How to Develop a Culture of Collaborative Leadership

Times are changing; a reality brought to our awareness by the recent world economic recession. The economic structures have collapsed and the world is trying to adapt to change. Previous leadership styles are now proving to be ineffective, and even inappropriate for the present generation.. In the Industrial era, leadership was predominantly authoritative, hierarchical and very much contingent on the superior authority in charge. The leader had total control over decisions, information and operations. The workforce worked hard to achieve recognition, rewards and promotion up the corporate ladder

Recent developments show that the hierarchical and authoritarian approach is no longer enough considering the rapidly changing social and business structures because of the Web which gives everyone access to information. Todays complex issues and recent changes mean a different leadership model is needed, for both the private and public sectors of the business world Linear systems are no longer effective, and must adjust to collaboration. The only way forward is collaborative leadership
So, what is collaborative leadership and how does it respond to change? Obviously organizations must go with the flow of change and take a lead, There is a need for today’s leaders to create a culture of collaboration within their organizations. Instead of just having a leader with all the answers and ideas, most answers can be found from the people within the organization. These ideas can flow freely provided that trust, appreciation, openness and transparency had been established within the ranks. Ideas can be generated with the best minds and right talent put together. Rather than depending on just the perspective of the leader, it is more effective to combine the resources, efforts and ideas of several committed team members. Instead of being authoritarian and in total control, a leader can facilitate open exchange of ideas and encourage collaboration. This will provide the venue for creative discussion and sharing of solutions plus maximum participation from everyone.

The present generation in the workforce want the opportunity to share their ideas, and demonstrate their leadership potential. A leader who can listen to everyone’s perspective as much as possible will definitely boost everyone’s morale. When a leader takes the opportunity to understand and acknowledge individual strengths, the best solutions can be discovered. This will then pave the way for a new way of doing things – working collaboratively – and will ensure business results being achieved.

Leaders find will themselves at a crossroads – they need to choose when to lead and when to relinquish control to encourage everyone to collaborate. Changing leadership styles will not be easy, and remember that it cannot be done overnight. The bottom line is that we need to understand that it is by working and leading collaboratively that recovery from our economic challenges is possible. At the end of the day, business will see the benefit of creating a culture of collaboration.

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