Peer-to-Peer Leadership: Why the Network Is the Leader [Paperback]

Our leadership models are stuck in an Industrial Age, top-down mentality. But in our complex, data-drenched, 24/7 world, there is simply too much information coming from too many different directions too quickly for any one leader or group to stay on top of it. Hierarchy is breaking down everywhere—why should leadership be any different?

Inspired by the peer-to-peer model of computing used in social networking and crowdsource technologies, Mila Baker shows a new way to lead. Organizations, she says, must become networks of "equipotent" nodes of power—peer leaders. The job of the leader is now to set the overall goals and direction and optimize the health of that network, not tell it what to do. In these organizations, leadership roles shift rapidly to fit the needs of any given situation. Information flows freely so those who need it can find it easily and act on it immediately. Feedback becomes an organic part of the workflow, enabling rapid course corrections.

Baker shows how companies like Gore and Herman Miller have achieved long-term success practicing these principles and provides a structure that any organization can adapt to build flexibility, resiliency, and accountability.Preface
About This Book
Chapter 1--The Language of Leadership
Leadership and the Tech Revolution
Individuality and Equality
What Is Peer-to-Peer Computing Technology and How Is It Related to Leadership?
The Difference between a New Theory and a Paradigm Shift
Summary
Chapter 2--Node Community
What Is a Node Community?
The Power of Node Communities: Instant Information Sharing
Power to Create Change and the Dangers of Misinformation
Disruption of Traditional Communication Models
On the P2P Path: Giant Hydra
The Value of Node Communities in Organizations
Efficient and Effective Flow of Information
The Expertise of the Whole Community
Nimbleness and Response to Change
Real-Time Feedback and Dialogue
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