Characteristics of a collaborative leader

The ability to balance leadership and management with facilitation and guidance is essential for collaborative managers, who are committed to implementing a group approach while maintaining a leadership perspective. It's common practice for managers who work well together to:

1. Inspire trust 

Both the leader and the followers must have faith in one another. The most effective leaders in teams work hard to gain their colleagues' trust by being transparent, giving them responsibility, and encouraging their ideas.

2. Motivate with positivity 

Good leaders inspire their teams to work together. Collaborative leaders aim to drive their staff to do their best work by utilizing positive reinforcement and incentives rather than mistrust and dread, as is the case with some other leadership styles.

3. Delegate responsibilities 

While collaborative leaders focus on reaching a consensus and encouraging open dialogue among team members, they also recognize that each member brings something special to the table. By distributing work based on each team member's unique set of skills, a collaborative leader encourages everyone on the team to use those skills to the fullest.

4. Communicate clearly 

A leader who is able to work well with others must have excellent communication skills. The collaborative leader needs to be able to set the stage for meetings, especially when they are looking for input or feedback, and then gather and analyze the data that their team gives.

5. Takes risks 

Leaders who work well with others tend to be brave. They inspire their team members to attempt new things and come up with creative solutions by cultivating a community and atmosphere based on mutual respect and originality.

Leaders who are able to work well with others are willing to risk losing some productivity in the search of new and novel solutions.

6. Solve problems 

A collaborative leader must have a foundational understanding of the industry and the organization's objectives in order to effectively steer their teams. Knowing how to take that information and use it to structure smart talks and implement creative decisions is crucial.

7. Believe in transparency 

Open communication is essential for leaders who foster teamwork. They want their employees' opinions and ideas, so they must provide them with enough knowledge about corporate KPIs and goals so that they may make educated judgments.