Many leaders believe they’re “sharing leadership” when in reality, they’re just delegating tasks.
Delegation is necessary — but it’s transactional. It shifts the workload.
Distributed leadership is transformational. It shifts the ownership.
And in today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) world, ownership beats obedience every time.
Delegation vs. Distributed Leadership
Here’s the difference in simple terms:
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Delegation: “Here’s what to do and how I want it done.”
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Distributed Leadership: “Here’s the outcome we need — how do you want to approach it?”
One creates followers.
The other creates leaders.
The Payoff of Shared Leadership
Deloitte’s research found that shared leadership leads to a 32% boost in team agility.
Why? Because when leadership is distributed:
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Decisions happen closer to the work.
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Innovation multiplies because more brains are activated.
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Accountability deepens because people own outcomes, not just tasks.
Instead of bottlenecking through you, leadership flows through the team.
What It Looks Like in Practice
As a leader, shifting from command to catalyst means:
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Giving Permission – Say explicitly: “You don’t need me to sign off. I trust your judgment.”
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Coaching Instead of Telling – Ask: “What’s your approach?” instead of “Here’s what I’d do.”
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Creating Safety for Risk – Make it safe to experiment — and learn out loud when things don’t go to plan.
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Celebrating Ownership – Recognise when team members step up to lead — and spotlight their impact.
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