The Hierarchy is Dead

Solving Complex Challenges with Collective Intelligence

Imagine you need to solve a complex and urgent challenge. And you have a lifeline: Would you rely on the answer of just one person or harness the collective power of the entire group? I can already guess your answer.

However, if we apply this same challenge to your organization, what happens? Do a few people make the decisions? Or do multiple teams collaborate and contribute to solving the challenges?

If decision-making in your organization is top-down, let me share something with you: the hierarchical decision-making model is a system destined to fail. And it’s easy to understand why: The fewer people involved in making a decision, the narrower the perspective on the challenge.

With more distributed leadership, you can leverage the perspectives of more people in decision-making and, by sharing authority, create a work environment with better ideas, higher motivation, and improved results.

Now, I understand it can be challenging to involve many people in decision-making. It might even seem counterproductive. But I’m not suggesting that everyone decides on everything. I’m advocating for involving those who understand, recognize, or experience the specific challenge in the decision-making process.

If you want to promote distributed leadership:

• Encourage open dialogue and the exchange of information.

• Ask questions instead of dictating answers.

• Involve the team from the beginning to build trust and commitment.

The key is to listen, involve, and trust.