What is the Collaborative CEO?

I recently attended an event where one of the key speakers introduced herself as one of four collaborative CEOs at her business. This peaked my interest, and I decided to find out more about the concept of Co-Leadership.

Employers are increasingly recognising that their approach to executive leadership roles needs to change if they are to attract and retain a more diverse workforce. The world is increasingly complicated. Unique, new problems arise that lack obvious precedents. Businesses need teams of gifted leaders working simultaneously to solve the complexities, find new ways of doing things, and discover solutions.

I searched for papers on the topic and discovered that collaborative leadership is a management practice in which members of a leadership team work together across sectors to make decisions and keep their organisation thriving.

Today's leaders are increasingly adopting this style of leadership, which is replacing the more well-known standard hierarchical leadership method, in which high-level executives make decisions that trickle down to employees without providing any explanation for how or why they made them.

Unlike this old-fashioned top-down approach, the collaborative leadership model suggests many advantages to organisations. At the most senior level, it fosters a sense of unity among leaders, allowing them to make effective business decisions quickly, establish and maintain the organization's core values, and address strategic issues as a united, consistent team.

Embracing collaboration at this high level encourages employees to approach their work in a comparable, communal way.

To flourish in today’s business environment, leaders need to be able to build relationships, handle conflict, and share control in order to promote effective collaboration where it is most needed.

Great things in business are never done by one person; they’re done by a team of people.

This applies to the so-called C-Suite and executive teams as much as to every other team in the business.

Internationally, the not-for-profit sectors have adopted co-leadership, and the commercial sector is now expressing interest.

I discovered that co-leadership facilitates change and innovation by encouraging and symbolising a broader collaborative culture. It encourages the integration of different capabilities and viewpoints. It can create developmental opportunities for co-leaders to learn from each other. It can strengthen the range of skills and expertise available at a senior level.

Co-leaders share responsibility for cross-organisational strategy and overall performance. They all work slightly differently from each other, and as the relationship evolves, it increases the strengths of the individuals and starts to meet the needs of the organisation.

Co-leadership is different from the “command and control” style. It means giving and receiving clear feedback. Expectations must be clear; leaders must be accountable for their actions; and they must be sure to do what they commit to do.

They have to communicate efficiently. It’s essential to address conflict in the healthiest way possible without descending into gossip or actions that polarise groups. They need to share power and benefits, as well as failure and disappointment.

There are some great benefits to co-leadership, but when done badly, it can lead to catastrophe. While it's definitely worth considering, it requires a well-informed approach, a robust transition plan, and a vigilant approach. It’s not a complete panacea, but if done well, it can make a real difference.

I leave the last word to Helen Keller, the American author and educator who was blind and deaf. She said:

Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.

Ian Garner

Ian Garner is a retired Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI) and the Institute of Directors (FIoD).

Ian is a board member of Maggie’s Yorkshire. Maggie’s provides emotional and practical cancer support and information in centres across the UK and online, with their centre in Leeds based at St James’s Hospital.

He is the founder and director of Practical Solutions Management, a strategic consulting practice, and is skilled in developing strategy and providing strategic direction, specialising in business growth and leadership.