Shared leadership

This chapter examines the theoretical underpinnings of shared leadership and highlights two alternative perspectives on how shared leadership is discussed in the literature. The importance of social network theory in explaining patterns of influence between team members is then emphasised, particularly the ideas of centralisation and network density as capturing the characteristics of social ties in a team. The chapter highlights more developments in applying social exchange theory to explain why team members may be open to reciprocal influence. It also examines of the empirical evidence that exists regarding the effects of shared leadership on both team effectiveness and team performance. Shared leadership, is facilitated by an internal team environment that consists of three mutually reinforcing and complementary dimensions: shared purpose, social support, and voice. The chapter concludes with a number of interventions that might be used to help support shared leadership within organisations.