shared leadership: a tool for innovation, engagement, and inclusion
TRANSCRIPT
Shared LeadershipA Tool For Innovation, Engagement
and Inclusion
Max FreundLF Leadership
Sean Thomas-BreitfeldBuilding Movement Project
Mike AllisonMichael Allison Consulting
Agenda
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1. Welcome & introductions2. Checking in3. Definitions & academic theory4. Theory into practice5. Success factors & capacities6. Making it real: Open Space
peer coaching
Introductions
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Who are you? Where are you from?
What is your prior experience with shared leadership? (If any)
What is the single biggest question you have?
What do we mean by shared leadership?
Definitions, Dimensions, and Key Research Findings
Max FreundLF Leadership
Leadership
Post-Heroic Leadership
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Shared Leaders
hip
Distributed
Leadership
Co-Leaders
hip
Collective
Leadership
Complexity
Leadership
Relational
Leadership
Emergent
Leadership
Integrative
Leadership
Romance of
Leadership
Followership
Theory
Implicit Leaders
hip Theory
Social Identity Theory
Leader
Defining Shared Leadership
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“A simultaneous, ongoing, mutual influence process involving the serial emergence of official as well as unofficial leaders” (Pearce & Conger, 2003)
Dimensions of shared leadership
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Distribution: (De)centralization of leadership influence
Role multiplexity: How many hats people wear
Time: Stepping up (and back) as situations require
Contractor, et al. (2012)
Who
What
When
Visualizing shared leadership
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Mapping the literature
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Supportive Factors
• Shared purpose• Norms/culture• Social support• Voice• Trust• “Vertical”
leader coaching• Psychological
empowerment
Outcomes• Trust• Cohesion• Lower
conflict• Agreement• Innovation• Satisfaction• Performance
Processes• Info sharing • Transactive
memory (KWKW)
• Shared mental models
• Collective efficacy
Contingencies• Knowledge-based work• Complex task• Interdependent team• Emergent leader
prototypicality• Homogeneity of age/tenure
SharedLeadershi
p
Psychological Empowerment
MeaningSelf-
Determination
Impact Self-Efficacy
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Orga
niza
tion
al
Stru
ctur
e
Cultu
re &
Pr
actic
esGr
oup
Proc
ess
Shared leadership as…
Shared Leadership in Action
Sean Thomas-BreitfeldBuilding Movement Project
Why “Alternative” Structures?
Generational factors
Desire for increased impact and effectiveness
Practices of distributing decision-making and leadership are important
BMP’s Research
Mapping the Options
Varied topography of alternative structures
Common foundations for distributed leadership:oHigh Levels of TrustoInvestment in LearningoValues BaseoPatience and Time
Mapping the Options
Mapping the Options
Stages of Structuring Leadership
FoundationTrust LearningShared Values
Patience
Implementation
Autonomy Buy-in
Info-SharingClarity Release
IndicatorsShared
decision-makingExternal
Representation
New Ideas
Benefits
Power to decide on programs
New ideas and innovation
More responsibility and responsiveness
Diverse external representation
Greater impact
Case 1: Make the Road New York
Three Co-Directors at time ofthe What Works report
Leadership structure evolved as result of both growth and values
More time for meetings
Case 2: Building Movement Project
Shared Leadership
Widening the Spectrum of LeadershipTwo Funded Initiatives
Mike AllisonMichael Allison Consulting
Definitions
Intelligence
Leadership
The ability to create something, solve a challenge or address an issue that is of value across communities and groups of people (based on the definition of Intelligence from Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind).
The practice of developing and exercising intelligence in self and developing and supporting the intelligence of others.
Definitions and Styles of Leadership
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SIMPLETECHNICALDIRECTIVE
COMPLEXADAPTIVECOACH’S STANCE
Strengthening Organizations Mobilizing Californians
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Capacity-building initiative funded by 3 foundations:the James Irvine Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett FoundationSupported a “Leadership Learning Community”
(LLC) that included peer exchanges for executive directors and senior staff, regional trainings, and comprehensive convenings.
TCC Group, a national management-consulting firm, designed, managed, and facilitated the initiative.
Twenty-seven participating organizations annual budgets ranging from $500,000 to $2 million; at least five staff members; eight board members; and one
hundred volunteers.
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Variance in who leads what, through which structures, along a spectrum between more authoritarian models, which focus on one leader, and more inclusive models which focus on the leadership of many.
