Setting Your ERG Up for Success Still Starts With Developing the Leader
In July 2021, I published an article called “Setting Your ERG Up for Success: Developing the Leader.” At the time, most organizations were just beginning to realize that ERGs were being led by employees doing serious leadership work — often without formal authority, training, or support.Five years later, that truth has become even more evident.
ERG leaders today are navigating complex organizational dynamics, stakeholder expectations, political tension, and emotional labor — all while still doing their full-time jobs. Yet many organizations still treat ERG leadership as informal volunteer work rather than what it actually is: one of the most demanding leadership roles in the company.
ERGs are not social clubs.
They are cross-functional leadership laboratories.
And who leads them matters.
1 Why ERG Leadership Is Different
ERG leaders operate without positional power.
They lead across hierarchies, functions, and identities.
They are expected to:
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influence executives
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mobilize peers
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navigate sensitive topics
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and produce business-aligned outcomes
That requires more than passion.
It requires leadership.
2 The Core Competencies Every ERG Leader Needs
Strategic & Innovative Thinking
ERG leaders must be able to connect community insight to business strategy — translating lived experience into organizational value.
Communication
Influencing up, down, and across the organization requires message discipline, medium awareness, and political skill.
Conflict Navigation
ERG work surfaces real differences. Strong leaders don’t avoid conflict — they know how to hold it productively.
Business Acumen
Understanding how the organization actually works allows ERGs to contribute in ways leaders can act on.
Inclusive Team Building
ERG councils are diverse by design. Leaders must create psychological safety across intersectional differences.
Decision-Making
Momentum requires clarity. ERG leaders must be able to choose, act, and move forward even without perfect consensus.
3 From Passion to Leadership
Self-motivation gets ERGs started.
Leadership gets them sustained.
The most effective ERG leaders do not try to do everything themselves. They build teams with complementary strengths, invest in learning, and grow into their influence.
That is leadership — even if it is not yet on their job title.
What Organizations Must Do Differently
If you want ERGs that deliver long-term impact, you must invest in the people leading them.
That means:
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formal leadership development
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access to coaching and learning
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conference participation
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and recognition of ERG leadership as part of succession planning
When you invest in ERG leaders, you are investing in:
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future managers
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future executives
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and a stronger culture of belonging