How a Leader Leads Leaders

We recently held our annual Partners Forum here at Johns Hopkins Medicine International, in which leaders from our dozens of collaborating institutions around the world come to Baltimore to share ideas on improving health status and health care delivery. It's always a lively, stimulating week, leaving everyone with new perspectives on their challenges and new approaches to solving them.

But the success of the Forum also leads to an important question: How can I, as an organizational leader who is working with my counterparts at many other organizations, best facilitate collaboration and mutual support among all of us on an ongoing basis, and not just once a year? Or more simply put: How should a leader lead leaders?

It's a question that affects not only leaders who are influencers in a network of other organizations, but also leaders who work with fellow leaders in their own organization--for example, a division head who interacts closely with the heads of other divisions in the same parent company. Being effective in these situations calls for an approach to leadership that can differ quite a bit from the methods used in heading up a team of direct reports.

I've found there are three basic ways to structure an effective relationship in which an influential leader can lead other leaders in a collaborative group. Choosing the right approach can be critical both to effective group interactions and to individual success.

The super-leader. In a super-leader structure, one leader takes a certain amount of direct control of the collaboration, essentially mirroring a traditional, hierarchical management structure. When Johns Hopkins Medicine first started engaging in international health care collaborations with other institutions 15 years ago, we took this approach, assuming health care organizations in other countries would want to be "taught" by us. It was a bad idea. We learned these hospitals had as much to teach us, and each other, as we did them.

The hub and spoke. This structure sets up one leader as the hub and creates the connectivity to all of the other leaders in the network. The hub leader doesn't call the shots, and any leader in the group can collaborate with any other leader--but only through the facilitation of the hub leader. Our collaborative, global group of hospitals has mostly operated this way for the past 15 years, with Johns Hopkins serving as the hub. It has been effective, but as it has grown, it is clear that it doesn't do enough to encourage frequent interaction between other leaders.

The collaborative web. The collaborative web structure is a true peer-to-peer approach, in which any leader can freely and directly collaborate with any other leader. No one leader has special influence or constant involvement. We're moving toward a collaborative web structure in our collaborative network. That means our stepping down a bit from a more central role, and instead focusing on removing as much friction as possible from the collaborative network to allow it to function even more openly.

If you trust your fellow leaders, as I trust mine, the collaborative web is the way to go. Sometimes less leadership is more.

Paul Brunberg, CD, MBA, pcsc

Program Director - Operational and Strategic Planning at Canadian Forces College

10y

The Collaborative Web seems to be the most effective model. That said, in my experience, where a group of peers has come together, an unofficial leader emerges from the group. It may be his/her "command presence", in-depth knowledge of issues, reputation amongst his/her peers, whatever may be the cause; but they emerge and the others defer to their lead. They are essentially first among equals. I think it is simple human nature derived from evolution that we do this. Conflict of opinion occurs and is usually an ever-present tension, but it does not detract the group from dealing with issues at hand and collaborating towards solutions. A sense of teamwork is ingrained in leaders and usually trumps any conflict that may cause hurdles. To those who are not the unoffical leader, it could be a simple step-back to a form of followership that motivates them to defer leadership to another and simply contribute to the group with less pressure - albeit a small change only in the group I'm talking about.

Like
Reply
Paritosh Chandr, SM ★★★

Sr. Area Sales Manager at K7 Computing Pvt. Ltd

10y

How a Leader Leads Leaders.........!!!!

Like
Reply
Tom Schurman

Chief Strategy Officer, making a positive difference by organizing, inspiring, and elevating organizations to thrive in high-growth environments.

10y

I enjoyed this perspective and the defined approaches. While describing leaders of institutions, this translates well to department heads, or any group of managers where ownership and accountability are cleanly delegated. The three approaches can also be viewed as stages of evolution, where the collaborative web is the desired goal. First, someone must lead and/or organize the group into a unified vision. Second, the culture must foster collaboration, mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual support; hub and spoke can help cultivate this environment. Finally, politics and self-interest can create immense challenges, and thus must be surrendered for the whole to operate as a true collaborative web where leaders can help serve each other to realize the vision.

Like
Reply
Abram Kebonemodisa Gontse M.I.S(SA)

Director: Kebone Security Consultants (PTY) LTD

10y

Interesting angle of thought, thanks for sharing......

Like
Reply
Holly Katko

Leadership and Management Development | Sales and Customer Service Training | Strategic Planning/Operations Manuals + Facilitator = Business and Franchise Growth!

10y

The collaborative structure is critical in another aspect, it involves an important part of the needs of leaders - recognition. There will be more involvement when leaders are recognized for their contributions. If the contributions are going through a central hub, the recognition tends to get watered down. Promoting more leader contributions leads to stronger leadership and accomplishing the organizations goals.

To view or add a comment, sign in

Insights from the community

Explore topics