What collaborative leadership is and how to apply it in just 3 steps to improve your company

Collaborative leadership defines a specific management approach in which leaders when the leaders of a company work together to make decisions and chart a course for the future. It stands in stark contrast to top-down leadership, a method characterized by dependence on one person, usually the CEO, to make all business decisions.

 

Collaborative leadership teams are often composed of people from different areas of the company; for example, they could include leaders with expertise in technology, marketing, or human resources. This type of experiential diversity is one of the great strengths of the collaborative leadership model.

 

 

 

 

Why collaborative leadership matter

 

Being able to tap into the combined talents of several skilled people when making important decisions is better for business than relying on the wisdom of an individual, however wise he may be.

 

It's simply a numbers game - more people means more ideas, more ideas means a greater chance that an idea will be the idea that will take your business to the next level.

 

So, what are the attributes to look out for when evaluating potential members of your leadership team? 

 

Here are the two fundamental characteristics of a collaborative leader:

 

# 1 Open communication

 

Effective collaborative leaders go to great lengths to ensure that lines of communication remain open during business hours and often outside of them. This kind of dedication to open communication is a crucial element for successful collaborative leadership. Leadership team members are constantly exchanging ideas with each other. If someone is unavailable for a long period of time, it can be a significant hindrance in the creative process.

 

# 2 Collaboration

 

Once the final decision is made by a collaborative leadership team, it is important that everyone has a united front with the rest of the company. Dissent of any kind can severely weaken people's trust in the team and sow doubts among employees about the wisdom of the decision that has been made.

 

How to become a collaborative leader: 3 golden tips

 

We defined collaborative leadership, explained why it is important, and shared some of the qualities that skilled leaders have in common.

 

Sounds like a good way to run a business, right?

 

We will now cover some of the steps required to implement a collaborative leadership model in the workplace.

 

# 1 Practice collaborative leadership in the workplace

 

There will undoubtedly be a lot of trial and error at first, but the only way to know if collaborative leadership is right for your business is to go ahead and give it a try.

 

You can follow these steps:

 

• Start by gathering your team and setting goals for the first few months.
• Next, define protocols for decision making and idea generation, then stick to them.
• Finally, be open to receive feedback from employees on the effectiveness of the collaborative leadership model in your workplace.

 

# 2 Get feedback from your team

 

Decisions made by your collaborative leadership team, of course, will affect everyone in your company. That's why it's important to solicit feedback from all of your employees on how things are going.

 

One way to do this is to send an email survey with questions like "On a scale of 1 to 10, do you rate the leadership team's performance?" or “Do you prefer our new collaborative leadership model to our old model? Why or why not? ".

 

Collecting feedback from your entire team will show them that you value their opinion, which in turn will increase job satisfaction among your employees.

 

# 3 Use the right tools

 

It is vital for strong leadership that you understand and inform yourself about the technologies that are involved in your business. You can then improve the way they are used to get the most benefit.

 

The Voxloud cloud phone system is the ideal solution to allow everyone to work in the most serene, fast and linear way possible, without hitches, falling lines or undeliverable messages.

 

It is a real asset for your company, which will bring many benefits, both in the short and long term, whether you work in the office or if you have a team spread around the world.

 

There are many leaders who manage their companies directly from home and use the phone system to make group video conferences and always keep abreast of ongoing projects.

 

Activating it is very easy: just 59 seconds and your phone system is ready to be used.

 

 

 

Best regards,