Shared leadership is a modern method of shouldering responsibility across teams. Rather than a fixed corporate structure, everyone pitches in and knows what they need to do. From fostering a safe environment to using dynamic teams, here is how your business can use it.
The structure of a shared system is almost the opposite of what you are used to. Rather than someone at the top giving orders, decisions are made via consensus, with a chairperson signing off on what can and cannot be done. This works well for customers, and services like Beyond Law, for example, are able to provide a solid service based on this system. However, there always needs to be someone in a key position for hiring and firing and other corporate decisions.
It can be hard for some people to speak out at work, and this is often related to feeling it isn’t their place to say something. One survey found that over 50% of people feel like they are hard-wired to stay quiet at their jobs. This doesn’t relate to traditional security but security in feeling heard. A shared system works by encouraging everyone to contribute and pitch their innovative ideas that benefit the entire workplace community or teams without the fear of any kind of consequences.
Transparency in business isn’t something many of us are used to. In fact, some of the world’s largest companies are almost 100% opaque when it comes to business operations and ethical and moral concerns. But shared leadership transparency means working with others, and everyone understands their place and the role of others. This is made easier with improved communication, social hubs, and employees who are willing to change to a more open system.
Dynamic teams are a huge benefit to a business operation. Moving around between projects and teams means employees can learn more skills than they would by staying on the same task for prolonged periods. This can also help employee retention as employees get more value from work and are at much less risk of becoming bored. But the most powerful thing about this is that employees take more responsibility for projects as there is no single manager there to do so.
No matter your business model, fair rewards are vital in the modern workplace. Using a shared leadership system removes the traditional executive bonus, which is always extremely unfair. Yet rewards can be as simple as recognition on the company website, highlighting teams for a job well done, or individuals for a great idea. The most democratic way to do this is to open up the system to voting, where team members can vote for each other’s contributions at work.
An open structure with dynamic teams is a good first step to shared leadership. This also needs to be accompanied by a more transparent project and hierarchy system. And having employees vote for each other’s work, rewards, and recognition fosters a fair workplace environment.
GET THE COMPLIMENTARY E-BOOK
