Shared leadership role

[Jammylou]

Has anyone else shared leading a team?
I currently share leading a team of 30 staff with another Manager (we job share with some cross over) and whilst it has pros it also has its downsides.
Pros are shared workload, teamwork bounce off each other, support each other. I get on very well with the Manager I share the team with and she supported me tremendously through a difficult period. She is very likeable and kind.
However con's are that I don't have full ownership, feel odd when we share team meetings as she often takes the lead so i dibt feel like the Manager, am sometimes excluded by our partners from meetings as she's been there longer and I sometimes don't know what's going on with the staff she manages yet I manage them when she's not around (half of the week). I also cannot make decisions without running them past her and we dont always agree on how to handle staff (she takes the softly softly approach). We haven't ever argued over these differences and largely I back down.
I have an opportunity to move into a team ill solely manage.
I feel it is a good opportunity but wonder if I'll lose that sense of collaborative working. I expect I will be more isolated but it will be my team.
Thoughts ?

I did it and it's tough for all the reasons you mention. I moved on naturally but now have ownership and can properly lead my team. And I've fostered a sense of collaboration in my new team.

I didn't love shared leadership so if the new team appeals to you, go for it

Thank you. Yes I expect I will work it out.
Although I really like my co manager it's really difficult not having control yet managing at the same time.

If the meetings concern you role then invite yourself and go along.
Meetings you say she takes over, when she's finished her bit just say something like - I'd like to add to what x has said by saying ABCD
Be proactive.
why does she need to approve things but you don't need to approve her things.
nusr cc her into emails regard decisions. Stand your ground

I have done all that but it still prevails.

Shes a nice lady but is far more established in the team than I am as I came in after.
I guess it's how it leaves me feeling. I want to be seen as the Manager not a sub Manager.

I'm in a job share which was not of our choosing (neither myself not my job share partner requested a job share). My job share partner had done the job for a couple of years before I covered for her. She is very able in some aspects but other things were totally neglected. So when the job share started I tried to put in place boundaries - basically who would deal with what. Neither she nor our boss will accept that boundaries are important. So she rides roughshod over my areas. It is the major reason I am job hunting seriously. So I would go for the new role! Best of luck!

This arrangement must also be really difficult for the team. If I were you I’d definitely move.

I don’t have experience of quite what you’re talking about, but years ago I was in a senior professional role where I was treated as a twosome along with a colleague with the same level of experience. It really grated as I wanted to be respected for my contribution in my own right and although I got on with this colleague on a personal level, I was absolutely thrilled when she got another job.

I’ve also been in a volunteer leadership role where my co-leader took over to the point people thought I was his little helper.

Both situations made me miserable and in your shoes I’d be jumping at the chance to have autonomy and my role as manager put beyond doubt.

Although technically it's a job share can't you divide up the team ie you each have 15 reports. Then divide up key responsibilities of the role also? For other things you would continue to share but also provides you both with more autonomy

I was also thinking this! Many people have managers who work part time - your manager doesn’t need to be onsite full time.

We do share direct reports and largely that part is OK. The odd issue here and there as our staff all work closely together so do the same tasks and we perhaps don't always agree on how to manage staff members behaviours so we may treat them differently.
Mostly issue is not having autonomy.
We don't split tasks as too complicated a business.