Shared Leadership on the path to Succession Planning

Over the past year, numerous discussions evolved with leadership teams operating in, or considering re-organizing into, a shared leadership model. The more the topic came up, the more I was drawn in by its relevance to succession planning.  

The shared leadership model continued to emerge as one of several paths toward leadership transition that can be effective for long-term organizational results, the organization’s people, its board, and even freeing the leader to explore what comes next after their transition.  

One of the most interesting stories I came across was ProInspire, a national nonprofit intermediary with Co-CEOs, who incorporated co-leadership to be a “part of enacting a stronger approach to racial equity,” “seeking to bring greater alignment between organizational forms and organizational values.”  

Secondly, in his article, “What is Leadership, Letting Everyone be the Boss,” Manuel Pistner writes, “Shared leadership and delegation go hand in hand. Delegating tasks and decision-making empowers individuals and promotes trust and collaboration. It lightens the leader’s workload and fosters a sense of ownership and accountability within the team. Delegation within shared leadership is like passing the torch, empowering others to take on responsibilities, and collectively driving success.”

What better way is there to spread knowledge, increase a sense of ownership, break systemic barriers to racial equity in a hierarchy, and grow roots deep enough to expand well beyond the tenure of its founding leadership?

One of the key components in the journey of Maestro Level Leaders cohorts is Mapping – specifically, a mapping process that begins with imagining how the organization will operate without the current, or perhaps even founding, CEO and some or all of her or his executive team. Imagining then moves to engaging one or more successors in developing a shared vision and strategy for what follows the current state and, finally, aligning in such a way that the successor(s) fully own and are intrinsically motivated to move from a shared vision through implementation, independent of their previous leader.

While shared leadership can be one of several methodologies used to imagine, engage, and align around succession planning – it requires awareness of the pros and cons and proper planning for all involved.  

With proper planning, communication, and implementation

• Leaders can focus more fully on their respective areas of strength
• The team benefits from diversity in skillsets and ideas
• Decisions are improved through increased collaboration
• Turnover is less disruptive when one leader leaves 
• Leadership development occurs through mutual accountability
• Provides relief to leadership burnout 

Proper planning includes

• Ensuring clarity in roles, business, and team goals and objectives;
• Establishing hiring practices that include collaboration over authoritative leadership; 
• Increased communications and orientation with the team focused on:
  • Expectations for, and training in, how to avoid triangulation when one leader doesn’t provide the answer team members seek;
  • A shift from expecting one person to be “in charge,” to each being “in charge of different responsibilities.”

As you continue through your third turn of leadership, consider how a shared leadership model may help your organization evolve FROM being CEO dependent TO operating more like an adaptive organism that naturally adjusts not only to changing environmental factors but to ongoing leadership successions.

-Linda Milwanowski-Westdorp

References for further reading: 

Forms: A New Theory of Power

Succession is Not a Dirty Word

Center for Creative Leadership; Indeed Career Guide.