As leaders, we often have an innate drive to maintain control and protect our influence within an organization. However, collaboration is key to empowering teams and achieving success in today's complex business environment.
Today we will explore how leaders can overcome territorial instincts and foster a more collaborative culture by developing shared understanding, building trust, and empowering others.
Defining Collaboration and Territorial Instincts
Before delving into strategies, it is important to define key terms. Collaboration refers to a process where people work together, share knowledge and skills, to solve problems or create something of value (Wood & Gray, 1991). In contrast, territorial instincts stem from basic human desires for safety, security and status (Brown et al., 2014). On a primal level, territorial behavior serves to protect resources, standing and identity within a group. However, in organizations this can manifest as unwillingness to share information or responsibilities with others (Bailey & Ruozzi, 2019).
Developing Shared Understanding through Knowledge Sharing
One pathway to overcoming territorial instincts is developing shared understanding through knowledge sharing. Research shows that when people have a common ground of knowledge, they are more willing to cooperate (Adams & Anantatmula, 2010). Leaders must proactively share information to build this common ground. For example, at ANZ Bank leaders hold "coffee chats" where different divisions informally share project updates and lessons learned (Hart, 2016). This increases understanding across silos and spotlights synergies. Leaders can also have "knowledge fairs" where teams present what they do to foster familiarity and connection throughout the larger organization. At Microsoft, knowledge sharing through internal websites and forums helps eliminate information asymmetries that breed territorial behavior (Mutch, 2013).
Building Trust through Participatory Decision Making
Another evidence-based strategy is building trust through participatory decision making (Costa et al., 2018). When leaders make others feel included in influential discussions and decisions, it fosters a sense that their well-being is also being looked after. This relieves territorial instincts rooted in insecurity. For instance, at Capital One leaders hold regular "town hall" meetings where any employee can submit a question that is anonymously answered by the CEO (Friedman, 2014). Similarly, at LinkedIn product launches are only greenlit after getting buy-in from cross-functional teams (Reinhardt & Gurchiek, 2016). Early participation builds trust that others' perspectives are valued rather than seeing them as a threat.
Empowering Through Delegation and Support
A third strategy is empowering others through responsible delegation and support (Kegan & Lahey, 2016). When leaders share power and responsibilities versus micromanaging everything themselves, it signals confidence in others' abilities versus insecurity in losing influence. For instance, 3M encourages managers to "hire people who are smarter than you are, then get out of their way" (Cook, 2014). Similarly, at Starbucks store managers are empowered to make many day-to-day decisions themselves based on local needs and preferences (Schultz & Yang, 1997). Leaders must also provide necessary coaching, resources and backup to alleviate anxieties as others gain experiences in new roles. Establishing a clear decision-making hierarchy versus constant second-guessing also relieves territorial friction (Gino & Pisano, 2011).
Learning from Failures and Iterating
Collaboratively Fostering collaboration also requires a learning mindset when things do not go as planned. Research finds that people are more willing to cooperate again after small failures if the process is handled constructively (Van den Bossche et al., 2006). For example, at Pixar the studio holds public post-mortems after every film's release to reflect on what worked, what did not, and how future projects could improve based on learnings (Jones, 2010). An openness to improvement versus defensiveness builds trust. Leaders can also involve others directly in iteration; for example, Google enables any employee to work on a 20% self-directed project to foster innovative ideas (Bock, 2015). Framing failures and collaboration as learning opportunities relieves internal territorial pressures from a fear of being seen as solely responsible for subpar outcomes.
Conclusion
Becoming a collaborative leader requires overcoming basic territorial instincts through building shared understanding, trust, and empowerment. Leaders must proactively share knowledge, make others feel included in strategic conversations and decisions, delegate responsibilities with support, and view collaboration and failures as learning opportunities. While this transition does not happen overnight, leaders who invest in these evidence-based strategies can foster a culture where cooperation and teamwork better leverage diverse skills for addressing complex challenges. By developing mutual understanding and empowering others versus micromanaging everything themselves, leaders can become collaborative change agents within their organizations.
References
Adams, J., & Anantatmula, V. (2010). Social and behavioral influences on team process. Project Management Journal, 41(4), 89-98. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20192
Bailey, D. E., & Ruozzi, A. M. (2019). Organizing resistance to collaboration through de-skilling narratives. Academy of Management Journal, 62(5), 1557-1581. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1350
Bock, L. (2015). Work rules!: Insights from inside Google that will transform how you live and lead. Twelve.
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2014). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18(4), 211-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/10478400701598298
Cook, S. (2014). The secrets of great teamwork: Where high performance meets high morale. FT Press.
Costa, A. C., Fulmer, C. A., & Anderson, N. R. (2018). Trust in work teams: An integrative review, multilevel model, and future directions. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(2), 169-184. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2213
Friedman, T. L. (2014). That used to be us: How America fell behind in the world it invented and how we can come back. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Gino, F., & Pisano, G. (2011). Why leaders don't learn from success. Harvard Business Review, 89(4), 68-74.
Hart, S. L. (2016). Capitalism at crossroads: Next generation business strategies for a post-crisis world. Routledge.
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
