Presentation at Harvard University to Public Affairs and Communications team, December 2014

1. LEADERSHIP IN A
DISTRIBUTED
ORGANIZATION
12.15.14
© ORBIT, 2014
Mark S. Bonchek, PhD

2. Mark S. Bonchek, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO, SHIFT Academy
Founder and Chief Catalyst, thinkORBIT
SVP, Communities and Networks, Sears Holdings
CEO, Truman Company
COO, TomorrowLab@McKinsey
Director of Research, Strategos
Research Associate, MIT AI Lab
Columnist, Harvard Business Review
PhD, Harvard University
AB, Princeton University

3. Ongoing
Relationships
Beyond
Individual
Transactionswww.thinkORBIT.com

4. Social Learning Journeys
Updating Leaders’ Thinking
in a Digital Age
www.shiftacademy.com

5. We live in a
time of profound
disruption

7. Change is accelerating…

9. HOW DO WE NAVIGATE A
CHANGING LANDSCAPE?

10. WE NEED NEW MENTAL MAPS

11. 20TH CENTURY: MASS PRODUCTION

12. EFFICIENCY AND STANDARDIZATION

13. SEPARATION AND SPECIALIZATION

14. “DISTRIBUTED OPERATIONS
CENTRALIZED CONTROL”

15. 21ST CENTURY: MASS COLLABORATION

16. CREATIVITY AND CONNECTION

17. AGILITY AND ADAPTIVENESS

18. DISTRIBUTED EMPOWERMENT
DECENTRALIZED CONTROL

19. 21st CENTURY ORGANIZATION

20. MATRIX

21. STEPPING ON TOES

22. FLATTENING THE ORGANIZATION

23. HERDING CATS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_MaJDK3VNE

24. ALIGNMENT

25. AUTONOMY

26. ALIGNMENT AND AUTONOMY

27. “EVERY TUB ON ITS OWN BOTTOM”

28. ONE HARVARD

29. NEW PERSPECTIVE

30. MECHANICAL MODELS

31. LEARNING FROM NATURE

32. FLOCKS

33. VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XH-groCeKbE

34. SCHOOLS

35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOWnlwLUvKA

36. WHERE’S THE LEADER?

37. 01
Stick Together
02
Follow Neighbors
03
Don’t Collide
PRINCIPLES

38. HUMAN ORGANIZATION

39. MILITARY

40. THE FOG OF WAR

41. DOCTRINE
“Fundamental principles by which
forces guide their actions in support
of objectives. It is authoritative but
requires judgment in application.“
NATO

42. MISSION, GOALS, STRATEGY
RULES, POLICIES, PROCEDURES
DOCTRINE

43. MISSION, GOALS,
STRATEGY
RULES, POLICIES,
PROCEDURES
DOCTRINE
WHERE TO GO
WHAT TO DO
HOW TO DECIDE

44. IT TAKES A NETWORK

45. NETWORK DOCTRINE
Tenet 1: A robustly networked force improves
information sharing.
Tenet 2: Information sharing and collaboration
enhance the quality of information
and shared situational awareness.
Tenet 3: Shared situational awareness enables
self-synchronization.

46. DISRIBUTING HELICOPTERS

47. 01
Listen First
02
Be Transparent
03
Obligation to Dissent
TRANSFORMATION

48. OTHER EXAMPLES

49. U.S. CONSTITUTION

50. Innovation comes from anywhere
Ship and iterate
Morph projects don’t kill them
Share as much information as you can
Creativity loves constraints
INNOVATION

51. SOFTWARE

52. EVENTS

53. NESTING DOCTRINE

54. Remain neutral.
Be considerate
Ignore all rules.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES

55. AUTHORSHIP PRINCIPLES
Write high-quality articles
Get along with other editors
Work efficiently together
Remain neutral.
Be considerate
Ignore all rules.

56. ACTION PLAN
Where do you need it?
What do you have already?
Who to involve?
When is it right?
What if it doesn’t work?
Front line wants autonomy but
management is afraid of giving up control
Principles that guide decision-making
(formal or informal)
Convene a “Constitutional Convention”
Specific enough to guide behavior; broad
enough to allow freedom of action
Correct the doctrine, not the person

57. HARVARD’S PROGRESS
“Christian saw three men fast asleep, with fetters upon
their heels. The name of one was Simple, of another
Sloth, and of the third Presumption.
Seeing them lie in this case, he went to them, if perhaps
he might awake them, and cried, "I will help you off with
your irons."
With that they looked upon him, and began to reply:
• Simple said, "I see no danger."
• Sloth said, "Yet a little more sleep."
• And Presumption said, "Every tub must stand upon his
own bottom."
And so they lay down to sleep again, and Christian went
on his way.”

58. MARK BONCHEK, PHD
Founder & Chief Catalyst, ORBIT
thinkorbit.com | @markbonchek
mark@thinkorbit.com