Leadership as a Partnership
Four things are necessary for a valid partnership
to exist:
1. Exchange of purpose. In a partnership, every worker at every level is responsiblefor defi ning vision and values. Through dialogue with people at many levels, the leader helps articulate a widely accepted vision.
2. A right to say no. The belief that people who express a contrary opinion will be punished runs contrary to a partnership. Rather, a person can lose an argument but never a voice.
3. Joint accountability. In a partnership, each person is responsible for outcomes and the current situation. In practice, this means that each person takes personal accountability for the success and failure of the organizational unit. (See Joe Montana’s defi nition of leadership stated earlier.)
4. Absolute honesty. In a partnership, not telling the truth to one another is an act of betrayal. When power is distributed, people are more likely to tell the truth because they feel less vulnerable.9