Efficient collaboration hinges on uneven task distribution among members with the presence of a proactive, decisive leader in software development teams, according to a recent study co-authored by researchers from Corvinus University of Budapest. Additionally, the study found that teams tend to perform better when leadership roles are rotated. 

A research team from Corvinus University of Budapest and the Central European University explored open-source collaboration dynamics, connecting leadership roles with team success. The four researchers analysed nearly 6,000 projects from the GitHub software development platform. The results were published in Nature Communications at the end of April. 

According to the findings, in open-source software teams a centralised leadership arises quickly. As early as the first year of a project, certain members carry the majority of the workload, emerging as lead developers. Leaders may handle up to half of the tasks, while the second most active developers typically manage only 10–20% of the total work. These lead developers are not only the most productive contributors but also take on coordination and leadership responsibilities. In addition to being the most active developers in their project, they contribute to three more projects on average — unlike typical team members, who usually focus on just one. 

The study also reveals that teams with more unequal workloads tend to be more successful: their software is more popular and more downloaded, reflecting higher quality and usefulness. Another finding is that the more engaged lead developers are, the better the team’s overall performance. The authors suggest that concentrating most of the work among a few individuals reduces the coordination costs, enhancing the team efficiency. 

The Advantages of Leadership Change 

Not all leaders remain in place permanently. Sometimes, another team member steps into the role of lead contributor, typically during the second or third year of collaboration. This doesn’t necessarily mean the original leaders leave the project altogether, as they often continue to contribute to administrative tasks.. The study also reveals that leadership changes are associated to the experience of the initial leader, as projects led by inexperienced developers are one-third more likely to undergo a transition. New leaders tend to keep their role, as 92% of projects with leadership changes in the study experienced just one switch 

A major finding is that leadership changes are associated with improved team outcomes compared to similar projects with no leadership change. The researchers suggest that the leadership turnover may unleash creative potential previously constrained within the team, driving the increase in the project’s success. Projects that previously underperformed benefit the most from these changes, while high-performing teams see only marginal improvements. 

“Few empirical studies explore the temporal evolution of teams.” said Luca Gallo, postdoctoral researcher at Corvinus University and co-author of the publication. “Our work provides a fresh perspective on how team dynamics is connected to project success. It also suggests that social and coordination skills are increasingly valuable in the job market, as they empower strong leaders to realize their vision. ”  

The Corvinus co-authors of the study are Luca Gallo and Johannes Wachs, joined by lead author Lorenzo Betti and co-author Federico Battiston.