Co-Leadership

We support leaders for the full co-leadership journey

Co-Leadership: A leadership structure where two or more individuals share executive authority and decision-making responsibilities

Webinar: Considering Co-Leadership

Sign up for a FREE webinar, to help you decide whether co-leadership investment and possibilities make sense for you and your organization.

This conversation is designed for sharing questions, thoughts, and aspirations—and provides a starting point for exploration of the co-leadership model. We encourage you to bring all decision makers to the conversation.

  1. Why co-leadership is increasing in popularity

  2. What co-leadership is

  3. Benefits and challenges of the model

  4. Recommended success factors

  5. What onboarding looks like

Onboarding: Moving Into Co-Leadership

When your organization and co-leaders are ready to be supported by a structured, research-based onboarding to sustain your co-leadership and create successful ongoing practice.

The Onboarding Experience:

Module 1: Introduction

Welcome to co-leadership onboarding! You’ll be introduced to co-leadership concepts, benefits, and best practices for initiating and practicing healthy co-leader partnerships; and meet the R-A-L-R model that will sustain your ongoing practice.

Module 2: The RALR Model

You’ll get a broad overview of the full cycle of co-leadership activities in the R-A-L-R model that you’ll return to as regular practice to sustain your co-leadership commitment to each other and the organization.

Module 3: Roles

You’ll focus on ROLE clarity as a critical foundation in the co-leader 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.

Module 4: Agreements

Explore a range of AGREEMENTS important to co-leaders, including the most critical -- trust contracts for decision making, conflict transformation, and consent.

Module 5: 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.

Module 6: Repeat

Learn how REPEAT creates the rhythm of practice and ongoing commitment, so co-leadership is not just a staffing structure, but the key to evolution.

Start Where You Are

  • New co-leaders starting their onboarding journey

  • Existing co-leaders that never onboarded and need a course-correct

  • Seasoned co-leaders seeking refresh and re-commitment

Co-leadership is growing in popularity as a way to distribute power and accountability; reduce burnout; and for some organizations, reject dominance systems and structures for more liberatory approaches.

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✺ 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 co-leadership journey as a learner and practitioner. This is a recommended best practice. Studies show that support (consultant, guide) is an important factor in the success of co-leadership.

  • 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 should be tailored to the needs and preferences of the co-leaders and organization. The following can be included in the onboarding experience.

    1. Weekly or bi-weekly learning sessions with co-leaders and their guide (consultant) moving through the 6-part co-leadership curriculum for 3-6 months.

    2. One-on-one executive coaching for each co-leader, during training or after training ends.

    3. Group executive coaching with both co-leaders, during training or after training ends.

    4. Quarterly check-ins with your executive coach as co-leaders move into regular practice on their own.

    5. On-call coaching sessions when co-leaders require more support.

  • Our onboarding process uses real-time challenges faced by co-leaders as part of the learning process. You can complete the onboarding curriculum in a short period of time, or a longer period, with different expectations:

    1. Three to six months— for weekly or bi-weekly training through a 6-part experience and practice with a consultant, using actual challenges and demands from your work life.

    2. Six to twelve months— the bi-weekly training followed by 1-1 or group coaching sessions.

    3. A 2-5 day retreat intensive covering all areas of training, followed by bi-weekly group coaching for 3-4 months.

    4. A 2-5 day retreat intensive followed by co-leader self-practice (not supported by a consultant).

    5. Co-leader self-facilitated onboarding using YNH training modules without consultant facilitation— at your own pace.

    6. Co-leader self-facilitated onboarding, on your own.

    Co-leaders and organizations should choose the onboarding that meets their needs and budget.

  • 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 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 yourself, or ask us to facilitate assessment for you.

    We can also offer a webinar for your group as an introduction to co-leadership, as a starting point.

  • Of course. However, studies show that co-leadership that starts with outside consulting support benefits from a strong foundation. Further, partnering with a guide is one determinant of co-leadership success.

  • While support can take on any form co-leaders require for sustaining their individual and collective work together, the following are support starting points:

    1. The board has committed to its role in supporting co-leaders and staff throughout the co-leadership.

    2. A consultant or guide has been secured to facilitate onboarding and practice support.

    3. Executive coaching is in place or offered to support co-leaders during their partnership.

    4. Scheduled reflection times are included for revisiting roles, agreements, and learning for liberatory practice.

Liberatory—An Evolving Definition: “The freedom to do things differently from a place of love and possibility for self and community.”