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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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Syndicate assignments are a component of the business school learning process, although these can present a challenge in terms of productivity.
Barrier by Rob Brine on May 2, 2012
Don't have top-down capital via a holding company. Semi-franchise everything so businesses are cellular. Cells can succeed or fail. Capital can directly flow.
Hack by Damian Horton on September 13, 2012
   Based on the internal logic of human nature throughout the whole history of management thought, I can prove a natural and flexible “three-tier management”, and at the same time make
Hack by Aaron Brook on July 29, 2014
Strategic considerations of organizations today require a systemic approach to the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability.
Hack by Heike Ulrich on May 11, 2011
Beware of simple answers to complicated problems. The simple answers will most times have unintended negative consequences.
Story by Jim McGriff, Jr. on August 4, 2015
Humans should be the beginning point and ending point of all social sciences.Alderfer's ERG theory and Maslow's hierarchy of needs both based on meeting human needs, of course, are very simple and pra
Hack by Aaron Brook on September 21, 2012
Cognitive Science is paving the way for a new kind of management and leadership process.
Hack by Gary Deines on October 17, 2015

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