Shared leadership is a modern and innovative leadership concept that differs fundamentally from traditional hierarchical leadership styles.
At the heart of this method is the distribution of management responsibility among several people within a team or organization. Instead of giving a single manager sole decision-making power and responsibility, this burden is shared between at least two or more team members.
This not only promotes collaboration and the exchange of ideas, but also enables different perspectives and skills to be brought into the management process. Shared leadership allows teams to respond to challenges in a more agile and flexible way and to make the most of the individual strengths of its members, which ultimately leads to increased efficiency and creativity.
Characteristics of shared leadership
Shared responsibility
Management tasks are divided between two managers, for example, according to their skills and qualifications. As a result, each person can concentrate even more deeply on the areas in which they have expertise.
This promotes a high degree of autonomy and self-organization within the team.
Common goal setting
Goals are defined and pursued together, which leads to greater identification and motivation within the team.
Every team member understands and supports the common goals.
- Collaborative decision-making
Decisions are usually made by consensus or through collective discussion, often involving all relevant team members.
This promotes a sense of belonging and shared responsibility as well as the quality of decisions, as diverse perspectives and knowledge are included. - Enabling and supporting
Managers act as enablers and supporters rather than sole decision-makers.
Advantages of shared leadership for women with children
Shared leadership offers specific benefits for women, especially those with children, who are often faced with the challenge of balancing work and family commitments.
- Flexibility and work-life balance
Shared leadership enables more flexible working hours and responsibilities.
Women with children can better adapt their working hours to family commitments, as management tasks can be shared and workloads reduced. This makes it easier for female managers to take children to kindergarten or school or to pick them up. - Supportive team dynamics
In a shared management structure, there is a culture of mutual support and cooperation, as mentioned above. Team members can understand if, for example, one of the two managers often needs more support with projects for personal reasons.
This can take the pressure off women, as they can count on the support of their team colleagues when family commitments take priority. - Enabling part-time work and remote work
Shared leadership promotes flexible working models, including part-time work, home office (if not already implemented in the company) and remote work.
This is one of the biggest benefits of shared leadership, as it allows women to continue in leadership roles even if they cannot continue to work full-time due to family commitments. - Appreciation and use of diverse skills
Women bring valuable perspectives and skills that are valued and encouraged in a cooperative environment.
If a management position is shared between a woman and a man, for example, exciting solutions can be developed from different perspectives. Even with managers from different generations, solutions can be developed that a single manager might not have thought of. - Development and career advancement
Shared leadership offers women the opportunity to develop and deepen their leadership skills without having to bear the full burden of leadership alone.
This can lead to better career opportunities, as a management position is also possible as a part-time employee or young mother, and can also lead to enormous personal development.
Further advantages of shared leadership
However, shared leadership not only has advantages for (new) mothers, but also offers the following benefits for both genders:
- Increased flexibility and adaptability
Teams can react more quickly and effectively to changes. Depending on the challenge, the manager with the right expertise can take action.
Shared responsibility promotes an agile way of working. - Promoting innovation and creativity
Different perspectives, points of view and ideas can be brought in freely, which leads to innovative solutions.
The collective creativity and intelligence of the team is used to complete each task/activity or project in the best possible way. - Increasing the resilience of the organization
Shared leadership creates a more robust organizational structure, as knowledge and skills are not concentrated on a single person. This makes the organization more resilient to unforeseen events, such as the sudden loss of a manager.
Multiple perspectives mean that change can be addressed more quickly, for example.
Challenges and prerequisites for shared leadership
According to the “Dual Leadership” study by ABZ Austria, PwC and the Federation of Austrian Industries, the most important success factors for a shared leadership model are mutual trust (26%), open and transparent communication (22%) and the ability to “share the stage” (20%). The managers often complement each other’s skills and have different work priorities. In almost 50 percent of cases, the innovation of dividing management tasks between two people was initiated by line managers.
The following section takes a closer look at the points mentioned above and also explains the challenge of cultural adaptation in more detail.
- Trust and communication
Effective communication and a high level of trust are crucial to the successful implementation of shared leadership.
