Refereed Publications Abstract

Leading in a Connected World: How Effective Leaders Drive Results Through Networks

Over the past decade, leaders have been actively seeking a multiplier effect—ways to better leverage their organization’s talent. Yet in this pursuit, implementation of matrix structures, collaborative technologies, and cultural change programs have yielded little more than overloaded organizations and employees.

A number of leading organizations are now finding that they can improve performance without overwhelming employees by adopting a network perspective on talent management. Based on 10 years of research at over 100 organizations, we have identified the following five network management principles that successful leaders use to compensate for weaknesses in formal structures and to ensure that they are fully leveraging key talent and expertise:

• Managing the center: Minimizing bottlenecks and protecting hidden stars.
• Leveraging the periphery: Rapidly integrating newcomers and reengaging underutilized high performers.
• Selectively bridging collaborative silos: Targeting key intersections in the network and leveraging brokers.
• Developing the ability to surge: Ensuring that the best expertise in a network is brought to bear on new problems and opportunities.
• Minimizing insularity: Managing targeted relations with key clients and external sources of expertise.

In this article, we develop these principles in more detail and offer recommendations for how leaders can manage organizational networks to produce superior performance and innovation.

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