This week on Tomorrowist, network leadership pioneer Jeffrey Beeson joins host Jerry Won to break down why conventional, top-down leadership no longer meets the demands of today’s volatile business environment. The conversation breaks down what executives and people leaders need to know about leading through uncertainty — and what’s coming next. In this episode, you’ll learn: - What network science reveals about the future of leadership - Why connection — not control — is key to organizational resilence - How decentralized decision-making can boost agility and team performance Jeffrey Beeson is the author of Network Leadership and founder of Ensemble Enabler.
This week on Tomorrowist, network leadership pioneer Jeffrey Beeson joins host Jerry Won to break down why conventional, top-down leadership no longer meets the demands of today’s volatile business environment. The conversation breaks down what executives and people leaders need to know about leading through uncertainty — and what’s coming next.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What network science reveals about the future of leadership
- Why connection — not control — is key to organizational resilence
- How decentralized decision-making can boost agility and team performance
Jeffrey Beeson is the author of Network Leadership and founder of Ensemble Enabler.
Resources from this week’s episode - Network Leadership: Promoting a Healthier World through the Power of Networks
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[00:00:28] Jerry: I'm Jerry Won. Welcome to this week's episode of Tomorrowist. If the past few years have taught us anything, it's that uncertainty is a new constant.
[00:00:38] The ability to adapt quickly isn't just a competitive advantage, it's a necessity. This week we're asking how can organizations lead more effectively through uncertainty, and why is decentralizing decision making the key to doing it well? joining us is Jeffrey Beeson, founder of Ensemble Enabler, and author of Network Leadership Promoting a Healthier World through the Power of Networks.
[00:00:59] Jeffrey, welcome [00:01:00] to tomorrow.
[00:01:01] Jeffrey: Oh, thank you. Thank you, Jerry.
[00:01:03] Jerry: In your book, uh, network leadership, uh, which you published just last year, uh, a brand new book, you make a compelling case for why today's challenges demand a different kind of leadership, one rooted in relationship and not just roles and hierarchy. Uh, share with us what exactly is network leadership and how does it differ from the more traditional hierarchical leadership models that we're used to.
[00:01:24] Jeffrey: Right, right. So, uh, the book is called Network Leadership, and it's a term that I consciously picked because of network science. Network science is a new science that has been around for only about 20 years, but that's informing. That's about a lot of how, how complex systems work. I'll get more into that probably later, but, uh, let me just, uh, explain what network leadership is. Uh, first of all, when people think of network leadership, they often assume it's about networking, building contacts or going [00:02:00] to events or collecting LinkedIn connections. But that's, that's not what it is. Network leadership is something else entirely. It. It's a way of seeing and leading organizations as they truly are, not machines, but networks of people connected by relationships, information, trust, and purpose. Now, most traditional models are built on linear thinking, plan, execute control, sort of a cause and effect, but that's not really how organizations work. Especially not in today's fast moving complex world. In reality, work gets done through interactions. Innovation spreads through informal conversations. Adaptation happens when people connect across silos and resilience comes from strong, flexible networks. Not rigid structures. Now what [00:03:00] I've encountered is, is that, uh, there seems to be some misconceptions about exactly what a network is. So to make sure that we're all on the same page, let me just describe a simple network, to you. let's think of a postal system. In a postal system, you've got the people who send and receive mail. And they're connected. The mail's connected between the two, receivers and senders through trucks and planes. These are what I call connections. And finally, there's a third component to this system, which is information. That's the content of the letters. how simple a network is. It's got those three components. Every network, human organizations, this is the key point. Are built a along those three components, what I call agents or people and information flow. What it tells us is, is that this is the way that [00:04:00] actually organizations work. So if we're gonna compare traditional leadership with network leadership, here are some really big differences. Traditional leadership directs through authority network leadership. Enables through connection. It's not about you sit in the org chart, it's about how you activate all the components that I just talked about in the network and hierarchies optimize for control and efficiency, whereas network leadership optimizes for flow. That's the flow of information, energy, trust, and learning. And so one of the other things that you'll also see is that hierarchies push decisions upward. I. Whereas [00:05:00] networks distribute across the entire system, decisions are made at different points throughout the system. so that's, that's the big difference.
[00:05:09] And if I were to basically summarize how different this is, you know, in a hierarchical organization, you typically ask who's in charge, whereas a network leader would tend to ask. Where are the connections? Where are the gaps in those connections, and how do we strengthen them to make the system even stronger and more healthy?
