COLLECTIVE LEADERSHIP
\ kə-ˈlek-tiv lē-dər-ˌship \
A DEFINITION:
In order to address global challenges, our paradigm of leadership must transform. It should no longer focus on the capacity of the individual only, but needs to become the capacity of a collective. A capacity of leaders who join forces to become catalysts for change. Complexity as well as uncertainty require collective action, dialogue among stakeholder, and co-operation to find the best possible solutions.
Leadership is not
- a place in a hierarchy but a contribution to the common good.
- something you are entitled to but a collective responsibility.
- directing output but the delivery of goals through enlisting followers.
- a function but describes a behavior by which people come together to pursue change.
Collective leadership thus consists of a group of people working together toward a shared goal in a network structure. No big deal: Just an idea of what the world should be, combined with the desire to make sense of experiences and interactions among stakeholders and the willingness to shape the decisions and actions to produce the desired results. It can be also seen as a relational process that produces leadership in a system by organizing individual talents in a community of change-makers who collaboratively address complex challenges.
Open the FLEXICON and discover more key principles of transformation.
