We are all, at some point, leaders. New research from the CIPD suggests that leadership at work should go wider than one or two elite people.
Philippa Lamb invites CIPD’s Claire McCartney, Advisor on Resourcing and Talent Planning, to explain this next strand of Shaping the Future research project and the watch-points of the new empowerment.
Claire also explains the difference between distributed leadership and plain, old-fashioned management, its pros and cons. Claire thinks that more distributed leadership could encourage trust in management and possibly mitigate risk.
Stewart Bromley, Head of People Experience at first direct, explains the sort of culture which encourages distributed leadership and helps employees take a stake in the future of the company. He disagrees with Steve Radcliffe that distributed leadership can be put in place throughout the organisation.
Steve Radcliffe is an author, consultant and coach. Having worked in a wide spectrum of organisations, Steve believes that distributed leadership should be a way of life, a life-skill for everyone in employment.
Dumfriess and Galloway NHS Board covers an enormous geographical area with four and a half thousand employees. Caroline Sharp, Director of HR and Workforce Strategy, explains that the hierarchical structure and complex communication methods were not working well. Listen to how she achieved a more empowered organisation to improve flexibility to allow staff to feel able to take decisions. She also tells us what she is planning to drive the project during the next year or two despite the future for the public sector looking less than rosy.
You can find out more about the speakers featured in this podcast by using the following link:
Useful links to more information
If you would like to read more about the latest strand of research in the Shaping the future project on distributed leadership:
The CIPD has produced more than 100 factsheets on different topics including some on leadership.
Claire mentioned the CIPD Labour market survey. If you would like to see this, follow the link:
Distributed leadership was said in the podcast to aid employee engagement. The CIPD has a subject page on employee engagement: