ABSTRACT
Co-leadership is a strategically conceived leadership structure that includes two or more individuals at the top, known more broadly as plural leadership. It supports the integration of pluralistic objectives typically found in arts organizations. Audiences, funders, and artists form a triangle of stakeholders that defines and shapes the role space in which co-leadership functions. Frequently, these co-leaders are mandated by either a board of directors or a funding governance entity. Some scholars confuse this phenomenon with the idea of shared or distributed leadership, which are more emergent versions of plural leadership within groups or through delegation. This collaboration among one or several artists and a manager provides a full set of skills and competencies that respond to the values within the triangle around co-leadership. However, this configuration has been criticized. Traditional leadership and management scholars argue that multiple perspectives embedded in this arrangement prevent the creation of a clear leadership vision: Too much confusion, conflict, and, as a result, ambiguity. It undermines effective leadership. On the other hand, arts management scholars argue that professional – or artistic – autonomy is threatened when executive leadership is shared with a manager. This book explores many perspectives on how to lead arts organizations as one.
