Network leadership in the twenty -first century. How do you work?

In the interconnected digital world, the creation and preservation of networks – inside and outside the institution – is the key to success. In a modern post at Cambridge Press “Elements in command“A series, Dr. Jeffrey Bisson determines the importance of leaders networks. It indicates that networks are largely ignored in leadership and research. Beeson uses analog Nervous Paths in our brains. In organizations and between entities in our interconnected world, information, energy and even emotions flow through these networks. Effective network leadership is crucial to success today.

Below are the main points of Beeson’s work to understand and use networks for leaders:

1. Networks are not fixed. Networks change constantly, and a small change can extend through a network, change behavior and influence. Even strong network relations can suddenly change (see the changing relations between the United States and European Union countries). Weak relationships In networks you can offer new opportunities for the smart leader. Leaders should be awake, learn about changes, and adapt to them.
2. A successful network leadership revolves around enhancing communications and flow. Instead of the old idea of ​​”leadership and control”, leaders need to care for relationships, build confidence, and enhance social and emotional competencies in followers so that they can develop and maintain strong networks.
3. Network tools are important. In order to create and enhance strong networks, communication tools must be used. Network tools and sites such as Slack, Zoom, LinkedIn and Threads are necessary to create and preserve networks. Leaders need to make sure that the teams have network tools to connect them quickly and efficiently.
4. The common purpose is very important. The presence of a convincing purpose and a trend that corresponds to efforts, activates the participants, and provides a clear trend in a complex environment. Similar to the UHL-Bien & Marion theory, the network leadership helps to collect people together in teamwork and allows them to move forward in the complex and constantly changing world. The role of the leader is to focus constantly on the common purpose and report it.
5. Organizations are not central, which makes networks more important. The graceful difference and decentralized independent organizations (DAOS) are examples of how the hierarchical organizational structure of the past changes. These organizations encourage decentralization and networks that have been created innovation.

In the end, the leader’s mission is to enable the important networks to lead itself. The leadership of the network challenges leaders and institutions to stay away from traditional hierarchical serials, linear thinking and embrace dynamic and interconnected facts today. Instead of being the main decision makers, leaders now need to think about themselves as enabling factors for “living, breathing and networks” for people who work together for a common purpose to achieve unusual results.