Leadership as Practice: Where Leadership Really Happens

For decades, leadership research focused on the traits, skills, or behaviors of individual leaders—what they did, how they thought, and the qualities that set them apart. But Leadership as Practice (LAP), as articulated by Joseph Raelin, invites us to look somewhere else entirely: into the moments where leadership actually happens.

LAP challenges the idea that leadership lives inside a person. Instead, it emerges in the practice—the lived, real-time interactions between people. It’s a collective, co-created experience that happens in the flow of work and conversation.

In coaching, this lens shifts the way we see progress. The phenomenon of chemistry—that connection and energy between coach and client—doesn’t exist in isolation. It evolves within the practice itself, in the dynamics of how people engage with one another. LAP reminds us that those moments of connection are not accidental; they are the practice of leadership in action.

What Leadership as Practice Looks Like

Through Raelin’s leaderful lens, LAP:

• Occurs when people accomplish something together, not in solo performances.
• Affects leadership at any given time—it can emerge from anyone, anywhere, in the room.
• Unfolds in day-to-day experience, not just in formal meetings or designated “leadership” moments.
• Is embedded in the situation, shaped by context and relationships rather than personal traits alone.

In real time, LAP is about noticing the pivot points—those moments where the conversation turns, the group reframes, or a new insight sparks. These “catches” in practice are often the seeds of leaderful moments, the ones that lead to fresh ideas, development, and sometimes a whole new direction.

Why LAP Matters for Today’s Coaches and Leaders

For coaches, LAP is an invitation to shift from a focus solely on the individual to the dynamics of the interaction. It’s about helping clients recognize and maximize those in-the-moment opportunities for leadership to emerge—whether that’s in a boardroom discussion, a project team huddle, or a one-on-one conversation.

For leaders, it means embracing a more participatory approach. Leadership becomes less about owning decisions and more about creating the conditions where others can step into leaderful moments. The work is to be present, attentive, and responsive to the dynamics at play.

In a rapidly changing, interconnected world, leadership is too important to leave to a select few. LAP shows us that leadership is everywhere—in the hallway conversations, the brainstorming sessions, and the moments when people truly listen to each other.

For coaches and leaders alike, the task is to learn to see it, nurture it, and let it shape the path forward.