Guide · Part-time
In briefLeadership in part-time is possible when the role is clearly tailored and well organised – as an individual in a reduced position or as top-sharing between two. Decisive are availability, deputising and dismantling the prejudice that leadership requires constant presence.
Contents
Is it even possible?
The most stubborn prejudice is: leadership needs constant presence. In truth leadership needs clarity, good decisions and reliability – none of which is tied to full-time. What makes part-time leadership harder is rarely the number of hours, but poor organisation and unclear availability.
Two paths to part-time leadership
Reduced individual position
One person leads part-time, with a clearly tailored scope and regulated deputising.
Top-sharing between two
Two people share the position. More resilience, but coordination and handover effort.
Making it work
- A realistically tailored scope – part-time is not full-time in fewer hours.
- Clearly regulated availability and deputising.
- Reliable handovers when shared between two.
- An environment that counts results, not presence.
Aus meiner Praxis
The most common mistake is simply squeezing a full-time role into fewer hours. That doesn’t work. Part-time leadership succeeds when the role is deliberately re-tailored – not when the same load should fit into less time.
In the public sector some special features apply – see Shared leadership in the public sector.
Frequently asked questions
Can you lead a large team part-time?
Yes, if the role is tailored and deputising is clear – or you share the position via top-sharing.
Does part-time leadership harm your career?
That depends on the organisational culture. Results-oriented organisations value impact, not hours.
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