Collaborative Leadership
Are You a Collaborative Leader?
Not too long ago I was asked what kind of a leader I was—did I lean more towards micromanaging or releasing? I didn’t really answer the question: “I think I’m a collaborative leader,” I said, “somewhere in the middle.”
So, what’s a collaborative leader? A picture might come to mind of a person who brings everyone together and takes a vote, “majority rules” style, or worse, “we’re going to lock ourselves in this room until we all come out in full agreement.”
That’s not collaborative, and it’s not leadership either. Collaboration is not the same thing as consensus. Collaboration reflects a team of people working hard together to create something of value. But a collaborative team still needs to be led. We see this kind of leadership and team dynamic in Acts 15.
Theapostles and the elders gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them…
And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul…
After they finished speaking,James replied, “Brothers, listen to me…Thereforemy judgment is…
Within collaborative leadership, there continues to be a point person (in this case James) who has the authority—and often the necessity—to call the plays. But that leader does not hide out somewhere while repeatedly making and delivering unilateral decisions from a vacuum. Sure, there are times for Moses to come down from the mountain to deliver the commandments, but until we’ve spent a month in the tangible presence of God and He has directly given us tablets of stone, let’s be careful about comparing ourselves to Moses.
A secure, collaborative leader wants to be surrounded with a team of the strongest, smartest, most competent people available, and then listen to what that team has to say, even when there is disagreement. The whole team works together to bring their wealth of experience, insight, and discernment to the table. In significant strategic decisions, every angle—positive and negative—will be explored so that its impact is well understood. While in some situations a vote is called for, more often, one leader must make a courageous decision based on all the facts at hand.
Collaborative leadership ensures that a decision is made with the very best information available. Collaborative leadership encourages putting passion for the vision above the desires of an individual, including—and sometimes especially—the primary leader. Collaborative leaders aren’t interested in credit; they are interested in impact. But while a collaborative leader always shares credit for the good that happens, he or she will personally embrace the responsibility for failure, too.
A judgment has to be made in big decisions, and ultimately the key leader will make that call after careful consultation, but many daily tactical choices must be released to those who have to live with them. When “releasing” goes south, however, that often either means that the leader didn’t communicate the vision and values well enough, or that the leader did communicate adequately, but isn’t willing to keep the team member accountable to uphold that vision and those values. In either case, a collaborative leader will take the blame, and have courage to address whatever needs to be fixed.
Lead with the best people and information available, and don’t pass the buck. Being the key leader requires that we have both humility and courage; and without these two things, leadership will never reach it’s full potential.