Unpacking the Collaborative Leadership Approach

This week we shift our focus to one exciting way of leadership which every forward- looking leader should embrace, Collaborative leadership.

The concept of collaborative leadership refers to the process of engaging the collective intelligence of team members at all levels towards delivering results across organisational boundaries despite the absence of ordinary mechanisms of control.

It is premised on the belief that all of us together can be smarter, more creative, and more competent than any of us individually, especially when it comes to addressing the organization’s multi-faceted problems. It calls on leaders to use the power of influence rather than authority residing in one’s power in terms of hierarchy when dealing with teams.

A collaborative leader firmly believes that success is dependent on creating an environment of trust, mutual respect, and shared aspiration in which all can contribute fully and openly to achieving collective goals.

A Leader therefore focuses on relationships as well as results, leveraging on high-quality conversations.

Ingredients of collaborative leadership

• Free flow of information across different levels of the organisation- Here information is shared freely unlike the traditional model where information is resident in top echelons of the organization and is selectively passed downwards.
• Collaborative decision-making and problem-solving — The leader is not the ultimate authority in making decisions and generating solutions. Instead, the leader is willing to empower the team and works together with the team to generate solutions.

• Mutual support and empowerment —Mutual trust, respect, and support are the corner stone of collaborative leadership and it is evident among employees and managers, instead of individuals acting on their own.
• Co-responsibility and mutual accountability — Collaborative leaders encourage everyone to contribute, recognize everyone’s contributions, and thus also inspire a sense of mutual accountability instead of blaming team members for failure to achieve. Psychological safety drives the team.
• Team spirit over “me-ism” — The collaborative leader creates a clear shared purpose for everyone to strive toward together, instead of everyone playing their own game.
• Leadership focus on the process, not the people — A collaborative leader puts their ego aside, and instead of directing everyone’s work, they merely facilitate the collaborative process and steer it toward effectiveness.

Benefits of Collaborative Leadership

Maximization of innovation

According to Harvard Business School’s Linda Hill: “Innovation is not about a solo genius having an ‘aha moment’; it’s actually a collaborative process, usually with people who are quite different in their point of view.” She points out that although people in leadership positions are usually quite brilliant and talented themselves, the smartest among them know that they need to make room for others’ ideas as well.

Better decision-making

Collaborative leadership has proved that it leads to better decision-making, which is linked to diversity. It has been realized that in most cases teams that allow for diversity make better decisions

Employee Engagement Levels Increase

Leaders that involve employees in the decision-making process, boost employee engagement. That’s because collaborative leadership creates a sense of psychological ownership. Everyone is more committed to reaching the shared objectives.

Collaborative leadership increases employee loyalty and satisfaction

When employees are given decision-making power and given space to express their ideas, they are more committed and engaged, and they feel a strong sense of belonging.

This eventually leads to a much higher level of satisfaction and loyalty among employees, who feel truly appreciated by the leadership.

Effective leaders should therefore leverage on thise approach to leadership in order to have teams that are hungry for the success of the organization.

Chiedza Kadare is an OD Practitioner. You can get in touch with her on WhatsApp/call +263 77 283 0986 or Email chiedza.kadare@gmail.com

Paul Nyausaru is an OD Practitioner and leadership coach. For all your OD interventions and leadership development training you can get in touch with him on WhatsApp/call +263774062756 or Email pnyausaru@gmail.com