Forget the CEOs - where are the WE-EOs?
On co-leadership models
We have reflected many a time on how much adversity (and hilarity) we’ve faced in the job market as Millennials who graduated directly into the Great Recession.1 Our desperation for employment in those early days led us to some strange shores — and our self-selection of artistic career paths has made things an ongoing adventure.
We’ve cumulatively applied to well over a thousand jobs - not hyperbolic! The variety of rejections we’ve suffered runs the gamut from your standard TBNT2, to crushing disappointment, to truly “lol” funny.
Today, I am contemplating a hyper-specific type of rejection: the times we applied jointly to a job, pitching ourselves as a duo. The two of us have long harbored a dream to share the responsibilities and rewards of artistic leadership at an established organization. We have only rarely attempted to make this case, because it’s been a difficult one to make!
In one notable example, when applying for co-leadership at an avant-garde downtown theatre, we got so far as a heartfelt note from a senior staffer, confessing her sense of intrigue and interest in the idea. She went on to note that the Board would be loath to re-imagine the role as larger-than-an-individual. It was too weird…even for the downtown weirdos.
Steering an organization, particularly artistically, is often described in recruitment postings as a job for a “visionary leader”. A visionary is a maverick; a maverick is someone who stands alone on their conviction. Therefore, collective vision is less useful, less “special,” than singular vision. Plus, how the hell will Brian in HR untangle the paperwork required for shared compensation?
The inflexibility of the modern working world is in small part what led us to start our own company. Inside our own organization, we have given ourselves permission to develop collective vision, even where we might disagree on execution and style. As an example, we rarely designate exactly who has written a post here, preferring to leave it ambiguous (for the most part: does it matter who the “I” is?).
The good news is that we may be turning a corner. In New York City, for instance: Just a few days ago we heard about Ars Nova’s new Co-Artistic directors. We also noted with great interest last summer when HERE Arts Center installed 4 (!) co-artistic directors. In both instances, replacing a longtime, singular artistic director.
It’s not that these are the first times that such an approach has been attempted. But these announcements indicate a greater receptivity to the benefits of collective leadership. There is a sense that differing, and dare I say diverse approaches, can contribute to the shared priorities of the community.
It’s as the writer William Plomer wrote in a line that was beautifully set to music by Benjamin Britten in his choral dances from Gloriana, “The ripest fruit hangs where not one, but only two, only two can reach.”
Please listen: Gloriana, Op. 53: Choral Dance No. 2, Concord
Our weekly playlist. Catch us live on em-radio.com every Sunday 6-8 est.
There is data available to support just how intractably “behind” our microgeneration is, financially, compared to those who came just before and just after us. In truth though, it does not serve my seasonal/global/personal depression to find those stats for you. You Class of 07/08 folks can search if you dare.
“Thanks But No Thanks,” not Teenage Bisexual Ninja Turtles.