The Shift: New perspectives on leadership

Seth Mattison of FutureSight Labs delivers a 20 minute seminar on his observations of trends in leadership and organizational structure. He explains how firms across all industries are experiencing a transformational shift from traditional workplace values to incorporate more contemporary views and approaches.

Key Points

Hierarchy and information hoarding—the old model

• Unwritten rules: information flows down, it's a world of scarcity, you must compete, start at the bottom and work your way up.
• Hierarchy can be represented as an organizational chart or family tree.
• This structure has permeated our society, its institutions, even its language.

Networks and information sharing—the new model

• Unwritten rules: access and immediacy, the organizational chart has flattened—parents and leaders have become peers.
• Best illustrated as a network, life imitates the web.

Letting go of the rules—creating a functional culture

• Develop a culture where leaders no longer see themselves leading from the top of the chart but instead from the center.
• Leaders who balance the best of both worlds will get ahead.