The Hidden Leader

About the Author

Scott K. Edinger is recognized as an expert in helping organizations achieve measurable business results. With a wealth of experience working with companies like AT&T, Lenovo, and The Los Angeles Times, Scott is a trusted advisor for senior leaders looking to drive success in their organizations. His insights into leadership and organizational effectiveness have made him a sought-after speaker and consultant in the field.

Laurie Sain is a professional writer and instructional designer who has created learning models for nearly 500,000 professionals, frontline supervisors, and workers. Her clients include Apple, Union Pacific, Fidelity Investments, and Charles Schwab. With a keen eye for defining content and creating impactful educational experiences, Laurie brings a wealth of knowledge to her collaboration with Scott Edinger on "The Hidden Leader."

Main Idea

"The Hidden Leader: Discover and Develop Greatness Within Your Company" by Scott K. Edinger and Laurie Sain presents a compelling argument that true leadership within an organization is often found in unexpected places. The book emphasizes the importance of recognizing and nurturing "hidden leaders"—employees who may not hold formal leadership positions but consistently demonstrate integrity, build authentic relationships, focus on results, and embody a customer-centric approach. These hidden leaders are critical to an organization's long-term success, and by identifying and developing them, managers can unlock significant strategic advantages.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. What is a Hidden Leader?
3. The Four Facets of Hidden Leadership
4. Identifying Hidden Leaders
5. Enabling Integrity
6. Building Essential Relational Skills
7. Creating a Focus on Results
8. Instilling Customer Purpose
9. Measuring Performance
10. Engaging Hidden Leaders
11. Conclusion

Introduction

In the introduction, Edinger and Sain set the stage by challenging conventional notions of leadership. They argue that true leaders are not always those with official titles or high-ranking positions. Instead, hidden leaders exist at all levels of an organization, quietly driving excellence and influencing others through their actions and attitudes. This premise lays the foundation for the exploration of hidden leadership throughout the book.

What is a Hidden Leader?

A hidden leader is someone who consistently demonstrates leadership qualities, regardless of their formal role within the organization. These individuals are often described as crucial, effective, and important by their peers. They build strong relationships, solve problems, and inspire others to perform at their best. Despite their lack of formal authority, hidden leaders are the driving force behind many of the successes within an organization.

“Hidden leaders are known for their integrity and for acting on it in difficult situations where some might forgo commitments and lean on moral flexibility.” — Scott K. Edinger

The Four Facets of Hidden Leadership

The authors identify four key characteristics that define hidden leaders:

• Demonstrates Integrity: Hidden leaders adhere to a strong ethical code, even in challenging situations. Their actions, words, and attitudes consistently reflect their commitment to integrity.
• Leads Through Relationships: These leaders build authentic relationships with others, valuing and respecting their colleagues. Their interpersonal skills and genuine interest in others make them effective relational leaders.
• Focuses on Results: Hidden leaders are driven by results. They maintain a wide perspective and take independent initiative to achieve their goals, always keeping the end result in mind.
• Remains Customer Purposed: Unlike merely providing customer service, hidden leaders focus on the company's value promise and ensure that every action they take benefits the customer.

Identifying Hidden Leaders

Recognizing hidden leaders requires looking beyond traditional markers of leadership. Managers should look for individuals who display two or more of the key characteristics identified. These potential leaders might include:

• The Short-Term Visionary: Effective at achieving short-term goals and maintaining relationships, but lacking a long-term customer focus.
• The Busywork-er: Demonstrates a strong work ethic and good relationships, but lacks a focus on significant results.
• The Lone Wolf: Highly effective and productive in isolation but lacking the ability to build and leverage relationships.

Enabling Integrity

Integrity is a non-negotiable trait for hidden leaders. Managers must create an environment where integrity is supported and recognized. This involves:

• Responding positively to displays of integrity.
• Incorporating integrity into the organizational culture.
• Modeling integrity themselves, especially in ethical dilemmas.

“It is especially important that positional leaders show strong support when hidden leaders demonstrate integrity.” — Scott K. Edinger

Building Essential Relational Skills

Relational leadership is about more than just being friendly. Hidden leaders develop and use critical interpersonal skills, including: