Collaborative Leadership in the Arts as a Unique Form of Dual Leadership

Abstract

This article examines dual leadership in Australian performing arts companies, reflected in the respective roles of artistic directors and general managers. Our findings challenge assumptions underpinning much of the literature on dual leadership; in particular, the assumption that conflict is inevitable between the two leaders. In our research, we identified dual leadership relationships that might more accurately be described as instances of collaborative leadership. We suggest that one explanation for this presence of collaborative leadership may be that the study found similarities in

From Artist to Manager—Working Conditions, Career Satisfaction, and Professional Identity among Graduated Arts Management Students

“…Thus, a majority of graduated students with managerial responsibility have both artistic and administrative responsibility. Drawing on their hybrid background, this probably increases their ability to manage the dual rationalities of aesthetic judgements and organizational effectiveness and to develop collaborative leadership relations (Cray, Inglis, and Freeman 2007;Reynolds, Tonks, and MacNeill 2017).…”

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Beyond the Museum: Leadership Experiences from VR Production Studios

“…Another form of leadership observed in art museums is dual leadership (Bruch, 2011;De Voogt, 2006); an artistic director assumes responsibility for artistic excellence or visitor experiences, while a managing director, or general manager, is responsible for business operations and financial sustainability (MacNeill & Tonks, 2013;Reynolds et al, 2017;Stein & Bathurst, 2008). While some scholars continue to focus on the skills, values, and behaviors of individuals in these two leadership roles, these forms of shared leadership have led other researchers to understand leadership from a relational perspective (Caust, 2010;Reynolds et al, 2017).…”

“…While individual and relational leadership approaches offer different insights into managing change in art museums, their effects in practice remain contingent on specific organizational configurations: divergent forms of leadership may not always harmoniously fit in already existing organizational structures. For instance, although some researchers reported sustained shared goals and interdependence in shared leadership (J€ arvinen et al, 2015;Reynolds et al, 2017), some have pointed out the presence of conflicts related to funding, due to the potential contradiction and competition between the drives of artistic creativity and financial sustainability (Auvinen, 2001;Landry, 2011). In this sense, leadership is hardly a "one size for all" to cope with change (MacNeill & Tonks, 2013).…”

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