Leadership in troubled waters : A case study about the role of shared leadership in transformational change when professions are getting automated

Abstract: To lead an organization in change is complex. Leaders today struggle with how to adapt to the digital transformational change organizations are being exposed to. Digitalization forces leaders to go beyond the traditional way of leading when professions are getting automated. This requires leaders to engage subordinates in the leadership to handle a transformational change since both subordinates and leaders are expected to adapt to technological development. Here is when the role of shared leadership becomes preferable. To investigate this complexity in the banking industry, a case study has been done. A qualitative method was used to collect and analyze the data needed to understand what leaders do to engage subordinates in the transformational change the banks are being exposed to. The results indicate that the leaders to some extent take advantage of shared leadership to involve subordinates. The findings could be applied to the shared leadership model, and the analysis shows that leaders tend to use all components to engage their subordinates, and all components are proven to be equally important. But, the analysis also shows that the banks still face challenges with being hierarchical, which inhibits the subordinates to be completely involved and engaged in the leadership. Conclusions have been made that the leaders believe they engage subordinates in transformational change, whereas not all subordinates perceive it that way.