When I retire this month, my company won’t miss a beat. And I’m proud of that.
Throughout my career, I’ve grown increasingly committed to what is known in management circles as “modern leadership”: a democratized approach in which leaders share information and decision-making, creating high levels of trust and activating a sense of consistent collaboration and belonging throughout the organization. My direct reports have a lot of experience shaping strategies, making decisions, leading out and, most importantly, building a culture of shared leadership with their teams.
In contrast to traditional leaders, who wield their power to make decisions, tell others what to do and restrict information, modern leaders empower their teams. And by providing ample mentorship, coaching and growth opportunities, modern leaders equip their teams to succeed.
As I prepare to step down, another great benefit of modern leadership is coming into clearer focus. Modern leadership, which in my view hinges on the concept of shared leadership, creates resilient organizations that are well-positioned to thrive after key people depart.
This will be relevant to a growing number of companies in the coming years, as the final wave of baby boomers (those ages 58 to 76) retire or reconfigure their roles to accommodate greater flexibility. Add the impact of the Great Resignation, and shared leadership is even more mission-critical. Here are my observations about how modern leadership works and how to get it right.
If they’re going to miss you a lot, you’re doing something wrong
According to research from the O.C. Tanner Institute, the percentage of modern leaders is small but growing, accounting for 17% of leaders worldwide. Critically, the research found that modern leaders are concentrated (81%) in organizations where all employees see themselves as having leadership responsibilities, even if they don’t have people who report to them.
If a leader feels like they’re “running the show,” they are putting their team, and potentially their organization, at risk. What if personal circumstances force them to retire early? What if it takes longer than expected to find the right successor—a distinct possibility in today’s job market? When there’s a widespread sense of empowerment and accountability, by contrast, it’s not a crisis when a senior executive or team manager departs.
Make succession a success metric
One strategy for embedding shared leadership practices is to expect every leader to have their own succession plan in place. The idea here is that part of a leader’s job, as a steward of their team or company, is to always have a “ready next”: someone who’s capable of stepping into their role. Many corporate boards ask about succession plans for everyone on the executive team. Companies that are not overseen by boards also benefit from this practice.
Reimagine mentorship for a hybrid world
Of course it’s not enough to have identified a “ready-next” team member. Modern leadership is also about setting colleagues up for success through mentorship, coaching, upskilling and stretch opportunities.
This can be particularly tricky for remote workers, who may be overlooked in important meetings, projects and new assignments. Leaders must intentionally reimagine how they provide growth opportunities and shared leadership responsibilities for this group by holding consistent one-to-ones, actively engaging them in all critical meetings with videoconferencing, and bringing remote team members into the office from time to time to build relationships. According to recent research, those that provide such opportunities nearly quadruple the probability of increased employee engagement.
Build in stretch experiences
I was inspired by a consumer food brand with high-growth sales, which does this well. Recently, their CEO told me that everyone at the company was “operating well above their resume.” One example: an employee demonstrating excellent promise, but with limited sales experience, was put in charge of winning a major international big-box retailer account. “That’s how we run around here,” the CEO said with a smile. “We give people a lot of opportunity, and they rise to it. He won that account.”
This is a more extreme example, but the concept stands. When people are given a high degree of trust and some real stretch responsibilities, more often than not they discover their own abilities in ways that build team momentum and confidence.
Get out of their way
When a leader sees their role as removing constraints and creating the conditions for others to lead, they have less control over how individual events play out. This can cause some discomfort, especially if you’re more of a control freak.
I remember an experience where I was responsible for the content of an important conference in London. We had brought together senior leaders from many of the largest and most successful companies in Europe. High expectations required everything to be outstanding.
One team member was a content expert but had fairly limited presentation experience. Part of me thought this might be too high-stakes to have him present solo, but it felt right to give him the opportunity and get out of his way. As he got into the presentation, some of his slides and comments seemed less than polished. But his authentic style endeared him to the audience. The experience was a very positive one, and he grew from it. Interestingly enough, so did I as his leader. Now he is a well-prepared and seasoned pro and regularly presents to executives and audiences all around the world. His confidence and value to the company have grown significantly.
It’s the accumulation of experiences and moments like these that position a team or company to thrive independently of any one person. After all, that’s how I grew into a leader, and I’m certain that’s how everyone does.
So, while I hope I'll be missed in some ways, I know that my colleagues will go on to do great things without me. And I couldn't be happier about that.