Lessons Learned:The Spectrum of Leadership
Shared Leadership Requires:
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Adaptability by all leaders, most of the staff
Trust
Shared Leadership Norm
Organizational Readiness: Prerequisites
1. Explicit commitment by senior leadership to change
2. Up front investment of time to educate and plan
3. Fundamental management practices in place4. Focus on engagement and accountability and
learning5. Identification of and agreement on shared
values28
Potential Points of Entry
Mindsets Attention to organizational values, culture and relationships – paying attention to the what
Behaviors & Processes Attention to domains such as communication and decision-making – paying attention to the how
Structures & Strategies Organizational restructuring – breaking out of what has been
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Important Considerations…
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Dimensions of inclusion & diversityLeadership teamsConnection (and disconnection) with
influencing bodies Coherence/alignmentResponsibility of leadership
Haas, Jr. Fund Flexible Leadership Awards
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Substantial leadership development support ($35,000 to $175,000) more than 45 Haas, Jr. Fund grantees three to five years implementing solutions to the
leadership challenges and opportunities they face. While participating in the FLA,
grantees all continue to receive separate program or general operating support grants
Activities supported by the Fund’s FLA investmentsexecutive coachingstrategic planning training for executives and senior teamsboard development fund development and communications planning
Flexible Leadership Awards
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Independent five-year evaluation of the first cohort of FLA organizations found that 13 of 14 met or surpassed the leadership and mission goals they set at the start of the program.
13 of the 14 organizations grew their budgets an average of 64 percent between 2005 and 2010, for a total $19 million portfolio-wide increase, despite the economic downturn in 2008
Flexible Leadership Awards
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Shared leadership played a role implicitly or explicitly in most participating organizations
Executive Coaching for CEO and Senior Managers
Senior team development
Leadership training for Program Managers
General team building, focused on engaging staff at different levels, building trust and potential for adaptability
Questions to ConsiderWhat are other successful ways to develop and
sustain the capacity to flex and share leadership?
How can leadership capacity be extended beyond staff to the board, to constituents and to allies?
How can shared leadership within individual organizations support and enhance field / movement building strategies?
What are the implications for philanthropy and capacity builders in supporting shared leadership in organizations and their constituencies?
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Assessing Readiness
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Making it Real
Open Spaceand
Organizational Scenarios
Open Space Agenda
Purpose: Deepen exploration of shared leadership, apply and extend research through peer coaching.
Organizational Scenarios: create framework, spark thinking, apply research
Pitch Cases for Coaching: tell us what issue org. is trying to address; form of shared leadership (if any)
Peer Coaching: dig into cases
Scenario 1: Leadership Transition
Background: Community-based org.; address community / domestic
violenceFounder wants to retireNext generation of managers don’t want to take on
ED role
Readiness Issues:Some competition in the past between managers
over strategy, program funding / allocation, and taking credit for wins
Board AND funders/donors primarily identify org. with founder
Key Questions: Should the organization take on a co-directorship model? What would it take to prepare them for that transition?
Scenario 2: Spreading Leadership to Clients
Background: Emergency Food ProviderFoundation program officer raised concerns about
lack of client involvement / voice
Readiness Issues:Organization has support for the initiative, but not
raised idea with orgs. client base Leadership team is split on support Limited client feedback loops
Key Questions: How could the organization support greater leadership by clients? How would the organization need to change its practices and ways of relating to clients?
Pitch Cases
Three Minutes to Describe:
Relevant Background
Preliminary Readiness Assessment
Key Questions facing the Organization and/or Capacity Builder
Modified Open Space
Law of Mobility
Whoever Comes are the Right People
Whatever Happens in 30 Minutes is the Only Thing that Could Have Happened
Peer Coaching QuestionsDescribe issue to address (2-3 min.)
How do you see the research themes showing up in this situation?What might be the intentions and feelings driving these questions
about leadership structure?
Clarify desired outcomes (5-10 min.)How would changing the leadership structure support success for
the organization?What research-based principles can you apply?
Identify potential solutions (5-10 min.)How ready is the org. for an alternative leadership structure?What model or approach seems like the best fit? How does the theory and research inform the possible approaches?
Initial action steps (2-3 min.)Can you chunk out the transition / implementation over time? What are the first action steps?
Recap & Next Steps
Next steps
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What burning capacity-building questions still remain that warrant further exploration through research to advance the field?
Is there interest in a continuing community of practice or affinity group?
Please complete your session evaluation!
Thank you!Let’s continue the conversation…
Max FreundLF Leadership
Sean Thomas-BreitfeldBuilding Movement [email protected]
Mike AllisonMichael Allison Consulting