Thousands of people have taken to the streets of Cairo demanding a change in the Egyptian government. It appears to be a grass roots movement with no real leaders. Is it? That's something the world may, or may not ever know for sure. So, why do I bring it up? Because the situation in Egypt, and others like it, provide a very important lesson for leaders in any organization.

The idea of a leaderless movement sounds nice, but is most likely never what actually happens. Humans do tend to display a herd mentality which can make it difficult to identify the true leader. If people are sufficiently unhappy about something, it doesn't take much of a spark to get a protest started. Whether there was a clear leader at the beginning, one or several will probably emerge fairly quickly, and we may never see the people working behind the scenes. These national events should serve as a cautionary tale to organizational leaders. If leaders aren't paying attention to their people, small problems can quickly become big problems and a leader you may have never seen will emerge to lead the herd in revolt.

As most senior leaders know, in every organization there is an informal leadership structure that exists alongside the formal one. The power and effectiveness of informal leaders varies, but can be directly related to the organization's culture and the effectiveness of its formal leaders. Leaders ignore the informal structure at their own peril. When workers reach a sufficient level of unhappiness, the results can range from high turnover to violent and criminal activity. Though perhaps not obvious, the informal leaders will often be the ones who foment the unrest. Informal leaders are not all bad though. In fact, they can be the source of two very valuable benefits.

First, informal leaders are more likely to be "plugged in" to actual attitudes and have a better sense for the rank and file of the organization. Often the formal leadership chain doesn't have the kind of relationship that will give them a genuine understanding about how workers really feel. Leaders can reap great benefits from tapping into this channel of communication. Be cautious though. If the workers perceive that the informal leader is just a stooge, he or she will lose any leadership they might have had and even though a new informal leader will probably emerge, you will not likely regain that avenue of communication. On the other hand, showing a genuine interest in their thoughts can give informal leaders even more power with the other workers. For a capable leader, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, that is the second benefit. Informal leaders are often the ones you should be considering for formal leadership positions. They have already demonstrated some of the qualities you should be looking for in a new leader. Again though, there is a caution. Sometimes the informal leaders attain that status simply because of a flamboyant or charismatic personality. When given the responsibility that goes with leadership, they sometimes crumble because they were more interested in the popularity that came from being an informal leader. But, more often than not the informal leader will transition well.

If you don't already know, find out who your informal leaders are and listen to them.

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