[00:05:33] Jerry: Uh, thank you for that. Um, I'll, I'll ask a two part question 'cause I think there's one sort of understanding the general shift, uh, that we're seeing as, as you noted in your study, you know, going from, or more organizations going from this, you know, traditionally hierarchical leadership to one rooted in network leadership.
[00:05:49] And then the second part is, you know, as we're we're seeing live and emotion, just the uncertainty of, and the. You know, uh, changes not just daily, but multiple times a day in terms of [00:06:00] things affecting businesses and, and global scales. how does it seen through the eyes of risk? And is it something that organizations are willing to do or should do? Because as, as we've seen in, in times of uncertainty, people go back to what they know. People go back to something that they feel they have more control over.
[00:06:17] And as you noted, the hierarchical system is rooted in control, top down, and network leadership tends to, uh, disrupt that a little bit. So I'd love to hear your thoughts on how it's shifting broadly and then what leaders can do in. In times of uncertainty as we're seeing today,
[00:06:31] Jeffrey: Yeah. Jerry, you're, you're, you're talking about the critical issues to why, know, I mean, to a certain degree, whenever anything is not not familiar, then it feels like a risk. And, and therefore better to with the tried and
[00:06:48] Jerry: right?
[00:06:49] Jeffrey: than to, to move into something that's, that seems so completely different.
[00:06:54] And, and I, you know, we have to be honest about this. There are certain things that are quite different in, in a [00:07:00] network leadership approach. But, but here's the thing. The thing is, is that if you don't move in this direction. You're gonna be disrupted and you are going to fail. I mean, that's the story of our organizations for the last, ever since we've run, entered into the digital era, they're constantly being disrupted by competitors that come out of nowhere and they, they don't know how to react. And part of the reason that that is happening and really, uh, critical to understand that, is that networks themselves have changed in the way, in their dynamics. for instance, uh, the cost of connection. It's gone way down. I mean, it used to cost a fortune to call somebody and now you know it's free on Zoom.
[00:07:45] Right? And you can even see it get a video on top of it. Uh, and the, the, the amount of information flowing, those connections is just exponentially grown. And so the dynamics of networks have changed completely. And what that means is that then also the interactions and feedback [00:08:00] loops in the network are accelerated.
[00:08:01] And, and it just creates complexity at a degree that we're not used to. there's only one way to deal with complexity. I. That is with networks. 'cause networks are basically what are causing the complexity. So in order to address the complexity you need to address with networks, but what hierarchical organizations are trying to do is somehow erase the higher the complexity, trying to get rid of it, somehow trying to simplify it.
[00:08:25] That's not going to happen. It's actually gonna get more complex as we go forward. So there are really legitimate. And I understand this legitimate issues about moving in this direction because it, it does feel so different, but I would have to say that. They're definitely, this is the only way of dealing with all of this uncertainty in a flexible way. 'cause network organizations, and we can talk about examples of it. 'cause there are some organizations that have moved in this direction will completely outcompete a hierarchical organization. They're much more flexible, adaptable, [00:09:00] innovative, and, and they, and, and hierarchical organizations don't stand a chance, lemme give you an indication of that, life expectancy of an organization. Uh, of a standard and Poors organization back in the 1970s was close to 40 years
[00:09:16] Jerry: Hmm.
[00:09:17] Jeffrey: of
[00:09:17] life expectancy. Today it's, it's closer to half that. the predictions are, it's gonna go down to 15 years. Companies cannot survive unless they shift.
[00:09:28] and, in a sense, that is what our era is asking of us, is that we make the shift into a new form of organizing work because the old, work. Doesn't, function. It doesn't function the way it needs to. It's not fast enough. think about decisions that have to go through a central authority and have to percolate up to that, and decisions being made by people who are not on the frontline seeing what's happening in the marketplace and all the time delay that occurs there.
[00:09:59] [00:10:00] That's, what current organizations are doing as opposed to. Empowering people on the front lines to do and make the decisions that are needed, on the spot.
[00:10:10] Jerry: I, I, I thank you for that. Um, so if I to say, I think, you know, uh, one of the other key words that we are, or topics that we hear a lot, uh, right now is efficiency. Um, you know, how does. In your opinion, network leadership, make an organization more efficient, and what are some of the risks involved with, you know, leading with efficiency when it comes to transitioning from a AL leadership model to a network leadership model?
[00:10:36] Jeffrey: Actually, actually that's a really, a really good question Jerry. actually efficiency is one of the enemies of the network leadership style, and is, and one of the reasons that that is, is that because efficiency is a, is a, is about when you're thinking it's about, about getting the most out of your resources possible, but. leaves you very un resilient. It leaves [00:11:00] you vulnerable. I mean, think of just in time inventory.
