What Happens When Leadership isn't Distributed

Flickr photo by Torrey Wiley

The 0-10 Indianapolis Colts lack of success should serve as a warning to all organizations that put their fate in the hands of a single person. Distributed leadership is needed to ensure sustained success. 

"In the knowledge economy, one of the most important risks companies must manage is the one related to team building. A strong team is not the one where a single person disproportionally influences the team's results. We treasure the project champion and team leaders, but if we want business continuity, there must be structures in place to ensure that the other members are ready to lead if the commander is not available." ~ Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Harvard Business Review

"If a company can't function without its lone star, it could be time to break that power silo and put others in positions to fail or succeed. It's imperative that the overall performance of the lone star is measured not just by job performance, but also by how he or she discovers and nurtures those who could become backups when necessary." ~ Ndubuisi Ekekwe, Harvard Business Review
Read the full article, What The Colts Can Teach Us about Team Building