Discovering Success in Global Co-Leadership: Rachel and Iris’s Journey
Welcome to the latest edition of our enlightening blog series on Co-Leadership! Today, we are excited to introduce Rachel Winship and Iris MĂĽller, our fifth Co-Leadership duo. With over a year of experience co-leading as Heads of Global People Compliance, Rachel and Iris have demonstrated the power and effectiveness of shared leadership.
Based in Bellevue, Washington, USA, and Walldorf, Germany, respectively, Rachel and Iris present a compelling example of a successful global partnership. Join us as we delve into their journey and discover the unique Co-Leadership lessons they have learned along the way.
Why Co-Leadership?
Rachel shared that she and Iris were offered the Co-Leadership model after participating in the interview process for their role. During their initial meeting to get to know each other, they instantly clicked and recognized how well their skills and backgrounds complemented each other. Rachel brings a legal background and experience in investigations, while Iris has extensive experience at SAP, having already served as a manager and worked closely with the Works Council. Additionally, Rachel's expertise in navigating the complexities of the U.S. market adds another dimension to their dynamic partnership. This blend of strengths made the Co-Leadership model an ideal choice for them.
How do you delegate work & responsibilities?
In our interview, Rachel described their leadership style as more of a horizontal structure. They have divided their team by region according to the organizational chart, allowing each of them to conduct weekly one-on-one meetings with employees in their respective regions. Additionally, they meet monthly with employees from other regions to ensure a cohesive team environment. As managers they keep each other updated on the well-being and progress of their team members. When necessary, they attend meetings together with an employee to provide unified support.
Communication is a key aspect of their partnership; they speak daily, sometimes only via Microsoft Teams. Their effective collaboration allows them to discuss matters on an ad hoc basis as needed. To stay organized, they share a OneNote where they can log in and access information as required. Often, they split meetings based on time zones to manage their global team efficiently. This approach has fostered a strong partnership and a well-coordinated leadership dynamic.
How did you navigate the process of determining and dividing your responsibilities as Co-Leaders?
Rachel told us that they reached a consensus almost immediately thanks to an atmosphere of open dialogue. She attributes this success to their open-mindedness, mutual respect for each other's skills and experiences, and their willingness to engage in open discussions.
The Impact of Co-Leadership
Rachel expressed her immense gratitude for the knowledge she has gained from Iris, especially in areas where she herself had less experience, such as team management and liaising with the Works Council.
“I think Co-leadership positively affects our team dynamics because between the two of us we have a vast amount of experience and a wide range of skills.”
Rachel has observed that their Co-Leadership model greatly boosts their team dynamics. The combination of their extensive experience and diverse skill sets empowers them to effectively tackle a wide variety of challenges. Moreover, their geographically dispersed locations – Rachel is based on the west coast of the US while Iris is in Germany – enables them to efficiently cover multiple time zones.
She is confident that their team has a positive view of the Co-Leadership structure. The team observes them supporting and collaborating with one another to reach their team’s objectives, which fosters an environment of mutual respect and collective success.
How did you overcome challenges within your Co-Leadership?
Rachel shared with us that their experience in the Co-Leadership role has been largely smooth and that they hadn’t had many challenges during their joint leadership journey. One potential obstacle is the time difference between their locations. While this difference can be often advantageous, it occasionally makes scheduling overlapping hours for discussions a bit challenging.
“Flexibility has been key.”
However, both Rachel and Iris tackle this issue by being flexible. Rachel said that she is willing to start her day very early if necessary, and Iris adjusts by scheduling conversations later in her day. This flexibility and adaptability have been essential to their success.
We greatly appreciate Rachel for sharing her valuable time and insights about her Co-Leadership experience together with Iris. 🌟
Our blog series delves into various Co-Leadership scenarios at SAP, highlighting the benefits for both the managers and the organization. Additionally, we seek to provide practical insights that might inspire other employees to consider embracing Co-Leadership.
Take a moment to explore our previous articles and gain valuable perspectives:
#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
#4 Co-Leadership Spotlight: Unveiling the Leadership Journey of Elena and Jens SAP Community / LinkedIn
#5 The Leadership Path of Irene and Daniela SAP Community / LinkedIn
