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Build "natural", flexible hierarchies

“We have to de-couple authority and influence from hierarchical position.”

As change accelerates, authoritarian power structures will become ever more untenable. In traditional hierarchies, power flows down from the top, rather than up from the bottom. This model has several unfortunate side effects. It tempts senior executives to hire in their own image, and thus reduces genetic diversity. It encourages managers to safeguard their careers by “managing up,” rather than by managing out and down. It produces frequent misalignments between positional power and leadership capability, and thereby undermines employee morale. To overcome these failings, the traditional top-down pyramid must be replaced by a “natural” hierarchy, where status and influence derive from the ability to lead rather than from the ability to accumulate positional power. In addition, hierarchies need to be dynamic, so that power flows rapidly toward those who are adding value and away from those who aren’t.

42 Stories
108 Hacks
6 Barriers

Build "natural", flexible hierarchies

“We have to de-couple authority and influence from hierarchical position.”

As change accelerates, authoritarian power structures will become ever more untenable. In traditional hierarchies, power flows down from the top, rather than up from the bottom. This model has several unfortunate side effects. It tempts senior executives to hire in their own image, and thus reduces genetic diversity. It encourages managers to safeguard their careers by “managing up,” rather than by managing out and down. It produces frequent misalignments between positional power and leadership capability, and thereby undermines employee morale. To overcome these failings, the traditional top-down pyramid must be replaced by a “natural” hierarchy, where status and influence derive from the ability to lead rather than from the ability to accumulate positional power. In addition, hierarchies need to be dynamic, so that power flows rapidly toward those who are adding value and away from those who aren’t.

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James Carse, in his great book, Finite and Infinite Games, suggests,There are at least two kinds of games.One could be called finite, the other infinite.The finite game is played
Hack by Max Shkud on June 28, 2013
Co-Authored By Bill Veltrop
Whirlpool Corporation has a very sophisticated talent management process, using traditional talent pool tools such as the 9-Box to rate and calibrate top talent.
Story by Nancy Tennant on October 30, 2013
A leader has two main responsibility.1. Establish his/her vision and communicate it to the organisation's community.
Story by Ghislain Demers on April 2, 2014
Using fluid team structures 1) to promote new serendipitous connections and innovation, 2) to develop people for competencies rather than prescribed roles, 3) to better match those people to business
Hack by Ben Biddle on May 9, 2012

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