I have been interviewed, alongside Herminia Ibarra and Gianpiero Petriglieri, for a fascinating article by Stefan Stern, about the leadership challenges facing contemporary organizations.

In the 20th anniversary edition of Roland Berger's "Think Act" magazine, I argue that collective leadership, long practiced by many professional service firms, is an antidote to the mythology and wishful thinking that lie behind our fantasy of a leader as a "heroic soloist."

A world in polycrisis needs collective leadership. The big problems we face in our organizations right now are too complicated to be solved by individual leaders.  Yet we have a tendency to turn to "heroic" leaders in times of crisis. This is where populism draws its strength, because populists create a spurious sense of certainty.

But to address these complex challenges organizations need a complex coalition of colleagues: both nonhierarchical and multigenerational. This approach to leadership breaks down the old distinction between leaders and followers. And, as my research shows, many professional service firms have been practicing collective leadership effectively for many years.

As I argue in the article, "It is a world where everyone – and no one – is a leader. The future of work isn't out there, it is within us, and it has to be co-created."

For more on my work about collective leadership in professional organizations, and the polycrisis facing contemporary organizations, check out my website and series of articles in "Harvard Business Review".

And for my interviews with Herminia and Gianpiero check out my podcast series "Leading Professional People". Herminia's interview is Episode 3 of Series 1 and Gianpiero's interview is Episode 4 of Series 3.