[00:11:02] Jerry: Right.
[00:11:03] Jeffrey: if one of the suppliers all of a sudden can't deliver, maybe your whole production line go, goes under That is, that is what efficiency brings you. Of course, the rationale behind it is, is that it, it, uh, it, it, it, uh, can help you to maximize profits, but it makes you less.
[00:11:21] Resilient. And what networks do and what networks do very well is, is create Which is the opposite of efficiency. They create different pathways, different ways of getting to the same goal and circumventing any issues that happen. But if you take a look at any living system, which is a complex system, they have ways of, of supporting redundancy.
[00:11:45] So for instance, your brain has two arteries of, uh, blood going to it so that if one for whatever reason fails, you're still gonna get blood to your brain so that this whole system doesn't die. That's not efficiency, that's redundancy. And that is how networks work. And so, [00:12:00] interestingly enough, actually efficiency is one of the things that is preventing leadership from really taking hold. And so that is, that is one of the mindset shifts that needs to occur in order to really understand how, how to create, uh, uh, an organization that can withstand the shocks that are coming at them on an everyday basis.
[00:12:21] Jerry: In your book and, and in your work, uh, you describe a transition from a VUCA world and, and we know what that means, volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous, highly relevant terms today, uh, in, into a world that's rooted more in the, the, the wise model and, and the wise model, uh, that you've. Coined this whole interconnected, systemic and energized, um, explain to our audience, um, sort of what that shift is, and then why you advocate for that shift.
[00:12:48] Jeffrey: Yeah. Well, what I wanted to do is sort of highlight where people are at right now, and I think VUCA really encapsulates that really well. Uh, VUCA is a term that, that has been around [00:13:00] for over 40 years. It was first really used widely by the military. I. the Soviet Union, uh, disappeared and they all of a sudden had multiple threats and they, they felt that that was a very complex situation.
[00:13:12] So that's, they started using it and then as the internet started to take place, business people started using it. And it's pretty widespread at this point. I. The issue with VUCA is that it, it just sort of, sort of like names the storm as I like to, to say. It's, it's what's, what's, what is happening out there. yeah, that's right. That's what people are experiencing. Uh, but it doesn't give you any kind of indication of where you need to go. Um, so it's sort of like the deer then, uh, on the road looking at the, at the, uh, of the car, oncoming car and just sort of freezing and not knowing where to move. And so what I wanted to do is up with an acronym that told people or gave them a, a feeling of where this journey is going and, and how to deal with vuca. [00:14:00] the issue with VUCA is, is that people are trying to somehow avoid it. That's not avoidable. So the question is how do you work with it? How do you work with complexity and uncertainty and volatility? and and I came up with WISE as a way of. Illustrating the different ways that, uh, that you can do that.
[00:14:22] So whole means, w is whole and whole. Meaning that it's important for leaders to take a look at what is happening in the entire system and, and understand how it's connected to different other parts, to other organizations, to the environment, to suppliers and whatever. These are all connections that are important for a business to understand and to take a look at the whole, because interestingly enough. The whole influences the parts in logical linear thinking. We've always thought the opposite way. If we study the parts strongly enough, we'll understand the whole well. It turns out that in network [00:15:00] science and that and in systems, the better you understand the whole, you understand the impact it has. On the parts. Uh, and so a simple example of that is culture. Everybody understands it. Culture's a really huge force in organizations. That culture comes from the, the system as a whole and the interactions, and it has an impact on the individual people inside that organization. So that's the double. Then you have interconnectedness, which is the way the world. everything is interconnected there's amazing things that can happen in terms of interconnection that people should be more aware of. I mean, there's one popular phrase called the six degrees of separation. I don't know if you've heard
[00:15:42] Jerry: Yep.
[00:15:43] Jeffrey: but uh, it's comes from network science. It's part of network leadership, which basically means that you can reach almost anybody in the world if you just. Find the right connection, and you can do that pretty quickly. it's, it's like sending a letter to the, to, to, uh, [00:16:00] I, I use a, you know, random, uh, person because for instance, um, a rickshaw driver in New Delhi, uh, that you don't know I never have heard of. If you want to get them that letter, all you have to do is have a maximum of six passed through, six different hands to get to that person by cutting through.
[00:16:18] The network. what that means is that there's incredible opportunities to find new answers to issues and problems, um, if people make the effort to find the right connection. So that's the the interconnectedness. Then there's the s which is systemic, which means that that, that, that influence is interactive. And that people influence each other and that, that the influence travels in what I call ripples and to understand how influence travels is an important form of leading because if you know how energy travels and people are energized or how, how they're. Their, um, [00:17:00] uh, information gets across. This is, this is gonna make a big difference in, in the kind of impact you have.
