Scheller Business Insights is a dynamic video series that highlights the innovative thought leadership of the esteemed faculty at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. At Scheller, we are committed to exploring ideas that educate and inform others about the profound impact of business on our lives and the world.
In this episode, Katie Badura, associate professor of Organizational Behavior, sheds light on informal leadership, a nuanced but powerful force found in every workplace. Her research, which explores how individuals emerge as leaders even without formal authority, offers valuable lessons for employees, managers, and organizations alike.
At the heart of the research Badura discusses is the concept of leadership claiming and granting. Claiming occurs when someone steps up to lead, setting goals, offering direction, or taking initiative. Granting, on the other hand, is the response from others. Do they accept and follow this person’s lead?
Listen as Badura examines informal leadership and gives relevant advice to aspiring leaders, managers, and organizations as they each view the workplace landscape through a different lens. Her work, which is a team project led by Scheller Ph.D. student Eun Soo Son and in collaboration with Fadel Matta from the University of Georgia, is a reminder that leadership isn't just about titles; it's about trust, timing, and the willingness to grow together.
