Rethinking Leadership: Alone or Together?

A Rethinking Impulse by Klaus-Dieter Thill

What it’s all about

In an increasingly interconnected and complex world, the concept of leadership is being redefined. “Co-Leadership” – the idea of shared leadership – brings profound changes that not only revolutionise leadership management but also the self-perception and self-management of leaders. To understand the relevance and transformative potential of Co-Leadership, a thorough analysis is required from philosophical, psychological, and depth-psychological perspectives. This essay highlights the aspect of “rethinking” as the necessary foundation to demonstrate how Co-Leadership is gaining importance in the context of digitisation and the future of work.

The Philosophy of Shared Leadership: The Power of “We”

Throughout the history of philosophy, leadership has often been portrayed as the responsibility of individuals. From Plato’s philosopher-king to Nietzsche’s Übermensch, there is a long tradition that emphasises the individual. However, even Aristotle recognised that man is a “zoon politikon,” a social being that lives in community. From this understanding, we can draw a connection to the modern notion of Co-Leadership: Leadership must take place within a team, within a community, to make sustainable and successful decisions.

Shared leadership means that power and responsibility do not rest on the shoulders of one individual but are distributed across multiple minds. This contrasts with the classical notion of leadership as a top-down task where the leader, as the sole authority, makes all the decisions. Instead, it is a departure from hierarchical structures towards a more collective approach. This collective leadership is based on the core values of participation, mutual appreciation, and trust. Philosophically, this is an ethical obligation: when leadership occurs through dialogue, the leader can come closer to the ideal of justice by acknowledging the different perspectives and abilities of the participants as equal.

The philosophy of Co-Leadership stands in contrast to the ideal of the individualistic leadership style. The individualistic style celebrates the power of the individual, hierarchy, and assertiveness. In contrast, Co-Leadership emphasises the value of cooperation and the ability to make collective decisions that promote a greater good. This approach is not only ethically, but also pragmatically superior, as it better captures and reflects the complexity of modern work environments.

Psychological Foundations: Team Dynamics and Shared Responsibility

From a psychological perspective, Co-Leadership requires a radical realignment of traditional leadership understanding. Humans are naturally social beings, capable of working and cooperating in groups. However, traditional leadership structures often reach their limits when it comes to fostering the dynamics within a team. This is where Co-Leadership comes in: By sharing responsibility, team members can better leverage their individual strengths while compensating for the weaknesses of others.

A critical psychological aspect of Co-Leadership is the shift in the balance of power. In a shared leadership model, team leaders must be willing to relinquish control and place trust in their team members. This requires a high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to overcome personal insecurities. Leadership thus becomes a dynamic process of negotiation and coordination, where individual roles are flexibly adjusted to the needs of the situation and the team.

From a depth-psychological perspective, Co-Leadership touches on the inner drives and needs of leaders. Traditionally, many leaders tend to retain power and control because it provides them with a sense of security and significance. Yet, in shared leadership, cooperation takes precedence over individual power retention. This may initially provoke anxiety, as the individual’s ego must recede. However, those who embrace this process experience not only relief but also empowerment through the collective intelligence and creativity of the team. Co-Leadership, therefore, enables a deeper, more sustainable form of leadership that is not based on status but on genuine collaboration.

Self-Management and Co-Leadership: A Transformative Challenge

For leaders, Co-Leadership presents a dual challenge: On the one hand, it involves managing the team; on the other, it requires managing oneself. Leadership within a shared structure demands continuous reflection on one’s own role, openness to feedback, and the ability to view oneself as part of a larger whole. This process of self-management necessitates constant rethinking, a deep introspection on one’s strengths, weaknesses, and the way one interacts with others.

Self-leadership in this context encompasses the ability to regulate one’s own emotions, accept uncertainties, and trust the team. Co-Leadership can only succeed if leaders are willing to let go of their personal need for control while maintaining their authority. It is a delicate balance between active leadership and fostering autonomy within the team. Herein lies the true art of self-management: Not control, but trust in the process of collective decision-making takes precedence.

In practice, this means that leaders must redefine their role as the team’s facilitator. They are no longer the sole decision-makers but those who create the conditions in which the team can fully unleash its creativity and capabilities. This requires not only technical competence but also high resilience and the ability to deal with ambiguity and uncertainty. Self-management in a Co-Leadership environment, therefore, also means recognising one’s limitations and being open to the expertise of others.

The Future Relevance of Co-Leadership: Digitisation and Agility

In the age of digitisation, Co-Leadership gains additional significance. Digital technologies are fundamentally altering the way we work and communicate. Work processes are becoming increasingly complex, requiring a high degree of flexibility and adaptability. Co-Leadership offers an ideal response to the challenges of digitisation. Since decision-making processes increasingly need to occur in real-time, and the complexity of problems often exceeds the knowledge of a single person, shared leadership is not only sensible but essential.

Digitisation compels leaders to rely more on the collective intelligence of their teams. In a world where data volumes are growing exponentially and technologies are rapidly evolving, it is impossible for an individual to process all relevant information and make the best decisions. Co-Leadership allows for the expertise and knowledge of multiple individuals to be harnessed, enabling faster and more accurate responses to changes.

Another aspect of digitisation that underscores the importance of Co-Leadership is the necessity of agile working methods. In agile teams, decision-making is often distributed among several individuals to enhance flexibility and innovation. Here, the principle of shared leadership is fully realised: Leaders act not as sole decision-makers but as facilitators of a creative process based on trust, openness, and mutual respect.

Practical Tips for Implementing Co-Leadership

To integrate Co-Leadership into everyday professional life, concrete steps must be taken. These measures help to bring the concept of shared leadership into practice while strengthening both the leader’s behaviour and the team.

A leader might begin by introducing regular team feedback sessions, where all members openly share their opinions and perspectives. This not only promotes transparency but also the willingness to make joint decisions. Another approach is to decentralise decision-making processes and delegate more responsibility to team members. By creating clear frameworks in which the team can operate freely, the leader strengthens trust and individual responsibility. It is also important to design team roles flexibly and to regularly reassess them, ensuring that each person can contribute their strengths optimally.

Conclusion: Co-Leadership as a Guiding Principle for the Future

Co-Leadership is more than just a new leadership concept. It is an expression of a profound shift in how we understand work and leadership. Shared leadership requires courage, trust, and the willingness to set aside personal ego in favour of the team’s collective welfare. From a philosophical and psychological perspective, Co-Leadership offers the opportunity to rethink leadership and place it on an ethically sound, collective foundation. In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, Co-Leadership is not only a contemporary model but a necessity for long-term success. Leaders who are brave enough to share responsibility today will become the pioneers and trailblazers of tomorrow’s leadership.