In a 2002 paper, David Sally said that shared leadership dates back to the early days of Republican Rome. Even during those ancient times, Rome had a successful system of co-leadership that lasted for over four centuries. Aside from that, they had meticulous record-keeping and data that has lasted through the generations into the modern era.
While Eric Herbelin is not a roman historical figure, he is a global business executive with over three decades of experience in insurance and other sectors. He has a track record of helping organizations successfully, integrating data and analytics into their operations and achieving remarkable results in markets across the globe.
After publishing his official website, Herbelin shared that he hopes to take a deeper dive into data analytics. He says that when you hone into the data points within an organization, planning the future becomes a lot easier. Looking at the numbers can also be fun, because it paints a clear and engaging picture of an organization’s past, present and future.
For Eric, who’s now sharing this information with the world, the future looks bright.
Herbelin has been a long time champion when it comes to analyzing data and analytics. He has always been somewhat of a self-starter – someone who would relentlessly pursue the numbers, even when the data was unclear. In August, he discussed his experience building a data analytics tool in Hudson Weekly. Recalling his experience doing this as early as 2001, his involvement in data and analytics happened long before the popularization of industry trends like big data and machine learning.
Herbelin remains humble despite his clearly successful track record in global leadership, pioneering simple, yet effective technologies, and his ability to always be a few steps ahead of the curve.
When it comes to explaining his shared leadership philosophy, Eric Herbelin says that “Leadership isn’t a top-down affair; it’s a collective responsibility.”
“Whether you’re the CEO, a marketing specialist, or even a customer service representative, you’re a leader in your own domain.”
Academic research on shared leadership has also recently departed from the idea of traditional leadership. It explores the idea that leadership may well be studied as a collective phenomenon, as activities involving several individuals beyond the formally appointed manager, and involving the entire team.
Herbelin believes this decentralized approach to leadership naturally builds trust and helps develop a fluid exchange of skills and talent. “We become stronger by relying on each other and capitalizing on individual strengths,” he explains.
With his own unique holistic view, Herbelin sometimes takes a step back to analyze a business from multiple angles. This way, he brings a full understanding to the table and provides a synthesized and unified theory to lead businesses through a period of growth and transformation.
“You can’t master the big picture without grasping industry dynamics, customer expectations, and the intricacies of what works and what doesn’t.”
After working in global executive positions for the past three decades, Herbelin’s experiences inform his future strategies, but no two strategies are entirely alike, he notes. Each data point and each fact have become like gears in Herbelin’s reservoir of business experience – each interlocking with one another and driving his business acumen and leadership in a forward direction.
Recognizing his role as a natural delegator, Herbelin highlights the importance of empowering people to make decisions with more ease and efficiency. Not only does it save the mental bandwidth of everyone on the team, but it builds a healthy and sustainable organizational culture. It ensures everyone is accountable and leadership is shared. Herbelin says leaders need to appreciate that mental bandwidth is finite, and everyone benefits from focusing on their own high-value tasks without having to switch more than what is necessary.
Research also backs up what Herbelin has to say. The educational technology firm Valamis says that shared leadership is 34% more effective than its traditional counterpart. Benefits include enhanced organizational performance, better collaboration, and increased innovation. The Journal of Social Psychology also suggests that shared leadership enhances job satisfaction and fosters a cohesive work environment.
Research aside, when everyone takes ownership and responsibility and can move forward with confidence and energy to better serve the organization as a whole, growth accelerates. That fact is simple and one that Herbelin is familiar with. He’s implemented it repeatedly to modernize organizations and lead them through accelerated periods of growth. Shared leadership is the foundation of any modern organization, and there’s a lot more to be done beyond shared leadership alone to compete within the marketplace.
Herbelin is focused on creating high-performance cultures that also allow for clarity and complete understanding of roles and responsibilities. This balance drives performance and alleviates potential stressors. He ensures that teams have clear objectives and the autonomy to realize them. “I consider team members as mini-entrepreneurs responsible for shaping their own future,” he says.
Taking “me-time” seriously, Herbelin knows the importance of maintaining a bird’s-eye view to make future planning easier. He takes the time to communicate and check in with other leaders and team members who are closer to the day-to-day operations, and he equips them with additional insights for informed decision-making.
Behind the immediate and profound impact of aligned leadership, Herbelin writes, “When you have ten leaders all moving cohesively in one direction, the results compound. This far outweighs the effectiveness of micromanaging every move.”
Eric Herbelin envisions organizations not as mere career stops but as platforms for individuals to make meaningful contributions to society. “It’s not just a job; it’s a mission,” he concludes. “We’re all here to lead, to inspire, and most importantly, to make a difference.”