[00:17:06] What we have in
[00:17:07] Jerry: Okay.
[00:17:07] Jeffrey: are, are called, uh, central connectors. This is a, these are people with a lot of connections and they can have tremendous influence on people all around them. And by harnessing that force, you can make tremendous impact, uh, uh, on, on, on what's happening. then finally, energized. Because ultimately, if we go down also to, to the science part of it, energy is the ultimate, entity for everything. And, uh, where do we want? We want everybody empowered. We want them energized. We want all hands on board. Right? Why is it that only the. You know, a few people in the top C-suite get to make all the decisions. I mean, and people are asking for this and they're capable. And by the way, those companies that are doing this, I keep, I wanna come back to the practical examples. I'm gonna give you an example here. 'cause I think it's really important of a company in the United States is that's, [00:18:00] that's gone the full network leadership route. It's, and everybody knows this company, it's General Electric Compliances. And they've broken down the company into microenterprises that are then interconnected with each other. Everyone in the Microenterprise has full decisions over how people get compensated and who gets hired. doesn't get done, uh, decided by anybody centrally.
[00:18:23] It's done in the little teams. These teams are five to 10 people, and by the way, they don't get a salary. get compensated for, for the kind of value they're creating for the customers. And this is, this is is revolutionary, but it, but guess what? General Electric Appliance has been growing at double digit rates for six years solid in a, in a market that's maybe growing at a 2%. And, and this is the kind of results you're seeing. And so I I, I, I may sound a little bit theoretical, but this has incredible practical consequences.
[00:18:59] Jerry: [00:19:00] So, I mean, uh, you bring up a great point, right? Because you also stress, you know, this importance of decentralized decision making. You know, decisions from the edge is not from the core, you know, from, from the entire network, not just from the top down. Um, what are some of the things that leaders can, can learn from, um, from other organizations doing it and, and tr from trusting the science?
[00:19:18] Um, 'cause a lot of organizations talk about. The need to be agile, right? Agility.
[00:19:23] Jeffrey: right,
[00:19:23] Jerry: Um, but it's not just about speed or efficiency, as we've discussed. Um, what are, what are some things that, uh, organizational leaders can do? And then on the flip side of the same question, what are some of the things that they should be watching out for so that they don't fall into the similar traps of comfort of hierarchy, um, but also, you know, making sure that they set up their teams and their people for success.
[00:19:45] Jeffrey: I think there's a, a couple of ques, uh, a couple questions you're asking here if I understand it correctly. One is, you know, what, uh, what sort of things do they need to pay attention to in terms of making this shift? Um, and the other one was, what can they learn [00:20:00] from the edges?
[00:20:01] Jerry: Yeah.
[00:20:03] Jeffrey: Okay. Um, let me, let me, let me talk about the shift because, because this is, this is really an important question. Um, and in a sense it's, um, it's the question that's, that's going to be driving most companies whether to, to go this route or not. And, uh, what I would like to suggest is that this is, uh, this is not something. necessarily is, is a difficult thing. It may feel difficult, but it's, but, but it, but it's not necessarily, um, there are certain things and certain mindsets that, that you need to, to, to shift and, and those are going to, um, more along. Things that, you know, the problem is, is that we've learned how to do things in a certain way. and, uh, you know, it's about telling. It's about, uh, you know, [00:21:00] being the person who has the answers. Uh, and, and, and this kind of leadership is completely opposite. It's basically, it's already starting from the. Position that I don't have the answers. And, uh, there there are thousands of people out there in our organization who might just come have a better answer than I do. And my job is to find those people and get them involved. Um, and so one of the biggest, uh, skills, and these are the things that I think that leaders in, in this mode have to think about is interestingly enough, not directing. But facilitating and fa and becoming a, you know, world-class facilitator of getting people to actually engage with each other and exchange ideas. Uh, and uh, then it's the next question becomes influence authority. You know, you, you have to build relationships. You have to build trust. Trust is very eira, but you gotta focus on that and you've gotta protect that jealously and really make sure that, [00:22:00] that everyone else is doing that too. then, uh. issue of listening takes on a whole nother dimension. You gotta listen between the lines and also as to what is happening in the system and being able to, to bring in not just your own listening, but the listening of others to inform you as to what is going on. Uh, and then finally, um. Finally, it's about, uh, uh, systems thinking and understanding connections and connections are the key here. And understanding that one of the most important things a leader can do is connect people, connect ideas, connect processes, and that you can't do enough of that, that can open up doors, create innovation, create, a sense of, accountability which otherwise would not happen. So, in in network leadership, it's, not about controlling, it's about enabling listening [00:23:00] And empowering others to lead. So that's, the shift that needs to happen. Now, talking about how, uh, empowering people at the edge makes an impact. Well, you know, they're just, if they, they usually have the better ideas. Uh, uh, they're right on the spot. They know what's going on. They're closest to the customer. Uh, and therefore. Uh, they can, they can see what's happening. I'll give you an example. Spotify, uh, when they saw that podcasts were becoming a thing, they didn't ask central authority for permission to start offering podcasts as a service. It was just one of their little, they call 'em squads at Spotify.
