The concept of “two-in-a-box” leadership has been examined extensively over the past few years. One of the most thorough discussions is in the HBR article The Leadership Team: Complementary Strengths or Conflicting Agendas. CEO/COO teams or “Office of the President” arrangements can offer great strengths, but may also introduce some sizeable risks, as Stephen A. Miles and Michael D. Watkins conclude.
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In our own company, Fishbowl, we took the approach to a new level 2 ½ years ago. We create leadership teams not only for our top jobs, but for every management position in the company.
A bit of background: Fishbowl is the result of a somewhat rocky beginning. We became involved with the company, which produces inventory software, in 2004 when one of us (David) was sent by the prior majority investor to shut the fledgling company down. Instead, seeing the potential in the product and commitment of employees, we came up with financing to buy out the investor and keep the company operating. By the end of 2006 we had created the #1 most requested inventory software for use with QuickBooks and were solidly profitable.
After several years of solid operations, in January of 2010 we decided to put together pairs of people for all management jobs. We did this for several reasons: We knew that maintaining our exceptionally high growth rate would be increasingly difficult and wanted to prepare leaders from within to address those new challenges. We wanted to put our highest focus on the development of our people, and to cultivate their highest creativity and thinking, in addition to our focus on the development of our product and sales.
A lot of people thought we were crazy. Soon after we made the move, the economy was deep into the recession, and most companies had to reduce headcount to cut costs. Instead, we were adding managers and creating intentional redundancies. How could we justify it?
In fact, in our experience, the benefits of our approach have exceeded the not inconsequential costs. Here are just a few of the upsides:
•No hierarchy. We’ve flattened everything out. Every person is a leader, paired with another and supported by a team.
•Personal growth. We’ve allowed twice as many people to have leadership opportunities – an inherent succession plan that has resulted in strong employee growth in addition to company and revenue growth.
•More creative outcomes. We’ve chosen our pairs carefully – we align paired leaders for maximum contrast in thinking and analytical styles. For example, our product management leads include one partner who is “left brained” and one who is “right brain” dominant. One is linear in his style; the other creative. The result is a manifestation of true synergy.
Are there disadvantages to paired leadership? In the initial stages, yes:
•Tapping two people to fulfill one role requires a lot of resources. There’s no question our payroll is higher because of our paired leadership strategy. However, in our experience the creativity and testing that goes into every program or key decision creates a net savings over the longer term.
•Some of the individuals who get paired don’t particularly like each other. We had an instance like this. We have a culture where people are very open (though not disrespectful). Two of the key individuals we partnered cornered us with persistent questions. What if we can’t agree? Who arbitrates? What if one partner is holding the other one back? Ultimately, they adapted. At present, it’s fair to say that if we changed the model, the majority of our team would be extremely disappointed, because they’ve come to appreciate the shared responsibility model.
•What about succession when the time comes that one of the teamed partners is promoted and the other is not, or one of the team members is gone? In our own company we have created a culture that is vastly different than the typical corporate environment. Our turnover is near zero. But when a leader does find his or her place elsewhere, we still have a leader in place. We can develop and assign a new partner and we generally don’t miss a beat.
One of the greatest benefits of paired leadership that Fishbowl enjoys is that a trusted partner can provide essential feedback that helps to keep egos and guesswork in check.
We also believe that what we call the The Five Non-Negotiables must be present for a paired leadership program to work: Respect, belief, trust, loyalty, and commitment. We test all decisions against these characteristics. Paired leadership is so fundamental to our management style we would never consider going back. Two really good leaders – together – produce great outcomes consistently. Our company is thriving, and we have personally fulfilled employees who produce out-of-the-box initiatives every month. Perhaps it could work for your business as well. We welcome your thoughts.
Business In A Box Vs Others
You’ve undoubtedly heard that it’s a good thing to think outside the box. But what exactly does that mean, why is it a good thing and how can it benefit your career?
Thinking outside the box simply means that you’re willing to consider different solutions and methods for reaching your desired outcome. That is to say: You want to get from point A to point B, but you don’t necessarily need or want to take the tried and true route to get there.
Thinking differently can have a powerful and positive effect on your career. As an entrepreneur, here’s why you need to think outside the box and how it can help you get ahead:
Questioning the status quo is a good thing.
If everyone just accepted things the way they are, then there would never be any innovation or improvement in the world. If Thomas Edison had shrugged and figured things were good enough the way they were with gas lamps, light bulbs and the electricity to power them might never have been developed. If he hadn’t thought outside the box, the world could be a very dim (literally) place.
If you view things as unchangeable, then nothing will ever change for the better. By thinking outside the box and questioning the status quo, you’ll constantly be considering how you could improve an experience, product or service. This allows you to keep growing -- and can lead to intelligent and forward-thinking decisions in business.
Related: 6 Ways to Think Outside the Box When Marketing Your Small Business
Greater perspective.
The world can become very small if you’re close-minded. Thinking outside the box can expand your worldview, allowing you to have greater perspective on the events and happenings in your career (and in life). When you’re willing to consider alternative points of view and ways of doing things, you’ll be more open to a variety of different points of view and potential solutions.
A greater perspective can make you more receptive to different ideas, which means that you won’t be limited by a small worldview. When you’re open to limitless possibilities, the possibilities are endless!
Higher-quality work.
Super-successful companies have a different approach to company culture. For instance, consider the fashion retailer Zappos. It offers employee perks like free food, complimentary wellness services and even an on-site shoeshine service.
On the one hand, it would be easy to dismiss these things as a waste of money and a threat to the company’s bottom line. However, they take the long view. They see that by offering these benefits and perks, they attract and retain better employees. Happy and healthy employees tend to be more productive, loyal and harder-working.
By thinking outside the box with their company culture, they ultimately get a better caliber of employee and work, which makes it well worth the expenditure they put out with these offerings.
Related: Stop Trying to Think Outside the Box and Think More Strategically in the Box
More creative problem-solving.
When you’re thinking in the box as opposed to outside of it, your career growth can be stunted. When there are a finite number of ways that things can be done also means that there is a limit to what you can achieve.
Alternatively, when you think outside the box, suddenly there are many more possibilities and opportunities. When you allow for any and every possible solution, you may in fact end up coming up with more creative ways to solve problems.
Consider Netflix, for instance. By dreaming up an alternative to the standard video store template with rentals and late fees, they were able to create a worldwide sensation. What creative solutions could you come up with if you think outside the box?
It helps you stand out.
Why be a face in the crowd when you were born to stand out? When you are able to approach your business and career from an out-of-the-box point of view, you are in essence allowing yourself to think differently.
The ability to think outside the box can be an asset to you as an individual or as a business. Professional leaders and pioneering companies know this very well. One famous example? Behemoth tech company Apple, which has built its career on this key principle: “Think different.'
Moral of the story? Don’t be afraid to be different, because it can separate you from competitors and help you stand out in a good way.
Related: 5 Ways to Make Your Personal Branding Statement Stand Out
Stay adaptable.
Whether you’re a writer, a trader or the founder of a food truck, one thing is certain: Your career will change over time. Technology, people’s tastes and all sorts of other factors are constantly evolving, and you’ll need to be able to change in kind to remain relevant.
Black Business In A Box
For example, as a teacher, I have to constantly keep evolving to remain current. If I didn’t evaluate and alter my techniques with the changing times, I’d quickly become a dinosaur in my field.
Perhaps one of the most profound effects of thinking outside the box is that it will help you stay adaptable. Your mind won’t be closed off to new ideas or solutions or situations, and therefore you’ll be better able to navigate the ever changing landscape of business.