Shadow leadership: When organizations rely on work they have not built structures for

Image of a woman facing a window with a visible shadow on the wall next to her

Shadow leadership tends to appear in organizations that have not created the roles, pathways, or decision structures needed for the work they expect people to carry. It shows up quietly. Someone becomes the person others turn to, not because the system formally positioned them that way, but because they are competent, reliable, and willing to …