Background information on the topic of "Lateral Leadership"

What is lateral leadership?

Lateral leadership describes a manager without authority to issue directives in a company. Not being a superior, but taking on the corresponding responsibility in a team is the order of the day in many companies. The personal profile is crucial, because the goal of leading a team or managing within a project is to work successfully with colleagues.

Whoever leads a team needs the respect of the team members, their trust and the self-confidence to distribute tasks and make decisions. Authority and cooperation with team members are equally important, so that everyone involved can work constructively and at the same time know who answers questions in the team. Delegating tasks, motivating individual team players and keeping track of the entire project are among the special responsibilities of a lateral manager, because it is his or her responsibility to coordinate continuous and goal-oriented cooperation. This joint project work must be represented at a higher level by the manager without a superior function, so that the responsibility for the team and the project is felt.

In order to be able to act successfully and consciously, it is helpful to learn about the role of lateral leadership: leadership styles, employee behavior and patterns of communication. Co-operation in a team is only possible if lateral leadership understands how to make optimal use of the professional competencies of individuals, how to recognize difficult situations at an early stage, and how to manage conflicts constructively. If it is possible to create a spirit of togetherness in which all participants are committed to the common work, leadership without a superior function can become a visible step on the personal career ladder.

The Management-Institut Dr. A. Kitzmann offers open seminar events on this topic in Münster, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Vienna and Zurich as well as corresponding in-house trainings nationwide.

Author: Management-Institut Dr. A. Kitzmann