Who Are Emerging Leaders?

This is one of the most common—and important—questions I get asked.

When I first began exploring the topic, my answer sounded more like a marketing persona than a true definition: professionals between the ages of 26 and 40 stepping into greater responsibility at mid-sized and large organizations. But that definition didn’t hold for long.

Beyond Age and Job Titles

As I worked with more clients, the picture expanded in surprising ways. Senior executives at the VP level and above began reaching out—not because they lacked experience, but because they felt increasingly isolated and under pressure as their roles grew.

Solo practitioners—lawyers, consultants, and entrepreneurs—wanted help translating their corporate experiences into effective leadership within their own ventures. Nonprofit professionals sought guidance on scaling missions with limited resources. Even graduate students navigating leadership in school and early internships found themselves wrestling with the same questions. What became clear was this: the need to develop as a leader doesn’t begin or end with a job title or a certain age. It’s about mindset, not milestones.

The Organizational Gap

Despite the importance of this group, most organizations don’t have real strategies to support them. High-potential programs exist, yes—but very few deliver transformational results. A handful of companies are doing this well, but overall, this segment remains underdeveloped and underserved.

A More Useful Definition

So how do we define Emerging Leaders in a way that’s broad enough to be inclusive, but clear enough to be useful?

Emerging Leaders are individuals who are actively expanding their capacity to lead—within themselves, their teams, and their organizations. They are committed to growing their impact and deepening their contribution, often while navigating new levels of complexity, responsibility, and ambiguity.

Three Unifying Characteristics of Emerging Leaders

What unites them isn’t age or title. Instead, it’s three core characteristics:

1. They are committed to growth. Emerging Leaders are intentional about elevating how they show up. They want to grow in skill, self-awareness, resilience, and influence—growth not for its own sake, but to make a greater impact.

2. They are driving meaningful work. They aren’t passively executing; they are improving, building, or transforming something. Whether it’s a team, a process, a product, or a business unit, they are being asked to make things better.

3. They lead through collaboration. Rarely do Emerging Leaders succeed alone. They must engage with others—teams, peers, clients, or stakeholders—to communicate, influence, and align people toward shared goals.

Emerging Leaders are defined not by age, title, or industry, but by their commitment to growth, their drive to make meaningful contributions, and their ability to lead collaboratively.

This is the group shaping the future of organizations—and the group most in need of intentional investment.