Collaborative leadership distributes ownership across the team. Everyone becomes responsible for results, not just the boss. Photo: File.
May Busch reviews a better version of workplace leadership that passes the stress test, improves innovation and helps team members feel more engaged and empowered.
Are you stressed out as a leader? Working long hours, fielding constant demands, and shouldering the weight of leadership on your own?
While I always wanted to be the one in charge, there were times in my corporate career when I found myself wondering: “Is all this stress worth it?”
At first, I enjoyed being the one my team looked to, solving the problems and handling the crises. It made me feel needed and important. It gave me control over what was going on – but soon it started to feel more like a burden.
I was always on call, constantly thinking about the business and fighting fires. There were budget pressures and people issues, office politics and back-to-back meetings that left no time to think. Maybe you can relate?
Looking back, I realise it wasn’t the role that was exhausting, it was my leadership approach that was draining me.
That’s why I was so energised by bestselling author Keith Ferrazzi’s new book, Never Lead Alone. It gave language to what I’ve come to believe: there’s a better, more effective way to lead. It’s called collaborative leadership, and it’s a shift every leader can make.
Recently, I sat down with Keith to talk about Never Lead Alone. In it, he makes a compelling case for replacing traditional top-down leadership (the kind I was doing back in the day) with what he calls ‘’teamship’’.
This is a new model of collaborative leadership built on mutual accountability, candour, and co-creation. It’s not about doing less. It’s about leading differently. Sharing leadership does not diminish your authority; it multiplies your impact.
We talked about how to build high-performing teams; why ‘’buy-in’’ is broken (and what to do instead); how to design team culture through repeatable practices, and where artificial intelligence fits into the future of leadership.
Here are three takeaways from our conversation that can transform the way you approach leadership and help you avoid needless stress.
Let go of the hero model: When leaders try to do it all, they become the bottleneck.
Like the days when team members lined up outside my office, waiting for my feedback before they could take the next step. Keith calls this the ‘’hub and spoke’’ model: one central leader with the team orbiting around them. It’s outdated, inefficient, and exhausting.
Collaborative leadership distributes ownership across the team. Everyone becomes responsible for results, not just the boss.
Create a culture of candour: Most teams avoid conflict, and it’s holding them back.
Keith shared a simple but powerful practice, the candour break. Pause a meeting and ask: “What’s not being said right now that needs to be said?”
This is especially important when you have a team of nice people like ours. We’re more likely to waste time going too far down the wrong path because one of us didn’t express their doubts upfront.
Even better, break into pairs so people feel safer to speak up. As Keith says: “If you want a culture shift, turn it into an assignment.”
Collaborative leadership creates the psychological safety people need to be honest and productive.
Redesign collaboration itself: Keith introduced the ‘’stress test’’ as a better alternative to traditional status updates.
Instead of clicking through slides or recapping the whole process, the presenter shares three things: what we’ve achieved, where we’re struggling, and where we’re headed next.
Then team members respond, not to criticise, but to build it up. They offer risks, ideas, and support. This is collaborative leadership in action. Meetings become working sessions that move the ball forward.
When leaders shift to a collaborative model, teams feel more engaged and empowered; innovation improves because everyone contributes.
In addition, accountability rises as peers support and challenge each other and leaders finally have time to think strategically. It’s better for your team, your organisation, and you.
At a time when workplace hierarchies are flattening and managers’ spans of control widening, collaborative leadership is not just a nice idea; it is a necessity.
If leadership has started to feel like a lonely, thankless job, it’s time to rethink how you lead. Collaborative leadership is the future.
It starts with a few small shifts: try a candour break. Run your next team update as a stress test. You don’t need permission to lead differently.
The only question is: Will you take the first step?
If you’re ready to dive deeper, I highly recommend Keith’s book. It’s packed with practical strategies and real-world examples to help you lead more effectively and with less stress.
May Busch’s mission is to help leaders and their organisations achieve their full potential. She works with smart entrepreneurs and top managements to build their businesses. She can be contacted at [email protected]. This article first appeared on May’s blogsite.
