What It Means to Be an Emerging Leader — And How to Own It
What does it mean to be an Emerging Leader?
We see this term often in organizations today. Not long ago, the dominant conversation in Learning & Development centered on “high potential” leaders. Today, many L&D teams aim to support “Emerging Leaders.” This shift reflects a meaningful evolution: from identifying people with potential to actively creating conditions for emerging leaders to take their first steps.
How Do You Define an Emerging Leader?
At Conversant, we developed the following distinctions through conversations across levels of our organization. Emerging Leaders:
- Are in the first half of their career (regardless of age),
- Self-identify as driven contributors (as opposed to High-Potentials, who are often externally selected),
- Often influence without formal authority, and
- Genuinely value collaboration as a path to success.
You’ll see in this definition a blend of innate qualities, cultivated talents, determination, and self-awareness.
You’ll recognize an Emerging Leader by the sense of ownership and responsibility they have for their work, their colleagues, and the broader goals of the organization. And you can recognize yourself as an Emerging Leader at any moment – really, who is stopping you?
Emerging Leaders in Today’s Multigenerational Workplace
Emerging leader is not an age-based title, but it’s worth acknowledging the generational reality. Millennials, once the subject of countless “how do we manage them?” think pieces, are now in their 30s and 40s and moving into senior roles. Gen Z has joined the workforce in full force, bringing with them a distinct set of values: authenticity, purpose, psychological safety, and a low tolerance for top-down leadership that doesn’t listen.
Today’s organizations are navigating a five-generation workforce. That’s not a challenge to manage around, it’s a competitive advantage if leaders at every level are willing to engage across differences. Emerging leaders sit at the heart of that opportunity.
Many employees can feel frustrated that they’re not being taken seriously by their organizations, given opportunities to shine, or encountering enough chances to prove themselves. Senior leaders can feel frustrated with relative newcomers impatient with spending time to gain meaningful experience. What sets an emerging leader apart from other employees is their ability to move past mild annoyance or frustration and instead choose valuable action. There is a window in which many emerging leaders will attempt to influence from their current role, and how the organization responds to them determines whether they remain or move on.
The reality is simple: emerging leaders will be in decision-making roles, whether in your organization or your competitors’. Organizations that invest in emerging leader development now are building the leadership bench they’ll need tomorrow.
Practical Guidance for Emerging Leaders and Those Who Lead Them
Whether you’re an Emerging Leader or you’re responsible for developing them, you don’t have to wait for the perfect conditions. Here’s how to show up now:
For Emerging Leaders:
- Curiosity: A leader who asks the right kinds of questions occurs as engaged, authentic, and open to learning. Great leaders today are adaptable, practicing a high rate of learning no matter how experienced they become; mediocre leaders at some point get stuck in what they “already know.”
- Confident Connection: It can be tempting to think you have to argue and push for everything you want, and there are times when self advocacy is necessary. However, as a trusted mentor once told me, “if you approach everything as a fight, people will gladly fight you.” Instead, see what happens when you build partnerships: make it known in conversation with others what you hope to achieve, and ask for advice on how to get there. You may get some shrugs, but you may also be surprised at what new ideas and opportunities arise.
- Presence: The excitement of a career in forward motion is real, and so is the temptation to rush it. Focus instead on leading in the current moment: recognize what progress you are making, appreciate your evolving strengths, and consider how to best leverage your time and talent in this phase of your career.
For Those Leading Emerging Leaders:
- Active Development: Emerging leaders aren’t a threat to your leadership, they are eager for their own path. Recognize their efforts, discuss stretch opportunities, and share what you know. They want to learn from you.
- Partnership: Consider how you can learn from each other and genuinely leverage your differences for new value. Emerging leaders appreciate and value leaders who listen to their perspective, and they’re far more receptive to feedback from those leaders in return.
- Adjust Often: Jessie Potter famously said, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you always get what you’ve always gotten.” Staying in the same patterns guarantees the same outcomes. Real change only happens when you’re willing to think, act, and choose differently.
Conversant’s Approach to Emerging Leader Development
At Conversant, we’ve built a formal program around these principles: The Emerging Leader. It’s designed for first-time people leaders, those preparing for a leadership role, and experienced leaders who want to reinvent their approach. The program establishes the foundational skills and mindset of Connected Leadership with peer coaching, facilitator-led sessions, and tools that integrate directly into your day-to-day work.
Participants leave with more than a framework. They leave with a new way of seeing themselves.
Learn more about the Emerging Leader program →
At Conversant, we believe that any conversation can be an opportunity to discover intersections that move work forward. Emerging Leaders and established leaders alike can accomplish more together when we’re willing to engage openly and with curiosity.
Additional resources:
- Leading the Multigenerational Workplace (Conversant On Connection Podcast, 2026)
This blog was originally published in October 2019 by Emma Smith and has been updated for 2026 to ensure relevancy.
About the Author
Consultant
With a background in visual design and linguistics, Katie strives to bridge differences and uncover surprising links between people and perspectives. Over a decade of experience at Conversant, she has partnered with leaders from more than a dozen countries across industries such as healthcare, technology, manufacturing, energy production, agriculture, financial services, and environmental conservation. Katie is certified in Hogan Leadership Assessments, graduated from Conversant’s own leadership development program, Credibility, Influence & Impact, and leads the facilitation team of Conversant’s Emerging Leader program. Katie has leveraged her strengths to help organizations evolve strategically and develop people who must solve intractable issues and thrive amidst volatility. To lead under conditions that do not yet exist and navigate situations no one person can predict, the most powerful leadership skill is the quality and timing of human connection.
