Sharing Power, Doubling Success - That's Co-Leadership @ SAP! 🚀 #3 Tandem

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Co-Leadership Spotlight: Unveiling the Leadership Journey of Elena and Jens

Welcome to the next chapter of our inspiring blog series centered around Co-Leadership. We're thrilled to bring you the story of our third Co-Leadership tandem, Elena Anthoni and Jens Wittkamp, today. Since December 2021, they have been showcasing the power of shared leadership in their roles as Head of HCM Solution Advisory MEE. Located in Germany, their joint leadership journey provides remarkable insights into the dynamics of the Co-Leadership model. Immerse yourself in their experiences and learn from the unique Co-Leadership lessons they've gained along the way.

Why Co-Leadership?

Entering her first managerial role, Elena opted for the Co-Leadership model. She saw this as a rewarding opportunity to work hand-in-hand with an experienced manager who had decided to reduce his working hours.

On the other side, Jens was attracted to the Co-Leadership model for the flexibility it offered. The model allowed him to reduce his working hours while still performing his responsibilities efficiently.

Within their dynamic duo, Jens has chosen a part-time arrangement, while Elena works full-time - a practical demonstration of the versatility that the Co-Leadership model can accommodate.

How do you delegate work & responsibilities?

"Each of us is responsible for certain specific areas, but there are also tasks that we do together, such as our staffing process for Solution Advisor resources.”

Elena shared that while they are officially recognized as two distinct teams within the organization, they've divided the people management responsibilities. This division means that each of them conducts 1:1 sessions and strategic HR topics (e.g. SAP Talk) with their respective direct reports. However, when it comes to compensation planning, they join forces to make those decisions collectively.

Jens refers to a dual strategy. While their opportunity prioritization leverages a vertical leadership format, guiding and developing individual team members relies on the application of horizontal leadership structures. He recognizes that everything in life operates within time constraints. Jens explains his leadership philosophy, in which personal leadership is based on a 1:1 relationship between the manager and the team, but professional leadership relies on collaboration. Therefore, personal communication for him is rooted in individual relationships, which becomes clear through consistent Jour Fixe and SAP Talks (quarterly development talks).

How did you navigate the process of determining and dividing your responsibilities as Co-Leaders?

Elena shared with us that they initiated the task division process by creating a diagram to outline the responsibilities associated with the Solution Advisor Manager role. They then assigned tasks following their individual strengths, which facilitated a smooth and swift consensus.

Jens explained that they maintained a daily 30-minute Jour Fix at the start of their joint business days. This practice ensured alignment in their collaboration and clarified the division of responsibilities and tasks.

The Impact of Co-Leadership

Elena observed several positive effects springing from their unique Co-Leadership model. The team profits from the varied perspectives offered by distinctly different managers (one male, one female; one junior, one senior), who complement each other in their individual strengths. The model helps to mitigate their workload to some extent and promotes a better work-life balance. She added: “Additionally, it demonstrates our openness to new leadership concepts and new ways of working, which positively reflects on SAP's (public) image.”

Jens shared with us that the Co-Leadership model empowers team members to cultivate the most fitting professional relations tailored to individual needs. Notably, he also observed a lower attrition rate (rate of turnover), among female team members.

How did you overcome challenges within your Co-Leadership?

“It is important to communicate daily and keep each other updated on all calls.”

Surprisingly, despite the length of their tenure in Co-Leadership, there have been no significant challenges according to Elena. Key to their successful collaboration is daily communication and updates on all interactions. This commitment extends to providing clear and consistent messaging to all external stakeholders, such as Sales, Business Development, Marketing, and their team. This approach, labeled as ONE Voice, necessitates a high level of coordination, but Elena assures the payoff is worth the effort.

Jens echoes the importance of communication, emphasizing the need for continuous dialogue in daily calls. His focus is on achieving a 100% win/win situation in all discussions, smoothing the way to success in their Co-Leadership role.

We greatly appreciate Elena and Jens for sharing their valuable time and insights. Stay connected for next week's session with Daniela Wollinger and Irene Baldassari, the dynamic leaders of the Support Center Co-Lead Middle Europe in Austria. We are eager to share their unique experiences and the lessons they've learned. Stay tuned! 🌟

In the following weeks our blog post series will give insights to different scenarios for Co-Leadership at SAP, the benefits associated for the leaders and the organization as well as some practical guidance that might encourage other people to consider Co-Leadership. Explore the list of previously published articles for your reading pleasure:

#1 What is Co-Leadership? Co-Leadership as a Pathway to New Work? SAP Community / LinkedIn

#2 Our first Co-Leadership Duo – Melanie & Mathias SAP Community / LinkedIn

#3 Pairing up for Success: Story of Rebekka and Simon SAP Community / LinkedIn