A reader responded to my last story about an organization that tried having three co-leaders but ultimately decided that they wanted one CEO instead of three. This reader has been in a for-profit partnership — which is the same as co-leadership — for over a decade. He shared his thoughts about what makes his partnership work and provided ideas for organizations considering a co-leadership model. Co-Leadership Can Work – But Be Cautious As told by a Partner somewhere in the US. I have had a successful co-leadership experience in a relatively small for-profit professional services company. We call it a… Read more
Tag: Co-leadership
Would Co-Leadership Work for Your Organization?
Many nonprofit organizations are re-thinking leadership, and some are trying a co-Leadership or Distributed Leadership model where they have multiple CEOs or Executive Directors. I have been interested in seeing why organizations decide to try this model and the benefits and challenges they face. I interviewed the Board Chair and the current sole Executive Director of a small nonprofit on the east coast that tried a co-leadership model on an interim basis for a year. They had three co-EDs. In the end, they decided to have just a single ED. I wanted to understand what motivated them to try co-EDs… Read more