The Comfort of Familiarity vs. The Challenge of Shared Leadership

What Do We Ask of Ourselves?

Friend link

In education, we often discuss the concepts of ownership, autonomy, and shared leadership. We want students to think critically, take responsibility, and collaborate with others. But when these principles are applied to our teams, resistance often arises. The difference between a “comfortable path” and “shared leadership” is not only structural; it’s about attitude, trust, and the willingness to learn together.

Photo by on

Laying the Groundwork for Shared Leadership

Leadership in education is not just a role, it’s a mindset. This applies to both teachers and students. Shared leadership means that responsibility is not concentrated in the hands of one individual but is distributed among the team. To make this work, we need education and formation and not just in technical skills, but primarily in mindset.

• Education is about knowledge and skills. How do we cultivate shared leadership? How do we create space for initiative and ownership?
• Formation is about attitude and awareness. How do we prevent falling back into old habits? How do we build trust within teams?

Biesta (2015) emphasizes that good education always involves a certain level of risk: if we…