Co-Leader Onboarding
We support leaders for the full shared leadership journey
Co-Leadership: A leadership structure where two or more individuals share executive authority and decision-making responsibilities
Onboarding: Moving Into Co-Leadership
Onboarding can begin when your organization and co-leaders are ready to be supported by a structured, research-based onboarding to sustain your co-leaders and create successful ongoing practice.
The Onboarding Experience:
Introduction
Welcome to co-leadership onboarding! You’ll be introduced to shared leadership concepts, benefits, and best practices for initiating and practicing healthy partnerships; and meet the R-A-L-R model that will sustain your ongoing practice.
The RALR Model
You’ll get a broad overview of the full cycle of shared leadership activities in the R-A-L-R model that you’ll return to as regular practice to sustain your commitment to the partnership and the organization.
TM
Roles
Focus on ROLE clarity as a critical foundation in the partnership, and how to map co-leader roles for transparency. We'll introduce the liberatory framework, and explore topics with a traditional and liberatory lens, to observe the distinctive impact each approach brings.
Agreements
Explore a range of AGREEMENTS important to shared leadership, including the most critical -- trust contracts for decision making, conflict transformation, and consent.
Learning
Consider how roles create clarity, agreements create accountability, and co-learning creates evolution. LEARNING protects shared power over time, and maintains the liberatory framework for your co-leadership practice.
Repeat
Learn how REPEAT creates the rhythm of practice and ongoing commitment, so shared leadership is not just a staffing structure, but the key to evolution.
✺ Frequently asked questions ✺
-
Onboarding creates intentionality around trust and transparency, turning assumptions into stated commitments. Co-leadership onboarding is not a class. It is an immersive experience moving through discussions that help with trust, transparency, and alignment needed to work together and lead your community — to make commitments that help build a strong relationship. Waiting to deal with trust, transparency, and alignment issues later when they rise as problems, is what often derails co-leaders. Studies show that co-leaders have a better chance of success when they are supported from the start.
-
A consultant frees you and your co-leader from the facilitator role so you can immerse yourself in the shared leadership journey as a learner and practitioner.
Studies show that support (consultant, guide) is one of the most important factors in the success of co-leadership. It is also mentioned in hindsight as what co-leaders wish they would have had for their onboarding.
-
Onboarding is not a class. It is a process of co-leaders learning, discussing, and practicing together the many elements that build trust, transparency, and alignment, with the support of a guide or facilitator.
Onboarding can be tailored to the needs and preferences of the co-leaders and organization. The following can be included in the onboarding experience.
Learning sessions with co-leaders and their guide (consultant) moving through the co-leadership areas of practice.
One-on-one executive coaching for each co-leader, during and after onboarding.
Group executive coaching with both co-leaders, during and after onboarding.
Quarterly check-ins with your executive coach as co-leaders move into regular practice on their own.
On-call coaching sessions when co-leaders require more support.
-
Your organization decides what timing and depth works best, from short intensive to ongoing support. Examples include:
1. Three to six months— for weekly or bi-weekly learning and practice with our consultant through a 6-part program and real work-life practice.
2. Six to twelve months— bi-weekly sessions along with 1-1 and group coaching sessions.
3. A 5-day (half days) week intensive covering all learning modules, followed by bi-weekly group coaching for three months.
4. A multi-day retreat intensive followed by on-call coaching support.
-
The cost depends on the level of support, length of time support is needed, and how many co-leaders are part of your group. We can provide estimates and options after learning more in a discovery call.
-
We can provide an assessment tool for your Board of Directors, and your co-leaders, to help you determine your readiness for adopting a co-leadership model. Self-assessment is a helpful start, whether you do it on your own, or ask us to facilitate assessment for you. We also host a (free) webinar as an introduction to co-leadership, as a starting point.
-
Of course. However, studies show that shared leadership that starts with outside consulting support benefits from a stronger foundation. Partnering with a guide is one determinant of co-leadership success.
-
While support can take on many forms for sustaining shared work models, the following are support starting points:
The board has been educated on shared leadership and has committed to its role in supporting leaders and staff throughout the shared leadership journey.
A consultant or guide has been secured to facilitate onboarding and practice.
Executive coaching is offered to support co-leaders throughout their partnership, recognizing that ongoing needs differ from traditional leadership.
Scheduled reflection times are included in ongoing co-leader liberatory practice for revisiting roles, agreements, and learning.
-
Yes. We use it in our onboarding because liberatory leadership goes beyond traditional leadership to:
Prevent domination, invisibility, and burnout
Make power visible and leadership humane
Clarify authority, responsibility, and care
Protect dignity under pressure
Address “emotional labor”
Leverage conflict for transformation
Prioritize reflection and repair — key for liberatory leadership
Our liberatory approach also distinguishes our support from other traditional consultation.