The model of the single powerful leader who operates through command and control is attractive in its simplicity. This model of leadership often gets reinforced in the media, as well as by demanding shareholders. In reality, it is impractical to expect the single leader to have all the answers, and history has shown that relying upon rigid control mechanisms will not prevent catastrophic outcomes.

It’s far better to rely upon a broad base of individuals and leaders who share a common set of values and feel personal ownership for the overall success of the organization. These responsible and empowered individuals will serve as much better watchdogs than any single, dominant leader or bureaucratic structure.

And as organizations grow in size and complexity, it becomes even more critical to distribute the leadership load. Conventional structures that rely upon concentrated leadership to drive decisions towards the center run the risk of becoming constrained by their own organization. They also lose the opportunity to empower a much broader base of competent leaders. The capacity of the organization increases when it distributes the leadership load to competent leaders on the ground who can make the best knowledge-based decisions.

For many decades,...

Most economic theories (and many managers) assume that the best way to get what you want from workers is give them the right financial incentives.

But most real people have lots of reasons for working besides just making money. They work to have fun, to socialize with others, to challenge themselves, to find meaning in their lives, and for many other reasons. To bring out people’s best efforts in their work, we need to engage more of these non-monetary motivations.

Of course, there’s nothing new about the fact that people are often more dedicated and creative when they are doing work they enjoy or find meaningful. But in our increasingly knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy, human brains—not capital—are becoming the primary drivers of business success. And having dedicated, creative workers can often mean the difference between business success and failure.

So how can we engage people’s best efforts? How can we make work more fun?

One of the best ways to make work fun is to give people more control over what they do. In my book The Future of Work , I talked about how giving people more control—more freedom—in business is now...

Fifty years ago , America had General Motors and Alfred P. Sloan. One CEO—one decision-maker. “If you do it right 51 percent of the time you, will end up a hero.”
Today , America has Zappos and Tony Hsieh. One CEO—millions of decision makers. “Customer service shouldn’t be just a department, it should be the entire company.”

Forty years ago , news seekers had Walter Cronkite.
Today , they have more than 100 million independent blogs.

Thirty years ago , potential customers had interruptive TV and radio commercials.
Today, they have brands competing to deliver free trials and no-strings-attached value.

Twenty years ago , leaders couldn’t communicate with audiences after leaving the podium.
Today, they can use social networks and blogs to stay completely connected.

Ten years ago , customers had toll-free, voice-automated complaint departments.
Today, they have live-chat and real-time access to companies on Twitter.

Yesterday , the old ways of doing things were going away.
Today , they’re gone.

2010 is more than the first year in a new decade. It marks the end...

Most change programs fail, but the odds of success can be greatly improved by taking into account these counterintuitive insights about how employees interpret their environment and choose to act.

In 1996, John Kotter published Leading Change . Considered by many to be the seminal work in the field of change management, Kotter’s research revealed that only 30 percent of change programs succeed. Since the book’s release, literally thousands of books and journal articles have been published on the topic, and courses dedicated to managing change are now part of many major MBA programs. Yet in 2008, a McKinsey survey of 3,199 executives around the world found, as Kotter did, that only one transformation in three succeeds. Other studies over the past ten years reveal remarkably similar results. It seems that, despite prolific output, the field of change management hasn’t led to more successful change programs.

It also hasn’t helped that most academics and practitioners now agree on the building blocks for influencing employee attitudes and management behavior. McKinsey’s Emily Lawson and Colin Price provided a holistic perspective in “The psychology of change management,” 1 which suggests that...

Management expert Robert Sutton shares lessons on handling layoffs and teams in crisis. This is a Conversation Starter, one in a series of invited opinions on topical issues. Layoffs, pay cuts, and organizational reordering have become widespread realities in the downturn. In this video interview, management professor and author Robert Sutton offers his advice on how to be a good boss in today’s difficult climate. Watch the interview and then share your thoughts on Sutton’s lessons—and what your own experience has taught you about leadership in the crisis