Chapter 14: Shared Leadership 2.0: A Glimpse into the State of the Field

In the past, the primary focal point of the study of leadership has been on single leaders at the top of organizations or teams: Their relationships to their followers, their styles of control, how productive groups are under their guidance, as well as various other individual, group, and organizational outcomes (Bass & Bass, 2008). Lately, there has been a movement away from simply focusing on the leader to an increased interest in understanding those around the leader (Pearce, 2008; Wassenaar, Pearce, Hoch, & Wegge, 2010; Yukl, 2002), the followers (Riggio, Chaleff & Lipman-Blumen, 2008; Uhl-Bien & Pillai, 2007), and how they interact with the leader and each other. This has opened a new avenue for conceptualizing leadership beyond that of a simple hierarchical role. Uhl-Bien (2006) points out that some of the key questions which will become part of the future research in leadership will be: “How are leadership relationships produced?” and just as importantly, “How do people work together to define their relationship?” It is these questions, and others, which will allow a more complete understanding of leadership and how it can continue to be a source of organizational strength and vigor.