Co-Leadership

Jobsharing und Co-Leadership – Modern leadership models

co-leadership

In an increasingly complex world, leaders must excel in multiple roles – as coach, strategist, and team player. Job sharing and Co-Leadership are innovative leadership strategies that help both companies and leaders meet these challenges. These models enable the combination of diverse skills and the targeted use of individual strengths.

For companies, Job Sharing in leadership offers the opportunity to implement modern and flexible structures that enhance efficiency and creativity within teams. Shared leadership, also known as tandem leadership, encourages smarter solutions through diverse perspectives and accelerates progress through shared responsibilities.

Leaders who want to work differently benefit from job sharing and Co-Leadership by sharing responsibility and further developing their leadership skills. This approach offers a balance between professional responsibility and personal development, resulting in improved work-life balance.

By implementing job sharing and tandem leadership, both organizations and managers can benefit from the advantages of this modern leadership approach and develop an innovative, effective, and sustainable shared leadership culture.

Eine kreative Illustration mit dem Wort 'DARE TO LEAD DIFFERENT' in großen, weißen Buchstaben auf einem blauen Hintergrund. Das Design ist modern und minimalistisch gestaltet.

What does Co-leadership actually mean?

Co-leadership, also known as tandem leadership or shared leadership, is a flexible working model in which two individuals jointly take responsibility for a team, project, or topic. This responsibility is divided through job sharing, so that both managers are equally involved in strategic and operational decisions. This also includes leading employees.

Other terms for Co-leadership are tandem leadership, top sharing, dual leadership, or plural leadership. By adopting job sharing in leadership, organizations and leaders can benefit from the many advantages of this modern leadership model.

Co-leadership and job sharing: Future-proof leadership models

Co-leadership relieves pressure on leaders, improves decision-making, and strengthens your corporate culture – exactly what companies need today to remain future-ready. Job sharing in leadership enables shared responsibility and the ability to leverage the strengths of two leaders to their fullest potential.

Frequently asked questions about job sharing and Co-leadership

Stefanie Junghans, Expertin für moderne Führung & Co-Leadership, hört aufmerksam zu, während Teilnehmende Fragen stellen – eine interaktive, inspirierende Atmosphäre entsteht.

  • Job sharing and Co-eadership offer many advantages, for both companies and leaders:

    • More time for strategic leadership through shared responsibility

    • Broader skill set to better meet the expectations of clients, porject partners, and other stakeholders

    • Structured division of tasks allows for strength-based collaboration

    • Ongoing sparring and peer consulting within the leadership tandem

    • Better decision-making through diverse perspectives

  • Companies have several levers to successfully implement an innovative leadership model such as tandem leadership. These include the following aspects:

    • Openness within the company to shared leadership

    • Advertise roles explicitly as job sharing or Co-leadership positions

    • Build the necessary infrastructure

    • Ensure appropriate budget

    • Seek external support where needed

  • Ready to take your next career step in shared leadership? Congratulations! Here's how to begin:

    • Find a tandem partner through networks, job boards, or internal channels

    • Form a tandem and plan your joint leadership journey

    • Submit a joint application with a clear job-sharing model

    • Convince the interviewer

    • Start together, iterate, and grow as a team

Ready to start with Co-leadership?

Let’s get started!

Buchcover von Co-Leadership (Stefanie Junghans & Janina Schönitz) – ein inspirierendes Werk über moderne Führung, Zusammenarbeit und geteilte Verantwortung, gestaltet in Blau und Gelb.

Want to learn more about job sharing and Co-leadership?

Together with Janina Schönitz, I wrote the book "Co-Leadership: Job Sharing as the Answer to a Changing Work of Work".

„Greater flexibility, better decisions, and lower risk of failure — these are just some of the many benefits of Co-leadership, according to Janina Schönitz and Stefanie Junghans. The two authors are experienced co-leaders themselves and have created a clear and practical guide for leaders and organizations looking to implement this form of job sharing. Ten interviews with successful leadership tandems demonstrate the wide range of possibilities. A book that dispels common misconceptions and inspires people to try out more flexible working models“
— getabstract