The rapid digital transformation across industries presents challenges and opportunities for organisations, particularly resource-limited cooperatives. To navigate this, a shift from individualistic to collectivistic leadership is crucial. Traditional leadership emphasises individual capabilities, focusing on managers driving change. However, contemporary research highlights leadership as a shared phenomenon emerging in collaborative contexts (Denis et al., 2012). Collective leadership, as described by Yammarino et al. (2012), involves dynamic processes where teams leverage diverse skills to address challenges together, fostering relational assets and knowledge sharing among stakeholders.

For cooperatives, adopting collectivistic leadership during digital transformation can unlock the diverse skills within teams, encouraging collective problem-solving over individual reliance. This approach fosters shared ownership of digital strategies, making transitions smoother. Cooperative associations, acting as facilitators, can identify common needs, promote collaboration, and alleviate pressures on individual cooperatives, enabling a unified approach to digital transitions.

By embracing collective leadership, managers create collaborative environments that drive innovation and reinforce cooperative values of mutual support. This transformative perspective ensures digital transformations benefit all members, aligning with the cooperative ethos and enhancing effectiveness in addressing digital challenges. What does it truly mean to be a "cooperative leader"? Is it enough to take leadership models from the capitalist world, or can we define a distinctly cooperative approach to leadership?  

For more guidance on how to perform such mindset shift, you can refer to the handbook that was created within the frame of the DSE tools project by Diesis Network and its partner Startin Blox