leadership in a distributed organization

LEADERSHIP IN A DISTRIBUTED ORGANIZATION

12.15.14

© ORBIT, 2014

Mark S. Bonchek, PhD

Mark S. Bonchek, Ph.D.Founder and CEO, SHIFT AcademyFounder and Chief Catalyst, thinkORBIT

SVP, Communities and Networks, Sears HoldingsCEO, Truman CompanyCOO, TomorrowLab@McKinseyDirector of Research, StrategosResearch Associate, MIT AI Lab

Columnist, Harvard Business Review

PhD, Harvard UniversityAB, Princeton University

OngoingRelationships Beyond IndividualTransactionswww.thinkORBIT.com

Social Learning Journeys Updating Leaders’ Thinking

in a Digital Agewww.shiftacademy.com

We live in a time of profound

disruption

Change is accelerating…

HOW DO WE NAVIGATE A CHANGING LANDSCAPE?

WE NEED NEW MENTAL MAPS

20TH CENTURY: MASS PRODUCTION

EFFICIENCY AND STANDARDIZATION

SEPARATION AND SPECIALIZATION

“DISTRIBUTED OPERATIONSCENTRALIZED CONTROL”

21ST CENTURY: MASS COLLABORATION

CREATIVITY AND CONNECTION

AGILITY AND ADAPTIVENESS

DISTRIBUTED EMPOWERMENT DECENTRALIZED CONTROL

21st CENTURY ORGANIZATION

MATRIX

STEPPING ON TOES

FLATTENING THE ORGANIZATION

HERDING CATS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_MaJDK3VNE

ALIGNMENT

AUTONOMY

ALIGNMENT AND AUTONOMY

“EVERY TUB ON ITS OWN BOTTOM”

ONE HARVARD

NEW PERSPECTIVE

MECHANICAL MODELS

LEARNING FROM NATURE

FLOCKS

VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-groCeKbE

SCHOOLS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOWnlwLUvKA

WHERE’S THE LEADER?

01

Stick Together

02

Follow Neighbors

03

Don’t Collide

PRINCIPLES

HUMAN ORGANIZATION

MILITARY

THE FOG OF WAR

DOCTRINE

“Fundamental principles by which forces guide their actions in support of objectives. It is authoritative but requires judgment in application.“

NATO

MISSION, GOALS, STRATEGY

RULES, POLICIES, PROCEDURES

DOCTRINE

MISSION, GOALS,

STRATEGY

RULES, POLICIES,

PROCEDURES

DOCTRINE

WHERE TO GO

WHAT TO DO

HOW TO DECIDE

IT TAKES A NETWORK

NETWORK DOCTRINE

Tenet 1: A robustly networked force improves information sharing.

Tenet 2: Information sharing and collaboration enhance the quality of information and shared situational awareness.

Tenet 3: Shared situational awareness enables self-synchronization.

DISRIBUTING HELICOPTERS

01

Listen First

02

Be Transparent

03

Obligation to Dissent

TRANSFORMATION

OTHER EXAMPLES

U.S. CONSTITUTION

Innovation comes from anywhereShip and iterateMorph projects don’t kill themShare as much information as you can Creativity loves constraints

INNOVATION

SOFTWARE

EVENTS

NESTING DOCTRINE

Remain neutral.

Be considerate

Ignore all rules.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

AUTHORSHIP PRINCIPLES

Write high-quality articles

Get along with other editors

Work efficiently together

Remain neutral.

Be considerate

Ignore all rules.

ACTION PLAN

Where do you need it?

What do you have already?

Who to involve?

When is it right?

What if it doesn’t work?

Front line wants autonomy but management is afraid of giving up control

Principles that guide decision-making (formal or informal)

Convene a “Constitutional Convention”

Specific enough to guide behavior; broad enough to allow freedom of action

Correct the doctrine, not the person

HARVARD’S PROGRESS

“Christian saw three men fast asleep, with fetters upon their heels. The name of one was Simple, of another Sloth, and of the third Presumption.

Seeing them lie in this case, he went to them, if perhaps he might awake them, and cried, "I will help you off with your irons."

With that they looked upon him, and began to reply: • Simple said, "I see no danger." • Sloth said, "Yet a little more sleep." • And Presumption said, "Every tub must stand upon his

own bottom."

And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went on his way.”

MARK BONCHEK, PHDFounder & Chief Catalyst, ORBITthinkorbit.com | @markbonchek

mark@thinkorbit.com