Guide · Models
Updated: 24 July 2026
Can you share a leadership position part-time? Yes – top-sharing makes it possible. How a shared leadership position works in practice, what employers and leaders gain, and what matters organisationally.
Contents
Terms sorted
- Job-sharing: general – two people share one position.
- Top-sharing: specific – two people share a leadership position.
- Part-time leadership: umbrella – includes a single person leading part-time.
How a shared leadership position works
Usually split by days or areas: one is there Monday to Wednesday, the other Wednesday to Friday, with an overlap day for handover. Three things are decisive: clean handovers so nothing is lost; clear availability so the team knows who to approach when; and an agreement on who decides what alone within their own time window. This is exactly the added value over HR blogs that only describe the concept: it’s the everyday details that decide whether it holds.
From my own experience: I led in a shared model myself. What surprised me most wasn’t the coordination effort but how much the team benefited from having two contacts with different strengths – provided we were united externally. That unity has to be organised; it doesn’t arise on its own.
What employers gain
- Access to qualified people who don’t want full-time leadership.
- Cover: if one is out, the other is up to speed.
- Retention of top performers who would otherwise leave.
- A broader skill profile in one position.
What leaders gain
- Leadership responsibility without full-time – compatible with other commitments.
- A sparring partner for difficult decisions.
- Shared load instead of constant pressure at the top.
Organisational questions
To clarify: position shares and contracts, remuneration, cover arrangements and objectives for two people. This can be solved cleanly, but should be arranged early and in writing.
This is not legal advice. Employment and remuneration details depend on the individual case and should be checked professionally.
The work-life balance aspect
Shared leadership opens leadership positions to people with caring responsibilities – a factual side effect that matters to many organisations. It’s one argument among several, not the core of the model.
Frequently asked questions
Is top-sharing the same as job-sharing?
Top-sharing is the leadership variant of job-sharing: two people share a leadership position.
How are the hours split?
Freely designed – often two part-time shares with an overlap day for handover. Together a little more than a full-time position.
Who carries responsibility in top-sharing?
Both jointly, by rules agreed in advance on who decides what alone in their own time window.
Does it work at every leadership level?
In principle yes. The higher the level, the more formal the decision rules should be. The model comparison places it.
Amrit Rescheneder
Amrit Rescheneder helps organisations and leadership tandems build shared leadership that works. She led in a job-sharing model herself for years – after 15 years of leadership responsibility in banking. She knows shared leadership from practice, not from textbooks.