What is distributed leadership? Definition, traits & best practice

Effective distribution of leadership helps organizations maintain adaptability in a fast-changing environment. By sharing leadership roles, organizations can enhance collaboration in a digital workplace and support stronger approaches to change management.

Distributed leadership is increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional top-down leadership. This approach allows everyone to leverage their skills and collaborate to drive creativity, improvement, and resilience when managing change.

In this article, we’ll explain what distributed leadership is and the traits these leaders possess. We’ll also discuss how to implement it effectively and examine the advantages and disadvantages of this leadership style.

What is distributed leadership?

Distributed leadership is a form of shared leadership. Rather than focusing on specific roles or responsibilities, this model encourages teamwork and flexibility.

The aim is to develop leaders who make decisions based on trust and shared responsibility. This contrasts with traditional leadership, where managers assign tasks to subordinates.

Leadership opportunities remain open and flexible. Team members can assume leadership roles if they possess special skills or can add value to a project.

What are the main traits of distributed leaders?

The main traits that distributed leaders have are:

Coaching

A key difference between traditional and distributed leadership is the focus on developing new leaders. In the distributed model, sharing knowledge and skills is crucial. Part of a leader’s role is to guide others.

Identifying and mentoring those aspiring to lead helps distribute power within the organization. Leaders act as coaches to help others enhance their skills.

Shared responsibility and power

Sharing power and authority among the group is preferable to concentrating it with one person. Instead of having a single decision-maker, everyone should feel free to participate in discussions. This approach leads to better decisions and higher employee morale.

Synergy

Synergy means that when two or more people collaborate, they can achieve more than if each worked alone. In other words, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

This concept is vital for distributed leadership. It doesn’t succeed if we don’t believe that collaboration leads to better decisions.

Autonomy

In a distributed structure, team members can contribute to the company. Instead of having a single leader, everyone can help drive success.

Leaders can make decisions and try new methods without needing approval from a superior. The idea is that those facing a problem can solve it better because they have the right expertise.

Accountability

In distributed leadership, leaders still benefit from guidance from senior management. However, senior management must allow leaders to experiment, fail, solve problems, and explore new ideas.

Leaders take ownership of their actions because they can make decisions. How can you hold someone accountable for results if they lack the power to lead the strategy? This is why these concepts are closely connected.

Capacity

Within a distributed system, everyone can share ideas and contribute to the company’s vision. For leaders to generate ideas and make improvements, they need access to sufficient funds and resources. Supporting leaders means investing in their training and providing the tools they need to succeed.

Leadership

Distributed leadership enhances the scope and potential of the organization’s leadership. When all members lead, a company benefits from maximizing knowledge, combined capabilities, and the leadership of the entire organization. This practice also fosters the growth of individual leaders.

Continual learning

In a distributed leadership system, people are more likely to collaborate. This openness to sharing builds a culture of continuous learning. When leadership tasks are shared, the number of leaders grows, strengthening the organization.

What are the best practices to apply distributed leadership?

The best ways to apply distributed leadership are:

Find ways to improve the employee voice in decisions

Leaders should ask questions to learn from employees who know the work best. It’s important to listen to their insights.

Once the company shares its goals, employees can suggest ways to achieve them. Regular feedback is crucial as the workplace evolves quickly.

Many HR teams focus on feedback tools, but the real emphasis should be on creating a safe environment. Employees need to feel they can speak up without fear. Ask open-ended questions to encourage honest conversations.

Listening is as important as asking. Don’t interrupt or rush responses. Give people time to think. Sometimes, the best ideas emerge after a pause.

Treat feedback as a gift. Thank employees for sharing, especially if it took courage. Let them know how you’ll use their input.

When employees have tested new ideas, let them help lead the change. Assign them roles that match their strengths.

Have a cultural change plan to encourage distributed leadership

Invest in a cultural transformation to support distributed leadership. First, understand your current culture and track progress.

Align the change with your business strategy and structure. Review roles, recruiting, performance, pay, and training. Support both structure and culture for success.

HR executives can help leaders organize sessions for employee input on needed changes. Communicate clearly and often. Repeat the vision frequently to ensure understanding.

