When you think about leadership, you probably picture a single figure calling the shots, right? While that approach may have worked in the past, the world of business has changed. In today’s fast-moving, connected world, leadership needs to be a team effort. That’s where collective leadership comes in—it’s all about sharing the load, and it’s key to building successful businesses and brands. Why is that and how does this relate to employee experience?
1. More Minds Lead to Better Ideas
No matter how smart or capable one person is, they can’t have all the answers. One department or team cannot truly be accountable for the whole employee experience either- it’s just far too broad for that. With collective leadership, you’re tapping into a range of ideas and perspectives from across the entire team. This opens the door to more creative thinking, better problem-solving and vastly improved co-creation. This, in turn, generates more well-rounded strategies and optimised (for the context and culture) employee experiences.
It’s simple—different people see things differently. Bringing in a group of leaders with diverse backgrounds and skills ensures you’re making smarter decisions. This helps keep your business agile and innovative, ready to tackle challenges from all angles. This is a point I made in a recent keynote speech for an organization with a remarkable team of +170,000 people around the world. Employee experience has roles for everyone to play.
2. Empowered Teams Perform Better
When people feel like their input matters, they bring their A-game. Collective leadership creates an environment where everyone feels valued and accountable for the company’s success. It’s about building a culture of collaboration where every voice is heard, not just the top leaders. A place where voices create tangible actions.
When your team knows leadership is shared, they’re more likely to take ownership of their work, come up with ideas, and go above and beyond. Plus, it spreads out the pressure at the top, so no single leader is overwhelmed—allowing everyone to focus on what they do best and create genuine, far-reaching moments that matter along the employee journey. Leaders are at the vanguard of this as the most important interactions within a business happen between leaders and their teams.
3. It Strengthens Your Brand
Collective leadership doesn’t just benefit your internal operations or the employee experience—it also boosts your brand and customer experience. Consumers today want to know who’s behind the brands they support. When leadership is transparent, it sends a clear message: this business is about more than just one person or just a vehicle for profit; it’s about shared values, teamwork and lasting success.
Customers appreciate authenticity, and showing that leadership is a collective effort reflects the world we live in. It also reinforces the idea that the brand is built on solid foundations, not just one person’s vision.
4. Adaptability is Key
The business world is always shifting. Whether it’s market changes, new technology, or unexpected events (like a global pandemic), businesses need to be able to adapt quickly. Collective leadership makes this easier because decision-making is shared across multiple leaders who can act in their areas of expertise and can respond to crisis points within the employee experience such as the cost of living crisis. Doing nothing is not an option, and the human experience needs to be factored into your organization’s leadership style and approaches.
Instead of waiting for one person to make all the calls, different leaders can step up and make decisions in real-time, keeping the company flexible and ready to pivot as needed based on the needs of their people at a given moment. Just because your employee experience meeting expectations today is no safeguard against the urgent changes that may well be required tomorrow. This adaptability is crucial for staying competitive and resilient.
5. It Helps Grow Future Leaders
Great leadership isn’t just about the present; it’s about building a pipeline for the future. When leadership is shared, it naturally creates opportunities for up-and-coming leaders to learn and grow. They can watch and work alongside more experienced leaders with different styles, gaining valuable insights along the way.
Collective leadership fosters an environment where leadership development happens organically because leaders are immersed in what matters most; people and performance. This ensures that when it’s time for someone to step into a bigger role, they’re fully prepared to take on the challenge, and not see the employee experience or leadership as a side-desk issue on top of their more important technical job. The people thing is the most important thing when it comes to leading well.
6. It Builds Long-Term Stability
Relying on one person for leadership creates risk. If that person leaves or burns out, the whole business could be left scrambling. Collective leadership spreads the responsibility across a team, ensuring the business stays strong and steady no matter who’s at the helm.
It also means smoother transitions when leadership changes. Because the company isn’t built around a single individual, leadership changes don’t disrupt the overall flow of the business. This kind of stability is key for long-term success when it comes to the employee experience strategy.
Employee Experience is a Team Sport
The idea of one person leading a company all by themselves is outdated. In today’s world, where things move fast and challenges come from every direction, leadership needs to be a team effort across the length and breadth of the employee experience.
Collective leadership leads to smarter decisions, a more engaged workforce, and a stronger brand. These are the reasons it is so vital to develop this as part of your approach to employee experience.
Ben Whitter is the author of the ground-breaking book, Employee Experience (2019).
Employee Experience Strategy (2023) and Human Experience at Work (2021) completed his experience trilogy, which was published globally by Kogan Page.
Following the success of his first book, Ben was named one of the top emerging management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50 in 2021, recognized for his "compelling" research on employee experience (EX). He was also nominated for the prestigious Distinguished Achievement Award in Talent. Ben is widely credited for pioneering and popularizing the concept of employee experience on a global scale. He shares his insights through keynote speeches, advisory services, coaching, and the global HEX Practitioner program, delivered through HEX Organization.
Ben's work has reached 18 million people, inspired the first EX conferences, and has been featured in publications including The Times, The Telegraph, Forbes, The Financial Times, The Economist, and MIT Sloan.
Ben Whitter is a prolific global speaker on human and employee experience topics and has introduced his ideas to audiences in more than 40 countries. He is a frequent advisor and strategic coach to the World's top companies and helps them to develop strategies that deliver exceptional business and human outcomes. In 2021 he was named as one of the Most Influential HR Thinkers by HR Magazine.
KEYNOTE SERVICES: To book Ben for a keynote speech (virtual or in-person) at your company, please contact us for availability.
COACHING & LEARNING: You can join the next public and virtual HEX Practitioner Programme here. 3 months access, live coaching and content on employee experience with Ben Whitter.