How to lead (with) your team

Shared leadership is a growing trend in the workplace. In fact, you may already be practicing this shared leadership without realizing it. If you or your co-workers have been pitching in more and doing duties not specifically assigned to you, you're sharing leadership. And if you're communicating openly with each other to do so, you're doing an even better job of sharing leadership.

Jsut what is shared leadership? The idea behind it goes against the traditional role of one person being in charge, doling out orders. Instead, it emphasizes team members distributing responsibilities among themselves. Shared leadership provides every team member with the chance to take charge, increasing leadership and, according to research, efficiency. Fellow J. Richard Hackman, professor of Social Organizational Psychology at Harvard University, has spent the past 10 years studying this concept, by researching patient care and top management teams. He says this new approach allows team members to operate at their full potential.

But shared leadership isn't for every team. Hackman says  team members must be a mature and bonded circle (click here to see if your staff is a real team or just a group). Team members also need to know each other's strengths and weakness to make it work. Big egos and separatists won't fly either. Team members must share a specific purpose or goal, Hackman says.

Regardless of where your team currently stands, you can always take a leading role. Click here to see how you can take charge of your career.