Guide · Research
In briefResearch on shared leadership shows predominantly positive links with team effectiveness and performance. A meta-analysis by Wang, Waldman and Zhang (2014) confirms this effect, especially for complex tasks. The evidence is solid but context-dependent.
What research shows
Shared leadership is among the better-researched newer leadership concepts. Across numerous studies, a positive relationship appears between shared leadership and the effectiveness of teams – stronger for complex, knowledge-intensive tasks and in teams with high interdependence.
Key studies
- Pearce & Conger (2003) shaped the modern term and the research field with their edited volume.
- Carson, Tesluk & Marrone (2007) showed in the Academy of Management Journal under which conditions shared leadership emerges and how it relates to performance.
- Wang, Waldman & Zhang (2014) summarised the evidence in a meta-analysis in the Journal of Applied Psychology: a robust positive effect on team effectiveness, moderated by task complexity.
Limits of the evidence
Important for an honest reading: the effect is positive, but not automatic. It depends on context factors – task, team, maturity of collaboration. For dual leaderships at the very top of companies specifically, robust data is thinner than for teams. Anyone arguing “studies prove” should mention this nuance.
Aus meiner Praxis
I use research as a tailwind, not as a burden of proof. It confirms what I see in practice: shared leadership works – when the structure is right. The reverse holds just as much.
Frequently asked questions
Is shared leadership scientifically proven?
The positive link with team effectiveness is well supported across several studies and a meta-analysis – context-dependent, not automatic.
Are there figures for specific countries?
Data varies by region. Robust local statistics should be checked case by case.
Sources & further reading
- Pearce, C. L. & Conger, J. A. (2003): Shared Leadership. Reframing the Hows and Whys of Leadership. Sage.
- Carson, J. B., Tesluk, P. E. & Marrone, J. A. (2007): Shared Leadership in Teams. Academy of Management Journal, 50(5), 1217–1234.
- Wang, D., Waldman, D. A. & Zhang, Z. (2014): A meta-analysis of shared leadership and team effectiveness. Journal of Applied Psychology, 99(2), 181–198.
How this article was written
This article is based on my own experience as a leader in a job-sharing model and 15 years of leading in banking, as well as the established research on shared leadership (see sources). Where I speak from practice, it is marked as such.
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.
Updated: 25 July 2026