The Old Way: Individual Contributor
Mark was burnt out. His jaw was tight, and his shoulders slumped. He rubbed his forehead, glancing at the scattered notes on the table and the blinking cursor on his laptop, as if searching for a way to make sense of the chaos. He had been working tirelessly as the head of operations, managing an endless stream of crises. Supply chain delays were mounting, pricing decisions seemed inconsistent, and customer satisfaction scores were slipping. Despite his relentless effort, the value chain felt like it was slowly unraveling.
“I don’t understand,” he finally admitted during our call. “I’m doing everything I can in my area, but it feels like the entire system is breaking down. I’m not sure how much longer we can hold on.”
“Mark, you’re an exceptional operator.” I said, “But we have to shift your focus from what you’re doing to what the leadership team needs to be doing. What are the biggest problems the leadership team needs to solve?”
Mark didn’t know what to say. And in the silence, I wasn’t sure if he was ready. He had worked so hard trying to fix things—within the walls of his own function. It was clear the leadership team wasn’t helping him—it wasn’t his favorite meeting of the week. What he hadn’t considered was how these issues connected to the larger challenges facing his company.
The Shift to Shared Leadership
A few months later, I was in the room with Mark and the leadership team—all eight of them. And it happened. Mark decided to speak up. “I think we’re all so focused on our individual areas that we’re missing the bigger picture,” he began. “We’re fighting fires in silos while the real issues—supply chain, pricing, and customer satisfaction—require us to work together.”
The room was quiet, but I could tell what Mark said resonated with his peers. Slowly, they began to discuss the top three priorities critical to the company’s success. These weren’t just operational challenges; they were business-wide boulders that could either crush them or propel them forward.
Mark’s role started to change. Instead of focusing solely on operations, he began partnering with his peers in marketing, finance, and sales. He initiated transparent conversations about the most pressing challenges and pushed the team to align on solutions. Rather than telling others what to do, he asked the tough questions: “What’s the core issue here? What’s the impact if we don’t address this together?”
The Competency of Shared Leadership
Mark’s growth wasn’t about soft skills—it was about bold behaviors. He learned to:
- Have Transparent Conversations: Mark challenged his peers to be honest about the obstacles they faced and to tackle them head-on.
- Identify and Prioritize the Boulders: He helped the team focus on the top business accelerators, aligning their efforts on what truly mattered.
- Coach Across the Team: Instead of saying what he needed, Mark coached his colleagues to think more deeply about their own challenges, fostering a culture of mutual problem-solving and accountability.
These weren’t easy changes. In fact, it was a big shift. It required Mark to take risks—not with the business, but with himself. He put his ego aside, built stronger relationships, and focused on creating something bigger than himself: an effective leadership team.
Why It Matters
Shared leadership is the key to unlocking an organization’s full potential. No single leader can solve their company’s needs. It takes a leadership team willing to have real conversations, align on the biggest priorities, and hold each other accountable (not easy). And It’s not about being nice—it’s about being bold. It’s about moving from individual contribution to shared leadership.
Shared Vision + Shared Responsibility = Shared Leadership
Mark’s story highlights what happens when leaders embrace this shift. Shared leadership requires a leadership team to envision a better future together and take collective responsibility for turning that vision into reality. No one leader can make it happen. It takes a team—focused together.
Are you ready to move beyond what you’re doing?