Shared leadership, or Business Management 2.0, is a settlement of more than one individual running a company. Although still one of them remains in charge, this method is more open and innovative unlike the old, authoritative models before collaboration tools and social media became popular.
This approach allows organizations to benefit from a variety of perspectives, skills, and styles that may not have been present in a traditional hierarchical arrangement. In this article, we will explore what shared leadership is, how it differs from other modes of management, the benefits that this approach brings, and how to implement it in your organization.
What Is Shared Leadership?
Shared leadership is a style of management and decision making that involves multiple individuals collaboratively leading an organization. This approach takes the traditional hierarchical structures of top-down leadership, such as a CEO or board of directors, and makes them more inclusive. It encourages employees to work together. Everyone can contribute ideas, opinions, and expertise to create a more successful organization.
In shared leadership, various roles can spread across the team which allows different people to specialize in certain areas while still working collaboratively towards common goals. This type of leadership also fosters creativity and innovation and encourages to think outside the box when making decisions. By nurturing an environment for collective problem solving and collaboration, organizations can benefit from the experience and diverse viewpoints of all its members.
How Is Shared Leadership Different?
Shared leadership is a relatively new concept that differs significantly from traditional top-down models of management. The most obvious difference is the approach to decision making. Instead of relying on a single leader, this model encourages the team to come together and work collaboratively to find solutions. This approach gives everyone the opportunity to contribute their ideas and expertise, creating an atmosphere of creativity, innovation, and respect.
In traditional hierarchical models of leadership, decisions are usually made by one person or group at the top who has the final say in all matters. This type of structure often leads to unproductive working environments where team members’ opinions and ideas are not valued or taken into consideration. In contrast, shared leadership encourages individuals to speak up and share their perspectives, leading to better problem-solving outcomes.
Another difference between these two types of management is the level of responsibility each individual has within the organization. With shared leadership, responsibility spreads across. This way, members with particular skill sets or expertise have a chance to take on various roles. This can lead to better job satisfaction as each individual feels they have an important part to play in making decisions for the organization as a whole.
Finally, unlike traditional models which tend to be more rigid, shared leadership allows for greater flexibility as decisions are typically made in consultation with multiple people rather than just one individual or small group. This enhances collaboration within teams and creates greater engagement among employees which can ultimately lead to better performance overall.
Benefits Of Shared Leadership
Shared leadership has many advantages over traditional models of management and decision making. Here are some of the key benefits:
Increased Innovation and Creativity
Collaboration and creativity allow members to think outside the box when making decisions. This often leads to more innovative solutions as different perspectives are taken into account. It also allows team members to contribute their expertise in certain areas. As a result, you foster a culture of experimentation and learning.
Greater Employee Engagement
Shared leadership creates an environment where everyone is given an equal opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. This helps to increase morale and job satisfaction as employees feel valued and appreciated for their contributions. In addition, by fostering an atmosphere of respect and trust, teams can work together more effectively leading to greater engagement overall.
Improved Problem Solving
Shared leadership enables individuals to come together to find collective solutions that wouldn’t be possible with top-down models. Having multiple people take part in problem solving allows for different viewpoints and ideas.
Enhanced Cohesion
Lastly, due to its emphasis on collaboration, shared leadership promotes a greater sense of unity among team members as everyone is working towards common goals together. This helps create strong bonds between individuals that may not have been possible under traditional hierarchical structures.
How To Implement Shared Leadership In Your Organization
Now that we’ve outlined the key benefits of shared leadership over traditional management models, let’s go through the three steps to implement it in your business:
Encourage Open Communication
One of the key elements of shared leadership is open and honest communication between team members. It’s important to create a safe space for individuals to express their ideas and concerns without fear of judgement or repercussion. This can help foster an atmosphere of trust and respect. These are essential ingredients for successful collaboration and decision making.
Establish Clear Roles & Responsibilities
It’s important to ensure that everyone in the shared leadership process has a clear understanding of what their role is. This helps to ensure accountability while also allowing each individual to contribute their unique skill sets or expertise when making decisions.
Develop Processes & Protocols
To ensure effective decision making, it’s important to establish processes, protocols, and guidelines that everyone can follow. This helps create consistency and clarity. Also, it provides solutions for problem-solving scenarios where not everyone has the same level of knowledge or experience.
Key Takeaways
Shared leadership is a critical skill in today’s corporate world. It helps effectively achieve objectives and create positive team dynamics. This way, organizations foster innovation and creativity, leading to greater success. Understanding how this arrangement works in practice, by identifying the right people, determining roles, recognizing strengths and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard can further improve participation, problem solving as well as collaboration within an organization. By implementing relevant strategies and tools, businesses can make shared leadership work for them and reap the advantages that come with it.