Having one bad boss is tough.
Having two bad bosses would be a disaster. But how about two leaders who cover your back? What if there was always someone who had time to listen and help?
Divine? Not at all. It is possible with co-leadership.
Two leaders = twice as many problems.
Having more than one leader can be messy.
Who does this or that?
To whom do you report?
Who should decide or has the last word?
How do they keep each other in the loop?
On top of that, companies are reluctant to co-leadership because they see it as a multiplication of one position. They need to pay higher salaries. Co-leadership can slow decision processes.
You may end up with everyone being a manager or a co-leader.
However, traditional hierarchical structures are giving way to more collaborative and dynamic approaches. Co-leadership might be the answer to the flexibility of pressure and alternative work arrangements.
Shared responsibilities ensure continuity
Everyone is replaceable. Should not leaders be, too?
When a leader is on holiday, work might stop. Teams have to wait for them to be back. When the leader is busy, innovation is on standby. Have you been in such situations?
Co-leadership has one huge advantage. Two or more individuals share leadership responsibilities, working collaboratively to make decisions, set goals, and guide the team or organization.
Work never stops. It is rolling forward with or without that one leader.
Unlike the conventional top-down leadership structure, co-leadership promotes a more inclusive and adaptable environment, leveraging the strengths of multiple leaders to drive innovation and foster a culture of shared ownership.
Shared responsibilities give a sense of purpose and engagement. If companies need one thing now, it is continuity.
Co-leadership is the answer to burning troubles
You read it every day. Leaders should:
Empower and delegate
Promote collaboration
Build a positive culture
Communicate clearly
Lead with empathy
Have a solid vision
Provide feedback
Lead y example
Set clear goals
Be resilient
etc.
Right, let’s do it all. Ufff.
It could be hugely demotivating to try to tick every box. Leaders are overworked, demotivated, underpaid, and going through regular phases of burnout.
With pressure on costs, motivation, flexibility, care, innovation, self-development, proper one-to-one meetings, and many more, leaders don’t have the time or emotional energy to cope with everything.
Quality leaders are an endangered species you don’t want to lose. You can do two things:
Give them smaller teams, a reasonable workload, and freedom. (Wonderful, but unlikely.)
Set a co-leadership model. (Uncommon, but tempting.)
With co-leadership, leaders are not alone. They combine skills and experiences and bring a lot more to the table.
What one does not like, the other can compensate. When one does not have time, the other one can fill in. With responsibilities distributed among multiple leaders, the burden is shared, reducing the likelihood of one individual becoming overwhelmed.
Plus co-leadership increases the chance that people will have more meaningful conversations with their managers.
In short
Co-leadership ensures a more sustainable and resilient leadership structure that can withstand changes and staff fluidity.
It fosters a culture of collaboration and mutual respect among leaders. When individuals work together as equals, it promotes open communication, trust, and a sense of collective purpose.
But of course, it works only when people commit to shared goals and are willing to set aside personal agendas for the collective benefit of the team.
Sunday Challenge #6: Productive disagreement
Monday Case study: Goal failure
Thursday Newsletter: Leadership news