Collaborative Leadership: Does the Leader Need to Know it All?

Collaborative leadership allows others to get their “voice” in the room. As long as there is a healthy level of trust, the terms of group meeting engagement can be explicit. This allows for a culture that can embrace a diversity of thought, which is something that is crucial for innovation. While every opinion cannot always be integrated into the strategy systemically, allowing and respecting others to contribute will go a long way toward employee engagement and ownership. It will take a truly confident leader to admit that she or he does not know everything. In fact, it is a blatant sign of insecurity to pretend that one is a know-it-all. Everyone can potentially be an “expert” in one area, but to try to assume the “I always have it perfectly together” persona always shows up as inauthentic and is not very inspiring. Vulnerability takes courage and is “fear-less.” So as a leader, how do you manage people who know more than you do?Know yourself. Deal with your own blind spots that cause you to feel that you need to be a perfectionistic know-it-all in the first place. It takes confidence and humility to recognize that we are valuable intrinsically and that what we do is an experience or expression of where we are in our growth on life’s journey. It’s as simple as that. Cultivate passion for what you do. If your heart is not in it, you will not “show up” in a way that inspires. Enthusiasm sparks engagement. Get comfortable with change. Know that information is evolving too rapidly to know in detail every new idea in “reel-time.” Do your homework, yes, and be able to admit that you need to read up and study if the situation presents itself. People can see through a fake avoidance response, and it does not foster trust when you can’t be truthful. Allow for diversity of thought. Show respect and appreciation. Confident leaders are admirable and appreciated for their ability to allow and encourage others to grow. The “crab in a barrel” mentality of holding others back so that one can feel smarter or superior will foster resentment and damages loyalty and relationships. Continue personal and professional development. Growth never stops. By embracing growth, a leader will gain the respect of those around him/her and be a more participatory, engaged leader. He or she will also inspire team members to do the same, which is definitely a competitive advantage in a rapidly shifting environment. Today’s workforce is interested in experiencing a sense of purpose, autonomy, and personal and professional growth. The workplace is an ideal environment and platform for this considering that many people spend at least a full one-third of their day at the office. Also, being in an environment with other people is the only way one can measure how their mindset is either making or breaking their passion, peace of mind, and ability to influence and get things done. Collaborative leadership and building effective teams will require personal growth as well as a continuing ability to adapt to change as one acquires new skill sets.