Great Leadership Is a Network, Not a Hierarchy
Read time: 2 min
Big Idea
Shift from traditional hierarchical leadership to a more distributed model, where everyone is empowered to take the lead; remove labels, share information openly, and foster a culture of kindness to build effective, sustainable, and happier teams.
Top Thoughts
Adopt inclusive, distributed leadership to effectively tackle complex, fast-moving challenges.
Remove (or de-emphasize) labels like job titles, functions, and educational backgrounds that limit and box people into specific roles and hinder diverse contributions to unleash untapped potential within teams.
Increase team transparency and openly exchange information by sharing data, context, and ideas to work more efficiently and cohesively.
In a distributed leadership model, kindness and mutual respect make it easier to have difficult conversations and contribute to a psychologically safe working environment.
Leadership is not having all the answers, but having the courage to ask questions and show vulnerability. This form of leadership allows for more collaborative problem-solving.
Distributed leadership models are more resilient and sustainable as they do not rely on a single point of decision-making and allow for more balanced work-life integration. An increased sense of ownership and accountability translates into better results and higher job satisfaction.
Quick Quotes
"I believe that leadership by the few, it's not going to help us solve the problems ahead. These problems are complex and coming at us faster and faster."
"Labels take many forms and shapes like functions, titles, genders, nationalities, educational backgrounds. They are everywhere and help us recognize things. But labels come with a high cost of boxing people in, not enabling us to grow outside those boxes."
"Changing how we work, we found amazing results. Even early on in pilots, 80 percent of our people said they experienced more value delivered. Sixty percent found better individual sustainability, work-life balance."
"Distributed leadership is a movement that goes beyond the traditional leader. People are much more likely to do things if they feel a sense of ownership and "it was my idea" versus being told what to do. We need to create leaders, not followers."
Actionable Advice
Remove labels - Remove or reduce the impact of labels such as job titles, departments, or other categorizations to unlock the full potential of their workforce and encourage cross-functional collaboration.
Foster open information sharing - Make data sets accessible, promote open discussions, and discourage information hoarding for personal advantage.
Build a culture of kindness and vulnerability - Promote psychological safety where team members feel empowered to share their thoughts, questions, and admit mistakes without fear of ridicule or punishment.
Source(s)
Frederiksen, G. (2023, Aug 31). Great Leadership Is a Network, Not a Hierarchy. [Video]. Boston Consulting Group. (Link)
Frederiksen, G. (2022, Dec 7). Great Leadership Is a Network, Not a Hierarchy. [Video]. TED Talk. (Link)
