Guide · Dual leadership
In briefA dual leadership is shared leadership at the top by two equal people, usually with separate portfolios. It offers more perspectives and resilience but requires clear responsibilities, a decision rule for disagreement and a united outward presence.
What defines a dual leadership
A dual leadership exists when two equal people jointly carry the highest responsibility – in management, on the board or in an area lead. Characteristic are two full roles (not one shared) and usually a split by portfolio.
Benefits & risks
- Two perspectives on strategic decisions.
- Shared load at an otherwise lonely top.
- Higher resilience in illness or departure.
- Power struggles when portfolios and final decision are unclear.
- Contradictory signals when the presence isn’t coordinated.
- Blockade when a rule for disagreement is missing.
Three tipping points where it’s decided
- The first strategic disagreement. Is there a rule, or is the power question raised?
- The first attempt to play you off. Do you react as a united front or split?
- The first crisis. Do you pull together or look for someone to blame?
Aus meiner Praxis
I’ve seen dual leaderships fail and succeed – the difference lay almost never in sympathy, but in whether these three tipping points had been thought through beforehand. Those who solve them only in the moment usually solve them badly.
Known patterns and archetypal cases are described in dual-leadership examples. For guiding a concrete dual leadership: dual-leadership coaching.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between dual leadership and a leadership tandem?
In a dual leadership each has a full role; in a tandem two people share one role.
Is a dual leadership permissible in a limited company?
Yes, multiple managing directors are legally common. The details of representation authority are set in the articles of association.
Why do dual leaderships fail?
Usually on unclear portfolios and a missing disagreement rule – rarely on the people themselves.
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