Case study: Feedback
The following comments are provided as food for thought. Different interpretations are, of course, possible.
What leadership challenges is Guy facing?
Guy’s motivation is positive, wanting to share leadership and foster a culture of collaboration and collective responsibility. But he is applying his own leadership preference without clear regard for the context. This is a form of ethnocentrism, perhaps his biggest challenge. And his personal bias could lead to failure, as others may not share or be motivated by his approach. As Sharon says, Guy has a young and inexperienced team, possibly lacking confidence, that may benefit from stronger direction at the beginning of their careers. Also, in a virtual team, the degree of interaction and collaboration demanded by Guy may be difficult.
Another problem that Guy is facing is non-delivery to customers. In other words, his team is starting to underperform. At some point, Guy will be held responsible for this, so his own position may come under threat.
What does Sharon suggest as a solution?
Sharon suggests a more directive approach, to provide the team with a clear framework so that team members can learn how to collaborate and practise shared leadership.
What other options does Guy have?
Guy could hold a team meeting to explain his expectations, clarify how people should collaborate and provide more coaching to drive the approach he wants. Alternatively, he could hold a team meeting to discuss with the team their preferred mode of leadership. He could then agree with them a specific leadership model that may involve direction or empowerment, depending on the specific nature of the tasks and the skills and personality of each individual in the team.
Communicating expectations more transparently with the team can be very important. There is no ideal solution here. This case illustrates the interesting paradox that, although there are compelling reasons to move to a model of shared leadership, successful application of such a model requires people’s buy-in. Interestingly, there will be many, even among the young and internationally minded, who may resist and rely on older models of leadership. The challenge for so-called progressive leaders is then to implement a style that they may see as old-fashioned.