Lead by example and show commitment to the new culture. Use clear language and images to help employees envision the future. Strong leadership is key to success.

Encourage learning and feedback. Stay flexible and open to adjustments. Cultural change is challenging and may take time.

Focus on both emotions and logic. Understand how employees feel and help manage any stress or anxiety.

Encourage the development of leadership skills

Leadership development programs require significant investment. They take time and money and affect employees’ feelings about their work. When done well, employees feel valued and empowered.

Self-guided programs are easy to manage, and group experiences offer deeper learning. Each leadership level has different roles and needs. New frontline leaders may feel isolated and need mentors and peer support. Mid-level leaders benefit from short lessons that apply directly to their work. Executives need in-depth discussions with peers and experts for fresh insights.

Most HR leaders adopt leadership programs that use a mix of methods. Resources should be relevant, trusted, and linked to learning goals. Too many options can overwhelm learners. Keep the program simple, even if senior leaders want to add more.

Leadership development is ongoing. Skills change fast, and new leaders must learn management basics. Building a culture of learning is a smart investment in times of change.

Move away from control to facilitation

Distributed leadership changes how an organization operates. Leaders must shift from controlling decisions to sharing the decision-making process.

Initially, this can be challenging. But you need to trust that others will continue your work. To aid this, explain the goals clearly to your team. This way, they can make decisions that support the leadership vision.

If a team member wants to discuss an important decision, ensure they feel comfortable approaching you. If you’ve hired well, your team members will know more about their areas than you do.

Work together to explore all options. Combine your knowledge with their expertise to make the best decision. If the team suggests an idea, don’t dismiss it just because you disagree. Make decisions carefully. Always give credit where it’s deserved.

What are the benefits of distributed leadership?

The main benefits of adopting distributed leadership are:

Easier to advance in a career

Sharing responsibilities among many people gives team members a chance to showcase their skills and grow. Current leaders help new leaders by mentoring, training, and supporting them. Leadership is a skill anyone can learn, not just a job title. People in the company will believe any employee can become a strong leader.

More focused on the market and the customer

A distributed leadership style helps share knowledge with all employees, including those who work with customers. When these employees have quick access to information, they don’t have to wait for approval from senior leaders. This helps them provide a better customer experience.

Shared knowledge also improves understanding of the industry and the company’s target market. This helps employees at all levels make better decisions, which leads to stronger performance and longer-term success for the company.

Promotes a mutual learning environment

In a company with distributed leadership, everyone gets a chance to grow. No one team or person feels more important than others. This sense of equality encourages people to communicate and share what they know, forming stronger connections and expanding all employees’ skills.

What are the challenges of implementing distributed leadership?

The most important challenges of implementing distributed leadership are:

Slower decision-making

Distributed leadership can make work faster and more efficient. When everyone has the same knowledge, they can make decisions without waiting for approval from bosses.

However, involving too many people can slow things down. Imagine a team of over 50 people, all trying to share their opinions. In this case, even simple problems could take hours, days, or weeks to solve.

Role ambiguity

When several leaders share responsibilities, it can cause confusion about roles. This lack of clarity can slow down decision-making and coordination. Distributed leadership often blurs who is accountable.

Overlapping duties can lead to inefficiency and a lack of responsibility. Without a clear leader, it’s hard to know who is in charge of outcomes. Responsibility can be spread too thin. Poor communication among leaders leads to isolated decisions.

Creates more confusion if there is no proper communication

Distributed leadership can slow decision-making. It can also increase uncertainty, especially in large organizations without clear communication channels.

However, when done right, distributed leadership can improve communication. To make this work, everyone must use the same tools or methods to share information. Otherwise, gaps in knowledge and confusion can occur.

Adopt a distributed leadership approach to help your employees grow as they collaborate

Distributed leadership means everyone helps lead, not just one person. This approach identifies new leaders and involves everyone. Leaders should be independent and responsible for their work.

Transitioning to a distributed leadership approach takes time and requires trust. Leaders should share decisions with the team to make everyone feel part of the group. When hiring new people, teach them about this type of leadership so they can work together. Give everyone a chance to lead, even if they’re new. This will help them learn and improve the company.