Managers must be prepared to communicate openly and honestly with each other. Employees must not play managers off against each other. - Clarity about roles and responsibilities
Despite the shared management responsibility, clear roles and responsibilities must be defined to avoid chaos and confusion.
Regular coordination such as weekly jour fixes and feedback loops are important. The management level can also coordinate more frequently if necessary or update each other daily during morning coffee/tea. - Cultural fit
The corporate culture must support cooperative and participative leadership. If shared leadership has not yet been implemented in the company, a pilot project can be launched with one department, for example.
Managers must be prepared to relinquish power and control and share it with at least one other person.
Companies that already implement shared leadership
According to the study “Dual Leadership” by ABZ Austria, PwC and the Federation of Austrian Industries, 65 percent of managers say they would be willing to share the executive floor. In Austria, a shared management model can already be found in the following companies, among others:
- Billa
The Sustainability department has been headed by Tanja Dietrich-Hübner and Felicia Beck since the end of 2021. - Bosch
Stefanie Pillhofer and Benedikt Lederman have been pursuing the shared leadership approach in the development area since 2023. - Porsche
The IT department at Porsche has been managed by Manfred Immitzer and Rainer Trischak for six years. - Raiffeisen
Carmen Kuster and Claudia Dünisch have been sharing the international institutional business at Raiffeisen KAG for almost two years. - ÖBB
Claudia Altenburger and Ricarda Breitenegger are in charge of IT at the Austrian Federal Railways.
Conclusion
Shared leadership is a modern leadership concept that challenges traditional hierarchical leadership and promotes collective intelligence and collaboration within a team. This model not only increases the efficiency and creativity of teams, but is also particularly beneficial for women with children. Through flexibility, mutual support and the possibility of part-time work, it offers an attractive solution for balancing professional ambitions and family commitments. Shared leadership allows women to pursue their career goals without having to sacrifice important family responsibilities. While it offers many benefits, this concept requires careful implementation and a supportive corporate culture. In an increasingly complex and dynamic working world, shared leadership is therefore becoming more and more important.
List of sources
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Bosch Österreich. “Shared Leadership: Führung neu gedacht.” Bosch, www.bosch.at/news-and-stories/shared-leadership/.
Carson, J. B., Tesluk, P. E., Marrone, J. A. (2007). “Shared Leadership in Teams: An Investigation of Antecedent Conditions and Performance.” Dieses Papier untersucht die Bedingungen, unter denen Shared Leadership in Teams erfolgreich ist, und die Auswirkungen auf die Teamleistung.
Eagly, A. H., Carli, L. L. (2007). “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership.” Dieses Buch untersucht die Herausforderungen, denen Frauen in Führungspositionen gegenüberstehen, und wie flexible Führungsmodelle wie Shared Leadership diesen Herausforderungen begegnen können.
Ickert, Natascha. “Geteilte Führung: Drei Doppelspitzen im Gespräch.” Der Standard, 15. November 2022, www.derstandard.de/story/2000140742279/geteilte-fuehrung-drei-doppelspitzen-im-gespraech.
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Mayo, M., Kakarika, M., Pastor, J.-C., Brutus, S. (2012). “Aligning or Misaligning Leadership in Universities: A Consequential Leadership Theory Approach.” Dieser Artikel untersucht, wie Shared Leadership in akademischen Umgebungen angewendet werden kann und welche Vorteile es für diverse Gruppen bietet.
Pearce, C. L., Conger, J. A. (2003). “Shared Leadership: Reframing the Hows and Whys of Leadership.” Diese Arbeit ist eine umfassende Einführung in das Konzept des Shared Leadership und bietet theoretische und empirische Perspektiven.
PwC Österreich. “Duale Führung: Eine Studie zur geteilten Führung in Unternehmen.” PwC, www.pwc.at/de/nwns/studie_duale_fuehrung.pdf.
Raiffeisen Capital Management. “Shared Leadership: Stärken bündeln.” Raiffeisen Capital Management, www.rcm.at/at-de/article/shared-leadership-staerken-buendeln/.
