We’ve all worked with someone who keeps the team together, even if their role doesn’t say “leader.”
The quiet fixer. The behind-the-scenes glue. The culture keeper.
They may not have the title. But they shape how the team moves, feels, and grows.
And too often—they go unrecognized.
That’s where identity legitimacy comes in: the idea that people perform best when the way they see themselves matches how others see them.
What Is Identity Legitimacy?
The concept of identity work was defined in a highly-cited publication in the Academy of Management Journal by Kreiner, G. E., Hollensbe, E. C., & Sheep, M. L. in 2006. This was further explored by Brown & Toyoki (2013) who looked into how organizational members engage in identity work to gain internal legitimacy, and showed how micro-level identity narratives influence organizational acceptance.
We all build work identities—whether we label ourselves as strategic thinkers, connectors, problem-solvers, or mentors.
But there’s a catch: if no one else sees that identity, it’s hard to sustain.
Over time, the disconnect can lead to frustration, disengagement, or underperformance—not because the person lacks ability, but because they don’t feel seen.
In other words: performance isn’t just what you do—it’s who you get to be.
Why It’s So Easy to Miss
Traditional performance metrics often focus on outputs: tasks completed, goals hit, efficiency gains.
But they miss the relational and emotional identities that drive how work gets done.
You don’t get a KPI for being the person others turn to when things go sideways.
Or for being the one who brings levity to tense meetings.
Or the person who gives honest feedback when no one else will.
These are identity expressions—and they matter.
Why It Matters
When people feel their identity is recognized, they’re:
- More committed to the team
- More likely to step up in informal leadership
- More willing to take initiative aligned with their self-view
This creates a feedback loop: identity → behavior → recognition → stronger identity.
Reflection Prompt for Managers:
“What identities are your team members trying to grow into—and are you helping them get there?”
You can’t develop people without first seeing them.
How Libra Helps Make Identity Visible
Libra’s reflection system captures what doesn’t fit in job descriptions:
- Patterns of support, mentoring, or mediation
- Emotional labor and trust-building
- Contributions to team tone, resilience, and culture
By structuring and summarizing these moments anonymously, Libra helps managers see the people behind the roles—not just what was done, but how and why it mattered.
For employees, it reinforces a powerful message:
“We see the version of you that you want to become.”
This post is the third in a series of posts looking at interesting research directions in the field of performance management. Check out our other posts here:
- On Relational Energy: High-Energy Teams Aren’t Just Motivated—They’re Mutually Energizing
- On Epistemic Curiosity: Why Some Teams Learn Faster: The Hidden Power of Curiosity at Work
- On Goal Self-Concordance: Why Some Goals Stick: The Science of Meaningful Motivation