“How good and pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one!” (Psalm 133:1)

Collaborative leadership can be challenging and at times, messy, but it is crucial.

A collaborative leader emphasizes teamwork, a community that fosters mutual support and empowerment, and interaction between team members. They do not use intimidation and manipulation as a means of motivating people toward goals. Rather, their leadership style encourages strong relationships through coaching, conflict management, commitment building, needs satisfaction, and the modeling of core principles. The effective collaborative leader is receptive and responsive to the problems her team faces.

As one of my fellow Catholic Women in Business writers reflects, effective leaders learn to lead collaboratively through “embracing the spirit of collaboration [which] is not a sign of weakness but a reflection of strength and wisdom.” She goes on to share that as Catholic women in business, “recognizing the power of working together can lead to meaningful partnerships and strategic alliances that foster growth and mutual success.”

Here, we will discuss a few principles of collaborative leadership.

Five Principles

Rather than using the model of competitive (top-down) leadership, collaboration is horizontal and each member of the organization understands that her actions affect the entire group. In order to collaborate effectively, team members should work in partnership across boundaries rather than fall into a silo mindset.

In his book Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership, Craig E. Johnson explains five principles for making collaborative leadership work successfully:

• First, the leader must encourage intergroup contact through active listening and bringing diverse teams together. 

• Second, an effective collaborative leader must foster trust among the members of the group. 

• Third, she must encourage team members to see themselves as part of a larger organization, through outlining a shared vision and emphasizing the importance of coordination. 

• Fourth, the effective collaborative leader brings everyone together by creating intergroup relational identity. 

• Fifthand finally, she must confront and challenge negative attitudes and foster positive attitudes instead.

As you can see, collaborative leadership encourages the leader to embrace an organizational structure that involves all parties, encourages consensus through conveying the importance of each individual’s contribution, and promotes respect for all team members.

Catholic Social Teaching: A Helpful Framework

Catholic women in business are naturally positioned to espouse a collaborative leadership mindset, particularly when we’re aware of the principles of Catholic social teaching (CST). CST can be a useful framework for developing a collaborative leadership approach because it holds that the dignity of every human being is at the core of all effective work in organizations. In addition, the principle of participation promotes the common good and well-being of each individual, while the principle of association encourages the growth of all work associates. These principles are clearly aligned with a collaboration mentality at work, in which each person is appreciated for the value of their contribution to the organization, as well as for their individuality.

Jesus was a charismatic leader who encouraged collaboration among His followers. He did not encourage competition among His apostles and disciples, as evidenced by James and John arguing about who would sit on His left and His right (Mk. 10:35-45). He was open to interactions with women, as evidenced by His relationships with Martha and Mary (Lk. 10:38-42). He valued right relationships with everyone, as evidenced by His willingness to forgive His torturers from the Cross (Lk. 23:34).

Our Catholic faith calls us to be collaborative in our leadership style because it is respectful and encouraging of constituents, whether they are employees or vendors. This type of leadership is often messy because it does not allow us to gravitate toward an old paradigm of competitive leadership, which has winners and losers.

Imagination and Flexibility

An effective leader must recognize when an important need within the organization is not being met and have the courage and imagination to do something different than what previously had been done. The leader must look at the situation critically and use patience and perseverance, not expecting to achieve positive results on the first try. 

A collaborative work environment is a welcome change from the corporate cultures that are so dominant in today’s culture, where competition is what drives growth and success. In today’s changing world, collaborative leadership provides space for all team members to succeed. It appreciates and truly sees each person not just for their contributions to the business, but for who they are.

Kate Walsh-Soucheray, Ed.D., M.A. Theology, M.A. Marriage and Family Therapy, LMFT, Emeritus, is a wife of 42 years, a mother of three adult, married children, and grandmother of six beautiful, active grandchildren. She is a former Catholic high school Religion teacher and a former Christian Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Dr. Walsh-Soucheray writes a monthly column for the Catholic Spirit, the Archdiocesan newspaper of Minneapolis and St. Paul, called Simple Holiness. She is now retired and writes and speaks for Catholic women’s groups, Cana Dinners, and leads retreats for Catholic groups about integrating holiness into our everyday lives. Find her daily reflection and encouragement for Catholic women on LinkedIn.