building trust? What specific actions or behaviours contributed to that? How could you replicate those actions in other relationships?
How comfortable are you with influencing others without relying on formal authority? What strategies do you currently use to influence others? Could you explore alternative approaches, such as persuasion or negotiation, to increase your effectiveness? How do you know when your influence is working?
Could you improve your listening skills better to understand the needs and concerns of your peers? When did you last actively listen to a peer’s concerns without interjecting or offering solutions? What barriers exist to your active listening?
What steps are you taking to foster open and transparent team communication? How consistent are you in keeping others informed of progress, challenges, and decisions? Could you encourage more feedback from your peers? How might you improve the way you communicate across different departments or teams?
How do you handle conflict with peers, especially when priorities differ? Could you reflect on a recent conflict and analyse how you handled it? What techniques did you use to resolve it, and were they effective?
How clearly do you define roles and responsibilities when working across teams? Do you find that role ambiguity ever leads to misunderstandings or friction? Could you take a more proactive role in clarifying expectations with your peers? How might clearer boundaries and responsibilities improve collaboration?
Are you leveraging your personal expertise and credibility to influence others? Could you identify areas where your knowledge or experience could help guide decision-making or strategy in your team? How could you communicate your expertise without appearing overbearing? What opportunities are you missing to showcase your value?
How well do you balance the competing interests of different teams or departments? Could you improve how you align diverse goals and priorities across teams?
How often do you actively work to expand your network within the organisation? Could you reflect on the diversity and depth of your current network? What are practical steps you could take to expand and nurture your network?
Are you relying too much on formal processes when informal approaches might work better? Could you identify situations where you defaulted to formal processes that slowed down progress? Could you find a better balance between formal and informal leadership styles?
“You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.” Henry Ford
Explore related leadership resources
To further develop this capability, examine how it intersects with other core leadership dimensions across the libraries:
Leadership library:
- Group Influence (Understanding): Decode the hidden social and political dynamics within a group to effectively shape opinions and build consensus.
- Motivating Others: Discover what drives your peers and partners, tailoring your approach to inspire commitment rather than just compliance.
- Outcomes (Driving): Maintain a relentless focus on shared goals to keep cross-functional projects on track without the need for hierarchical control.
- Negotiating: Master the art of “win-win” solutions to resolve conflicts and secure resources from stakeholders with competing priorities.
Supporting libraries
- Follow through (Traits): Build your lateral credibility by consistently delivering on your promises, ensuring peers see you as a reliable and essential partner.
- Assertiveness (Traits): State your perspective and needs clearly and confidently while remaining respectful of the boundaries and expertise of others.
- Feedback solicitation (Agility): Improve your collaborative impact by actively seeking input from peers on how your leadership style is landing.
- Interpersonal relationships (EQ-i): Cultivate the deep, trust-based connections that serve as the “social capital” necessary to influence across organisational silos.
Continue exploring: Return to the Leadership Library to view the full directory of competencies and resources.