Collaborative Leadership Training Course: Leading Across Teams, Partners and Boundaries

Programme Summary

Collaborative leadership is the subject of this one-week training course for directors and senior managers, ending in a collaboration plan for one cross-boundary initiative. Results now depend on peers, partners and other functions that a leader cannot instruct, so trust and shared decisions must be built deliberately. The programme moves from principles, through diagnosis of silos and conflict, to design of governance and influence, and then to application. Mars Training Centre UK delivers this collaborative leadership programme for senior leaders from mixed organisations.

The Business Case

Initiatives that cross functions or organisations fail most often through unclear ownership, slow decisions and unresolved disagreement, rather than weak technical plans. Leaders who agree purpose, decision rights and conflict routes early keep partners engaged and reduce rework. The effect appears in how quickly joint work moves, how willingly others contribute and how openly problems are raised.

• Decision Cycle Time: Falls as decision rights and escalation routes are agreed in advance.
• Rework and Handoff Errors: Reduce as interdependencies are mapped and owners named.
• Partner Retention: Improves as trust is measured and acted on throughout the relationship.

Principles and Evidence Base

• ISO 44001 on collaborative business relationship management: It provides the relationship lifecycle used to structure joint objectives and governance in Sessions 1 and 3.
• Psychological safety research by Amy Edmondson: It frames the trust diagnosis and the team climate measures used in Session 2.
• Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode model: It structures the analysis of disagreement and the conversations practised in Session 4.

Intended Participants

• Directors who deliver programmes that depend on other functions.
• Heads of function who negotiate priorities with peers.
• Senior managers who lead teams across sites or organisations.
• Partnership leaders who govern alliances and joint ventures.
• Transformation sponsors who need commitment from units they do not manage.

The programme serves healthcare, energy, financial services and public sector organisations, and suits mixed groups.

Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will be able to diagnose interdependencies, silos and trust gaps in a cross-boundary initiative.
2. Participants will be able to construct a shared purpose and joint objectives that partners can endorse.
3. Participants will be able to design decision rights, escalation routes and a shared scorecard.
4. Participants will be able to evaluate conflict patterns using the Thomas-Kilmann model.
5. Participants will be able to justify an influence strategy for leading without line authority.
6. Participants will be able to prioritise actions that sustain partner trust over time.

Programme Structure

Day 1: Collaborative Leadership Principles and Shared Purpose

Why do some cross-boundary efforts succeed while others stall?

• Collaborative Leadership Principles
• ISO 44001 Relationship Lifecycle
• Shared Purpose Statement
• Interdependence Map
• Authority and Influence Audit

Day 2: Diagnosing Trust, Silos and Conflict Patterns

Where do trust, ownership and disagreement block joint work?

• Silo and Handoff Diagnostic
• Trust Assessment Interview
• Psychological Safety Pulse Survey
• Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Profile
• Stakeholder Interest Grid

Day 3: Designing Collaborative Governance and Decision Routes

How are goals, roles and decisions agreed across teams and partners?

• Joint Objectives Charter
• Decision Rights Matrix
• Partner Governance Forum Design
• Escalation Ladder
• Shared Scorecard

Day 4: Building Influence, Dialogue and Conflict Resolution

How does a leader move others to act without line authority?

• Influence Without Authority Planner
• Structured Dialogue Protocol
• Negotiating Shared Interests
• Conflict Conversation Script
• Feedback Loop for Partners

Day 5: Applying Collaborative Leadership to One Cross-Boundary Initiative

Is the collaboration plan ready to be launched with partners?

• Applying the Session 1 Interdependence Map to the Chosen Initiative
• Testing the Session 2 Trust Findings with Partners
• Completing the Session 3 Charter and Decision Matrix
• Rehearsing the Session 4 Influence Conversations
• Completing the Collaboration Plan

Methodology

The programme uses a structured exercise method built on anonymised cross-functional and partnership cases. Participants work in small groups to map interdependencies, test trust and draft governance, and receive peer and facilitator feedback on each work product before it enters the collaboration plan, with a short plenary review at the close of each day.

• Suggested activity: Mapping interdependencies in a sample programme and naming the owner of each handoff.
• Suggested activity: Role-playing a disagreement between two functions and applying a conflict mode choice.
• Suggested activity: Reviewing a draft charter with a partner group and recording objections.

Capstone Output

Each participant completes a collaboration plan for one cross-boundary initiative. It holds an interdependence map, a shared purpose statement, a decision rights matrix, an escalation ladder, a trust action list and an influence plan. The plan is used at work to open discussions with partners, agree governance and track progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is collaborative leadership suitable for senior managers who have not led across organisations before?

Yes. Collaborative leadership starts from first principles and assumes responsibility for results that depend on other teams, not prior partnership experience.

Which models does collaborative leadership rest on in this programme?

Collaborative leadership here rests on ISO 44001, Edmondson's psychological safety research and the Thomas-Kilmann conflict mode model.

How is the collaboration plan from collaborative leadership used at work?

You use the collaboration plan to open talks with partners, agree decision rights and track joint progress.

How does collaborative leadership differ from a programme on team management?

Collaborative leadership centres on peers, partners and other functions beyond your authority, while team management centres on direct reports.