Network Leadership: A critical factor for navigating challenging times

Leadership is a crucial factor in the operation of public and private organisations. The way leadership is applied is largely influenced by the structure of the organisation. For instance, in organisations with a hierarchical structure, leadership is linked to the person at the top of the hierarchy, who becomes the leader. Power is concentrated at the top and the organisation follows a top-down decision-making approach. The distribution of power to the lower ranks is for implementing decisions. Such power-based leadership risks turning the organisation into a toxic workplace.

The effectiveness of leadership is often tied to the size and profitability of an organisation. These metrics are the outcomes of the joint effort of everyone, hence attributing them solely to leadership may not be appropriate. How an organisation goes through challenging times reflects the effectiveness of its leadership. Consider the crew of the fateful US Airways Flight 1549 that landed on the Hudson River following a bird strike. Upon landing, flight attendants Donna Dent, Sheila Dail, and Doreen Welsh waded through the water in the cabin to evacuate the passengers onto the wings. Captain Chesley Sullenberger, after checking the cabin for anyone left behind, was the last man to evacuate the sinking plane. Although the aircraft was wrecked, every life was saved, resulting in amazing stories of survival.

Captain Sullenberger and his team are the epitome of true leadership. Each of them was a leader in their rights. Despite a hierarchy of ranks being present, the conditions on the plane allowed each of them to apply their leadership to achieve the goal of saving every life. Leadership on the fateful plane operated like a network. Consider such a network leadership model working during good times. The metrics mentioned earlier would increase manifold times.

Organisations desiring to employ Network leadership must break down their hierarchical structure. Maintaining an honest and transparent work environment is all that organisations need to facilitate. Such an environment would propagate collegiality, cooperation and co-creation (3Cs of Network Leadership). The 3Cs are the synapses that connect the nodes of Network Leadership. Such a networked structure would destabilise power concentrated with a few people and empower many to be influential.

Adopting Network Leadership requires dismantling the organisational hierarchical structure. All that the organisation needs to do to implement Network Leadership is promote a transparent work environment. This would foster collegiality, cooperation, and co-creation, the 3Cs of Network Leadership. As these 3Cs take root, they form the connecting synapses between the individuals (or nodes) to establish Network Leadership.