Shared Leadership

Differentiate between external team leadership, internal team leadership, and shared leadership:

External Team Leadership: 1 leader @ circle of followers Internal Team Leadership: 1 leader in middle of circle/net of followers Shared Leadership: interconnected web of members without a designated leader, all inside circle

Benefits of shared leadership

Let others grow, see problems from a new perspective, eventually a new person will lead the group, long-lasting results = sign of great leadership

Levers

Low power distance (employers/subordinates considered roughly equal), high psychological safety, shared purpose, strong learning orientation, and social support.

Barriers

Rank, protocol, up & out (promoted or kicked out of organization).

Key to shared leadership

Source of the influence can be located and directed anywhere in the group.

Risks of shared leadership

You will have to take the blame, you will not see the benefit, potential disastrous consequences, sacrifice of your own career for the good of the group, increased time on a given objective.

Shared Leadership

A dynamic, interactive influence process among individuals in groups for which the objective is to lead one another to the achievement of group or organizational goals (or both).