3 Questions When Considering Collaborative Leadership

The traditional perception of leadership is that of the singular, strong and dynamic commander who passionately drives their vision throughout an organization. At its best the ‘benevolent dictator’ approach is highly efficient – eliminating the wavering of many competing voices in the decision-making process. The flip side, however, of the singular strong approach is that isolation can cause arrogance, pride and greed, which blinds leadership and disenfranchises followers.  Conversely, Collaborative Leadership takes a much different approach – essentially suggesting that the most effective way to guide an organization, process or project is through inclusion and consensus. “A collaboration is a purposeful relationship,” suggests Hank Rubin, President of the Institute of Collaborative Leadership, “in which all parties strategically choose to cooperate in order to accomplish a shared outcome.”

Leadership style, of course, is not a one-size-fits-all answer.  There is a time and place for a collaborative leader, and one must ask the following three questions when considering a collaborative approach:

1. Who is on the team? This type of leadership naturally applies to community groups, local governments and schools. In these cases, independent groups like teachers, parents, students and administration must find a way to work together.  The focus cannot be on what the individual leader achieves, but what the team achieves as a whole. By considering each point of view throughout the process, all the team members care about the outcome of the project.  In the world of business, collaborative leadership works well when multiple organizations or departments play an equal role on the team.

2. Does everyone always need to be involved? The Theory of Collaborative Advantage, developed by Chris Huxham, explains that collaboration works when the goal of the team has to be achieved by all working together and couldn’t be achieved by one working alone. On the other hand, collaborative inertia is when collaboration makes the group more ineffective.  Attending superfluous meetings is both a waste of time and frustrating, so team members can find the collaborative process painful and discouraging.  Therefore, a leader must consider whether or not the collaborative leadership style will hamper productivity.

3. How long will the team be working together? Time should factor into whether or not collaborative leadership style is appropriate for a team.  A successful collaborative leader builds on-going, long-term relationships and acts as a facilitator.  While it is important to have agreement among the team, the process is time consuming.  In situations where a team works together for a short period of time or exists in a fast-paced environment, a different leadership style will be more effective.

Collaborative leadership is a tool that one should have in his/her managerial toolbox.  Just as a handyman knows when to use a tape measure versus a hammer, a leader needs to know when to be collaborative versus authoritative.

Photo courtesy of Mandi Lynn