Creating a culture of distributed Leadership

The concept of distributed Leadership is basically what it sounds like: Autonomy, freedom, and responsibility are not things generation X or Y have brought into the workplace; they are fundamental human needs leaders must utilize. Unfortunately, managers and organizations often screw up seemingly simple concepts, just like we all need recognition and belonging.

Now, how do we create a culture of distributed Leadership?

1. The right managers-?

To establish a distributed leadership culture, either hire leaders who are willing and able to let go effectively or teach managers who are willing but need to figure out how.

2. The right employees -?

If a leader wants someone to take on huge decisions, he or she needs to start grooming them by giving them small decisions that gradually become bigger. Situational Leadership can help you determine when to provide a heavy dose of guidance and when to let go.

3. The proper organizational structure -?

Distributed Leadership is facilitated by a flat, decentralized organizational structure with fewer layers of management and managers with broad responsibilities. Organizations that practice distributed Leadership develop processes that embed Leadership into their systems rather than allowing a small group at the top to lead alone.

4. Direction and values -?

A distributed leadership without a clear vision, mission, goals, and values can become anarchy and chaos. Leaders must ensure that there's a lot of Autonomy inside the company while still making decisions within boundaries that are clear.

Distributed Leadership is a relatively new addition to the corporate buzzword dictionary; however, what we've already learned over the years can offer valuable lessons about empowerment and delegation.