The Habib University Team Shared Leadership Journey Reflections: A Client Feature

“I feel lighter, like an elephant was removed from my chest, as I navigated conversations and situations a little less unnerved as I lean on others. I’m filled with gratitude and a profound sense of growth. The Shared  Leadership and Compassionate Accountability (CAP) [learning journey] has been nothing short of transformative, both personally and professionally.” —Qurratulain Raza, Habib University Team

When we started supporting teams more than two decades ago, we knew The Shared Leadership Framework™ could support organizations worldwide of all sizes and throughout the sectors to achieve the humanity, innovation, and transformation they seek.

With the 2023 launch of our Shared Leadership Learning Journey, a team from Habib University in Karachi, Pakistan, referred by our partner YES! Jam, was eager to participate. Representing different student communities across the University, the learning journey participant’s purpose for becoming a cross-functional team was to learn together and assess how they could contribute to the institution. For 24 weeks, they dove into the Foundations of Shared Leadership and Compassionate Accountability Practice series. Together, they embodied the four guiding attitudes of The Shared Leadership Framework™—openness, authenticity, vulnerability, and commitment— through team leadership skills like active listening, appreciative inquiry, and mindful breathing.  

“The group from Habib University was not an existing team,” explains Kate McGowan, Learning Steward, Product Developer, and Curriculum Designer here at Global Round Table Leadership. “They formed a team to explore the principles and practices of sharing leadership and power and how they could begin practicing with their day-to-day teams and across the University system.”

From the start, they committed to disrupting old patterns and breaking power-over cycles, often rooted in cultural gender paradigms. At Global Round Table Leadership, this is an intentional practice within our team learning journey of shifting from power over and power under each other to sharing power with each other. 

Collective breathwork at the opening of team meetings was the first transformational practice that slowed them down and brought them together, immediately shifting their leadership paradigms. In their feedback, Nooruddin shared that he has done many types of leadership training, and not one, up until this team developmental journey, included any breathing practices.

“Slowing down was one of the most powerful lessons for me from The Shared Leadership Journey,” says Qurratulain. “Taking the time to reflect has helped me see how I can only be present when I am authentic and transparent about my needs to pause or rest. I am grateful for this experience and hope to continue to remind myself of this [growth].”

 Qurratulain also experienced newfound bravery as she disrupted her propensity for peacemaking and people-pleasing at work, often ignoring her own needs. She thought she was playing her part by “keeping the peace;” it was easier for her to care for others than it was to own her voice. After years of overlooking her own opinions and discomfort, Qurratulain discovered that the underlying leadership challenge for her was a fear of conflict. 

She shares, “I have always been good at empathizing with others, making them feel seen and heard. However, after reflecting, I realized I cater to the needs of those I love and work with above myself. And since I have done this for so long, I have forgotten how to name my needs. While I continue to ensure resolution in teams and families through my work, I fail to be my (own) advocate or stop to check how I may feel about something.”

Qurratulain disrupted her peace-maker, power-under, and self-diminishing patterns through reflection, pausing, and witnessing her team members in their power. With a commitment to the team’s breathing practices, she learned the power of slowing down at work, improving her overall day-to-day experience. Realizing her contribution directly impacted her team, she knew the healthier option was authenticity with herself and others.

“Throughout this journey, I’ve learned to give myself permission to slow down, to name my needs without guilt or shame, and to have brave conversations that I would have previously avoided. It’s been a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, and I couldn’t have done it without the unwavering support of my team,” shares Qurratulain. 

For team member Nooruddin Merchant, taking time to pause allowed for active listening, trust-building, and vulnerability. The opportunity to pause at work came just in time for him, as his wife faced a health crisis at the same time he started The Shared Leadership Journey.

“Life has challenges that come your way, and you don’t know how to manage them. My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer right at the start of the Shared Leadership Journey. I had a lot of stress, so slowing down came at the right moment and worked well with my [personal] experiences,” Nooruddin shares.

He is confident that shared leadership can become Habib University’s core ethos and organizational culture through the consistent modeling of new behaviors. He envisions the opportunity for organizations to transform how they measure job performance and define key performance indicators.

“These are very powerful shared leadership practices for getting grounded and slowing down. Active listening may also help me make better decisions. I want to create a safe space and promote trust, but there’s still something lacking there. Maybe due to performance appraisal? How do we create a [organizational] system where this [The Shared Leadership Journey] is implemented in its entirety?” 

The Habib University team also uncovered communication and behavioral patterns they didn’t know they were holding on to, learned new ways to see, listen, and dialogue with one another, and experienced more motivation and energy for the health and success of their team and University. The ripple effects across their professional lives and into other teams were immediate. For example, Habib University team member S. considered valuable input from a junior staff member as they co-created a program plan. He knew it was an opportunity to practice and embody the principle of being equal learning partners.

“I learned that giving everyone an equal opportunity to learn from each other helps our team and our work progress. Each human being has a unique gift, which they can share and practice if given the opportunity. I realize that [shared leadership] practices bring energy and motivation to the team to perform even better,” explains S. 

The impacts extended to his internal team, other departments, and at home. For example, when he sees concern in his team—someone isn’t happy, experiencing grief, or unable to perform and meet their deadlines—he observes his reactions and uses new language and phrases to calm and slow down. As a result of his commitment to his new practices, he’s already experiencing a happier, more human-centered workplace and home life, too. 

“‘The genius is in the room’ is a powerful statement,” shares S. “I started applying this in my personal life and workplace, and I can see the difference. I see smiles, starting meetings with personal check-in questions, calming down, and breathing together—this was new, and I loved the practical application. I found the entire journey a complementing experience, not like I had to attend a class. It was fun!” 

Thank you to the team at Habib University for sharing their reflections on their collective and individual experiences in The Shared Leadership Learning Journey. Want more? Read this generous LinkedIn post from Qurratulain about her experience. We are excited to continue learning with the Habib University Team as they continue to bring their Shared Leadership Journey experience into their University system.

Ready to disrupt unhealthy team patterns and experience transformational leadership? We invite you tolearn more about our approach to sharing leadership, group coaching, and innovation management. If you’re ready to join us for the next launch of The Shared Leadership Learning Journey™,fill out this contact form, and a member of our team will be in contact with you.