[00:23:39] That's another organization that's really gone very fully in this direction, and they just had the individual teams. That decided we're going into podcasts and, and because they saw that their clients were at, were demanding it. This is very early stages and, uh, you know, that's the kind of of agility you're going to see if, if you're listening to, to the [00:24:00] edges.
[00:24:00] I. And you'll miss if you have to wait for it to percolate up into the central C-suite and make where they will have to weigh in and make and analyze and make a decision after who knows how much time they've needed to contemplate what needs to do. So, uh, that's, that's the, the beauty of, of, of this, this system is that agile, it's, uh, close to the customer. It's, uh, it's, uh, able to, uh, adjust. Uh, on whatever conditions are, are around it, and that's what makes network network leadership what we need for this time.
[00:24:39] Jerry: Amazing. You know, a lot of what you've shared really is, is, um, predicated upon having a healthy culture, right? One that makes everybody feel safe to take risks in decision making. One in which there's trust both inward and upward, you know, upwards and downwards all across the organization. Um, culture doesn't happen overnight, and obviously what we're talking about is the fact that culture cannot be [00:25:00] dictated from a singular source, particularly at the top.
[00:25:02] And so. For, for leaders listening to our conversation today, what, what are some things, what are maybe two things, uh, leaders can start doing to cultivate that culture of trust and of network based thinking and really what is good for the collective, uh, mind. Right? So, so it's more of a collectivist mind of, hey, we're all in it together.
[00:25:23] Um, are there things that, um, that you've seen organizations or leaders do well to kind of shift that culture?
[00:25:29] Jeffrey: Absolutely. No, absolutely. And, and, and you know, part of the issue is, is that, uh, uh, you're trying, if you're trying to, uh, implement this way of leading and you have sort of what I would call a legacy culture, this is a big problem. 'cause the legacy culture has a bunch of things that come along with it, you know, KPIs and, and sort of reporting lines and, and, and, and various things that are very subtle and, and don't easily go away.
[00:25:53] So, uh, you have to pay attention to the culture. Uh, and, and, and, and create a culture [00:26:00] that is, uh, amenable to this new approach. And I, let me tell you a few of the hallmarks that are really important for this kind of culture and the things that, that need to be emphasized. I mean, obviously every culture in every organization has its own personality and its own way of doing things.
[00:26:17] So I'm not prescribing a, you know, one type of culture, but there's certain things that, uh, a network. Organization, as I call it, have, and these, these are the types of organizations have in common, and one of them is transparency. I. Transparency is really critical for a network because networks function are optimal when the flow of information, uh, goes through the organization.
[00:26:46] That can only happen if there's transparency. And so that is, uh, uh, one of the values that's openness, that is important in a network organization. a shared purpose is critical. really talked about alignment, [00:27:00] but when you have modular. Uh, units that are networked. One of the things that holds 'em together is a very clear purpose.
[00:27:08] I know purpose has been something that's very important for, and been talked about for organizations for a while and also for hierarchical organizations. But it's absolutely critical for a network organization. People need to be able to live and breathe that purpose because that's what keeps them, helps the, the organization to hang together, trust. Trust in people's judgment, they're gonna make mistakes. So a, a bit of a tolerance for failure has gotta be part of this. Uh, you know, if you're gonna let people make decisions, they're not always gonna get it right. but you know, the, the wonderful thing about network. Organizations is that you're not localizing all the failures in one central spot. You know, you can make a failure and it's a minor failure. It's not gonna bring the organization down. so that, that you have to be willing to put to, to live with that. [00:28:00] And, uh, you know, that's, that may go against the grain for some people. Uh, so that's a, a kind of culture that is needed. and, uh, you need to, uh, also have psychological safety.
[00:28:14] Jerry: Hmm.
[00:28:15] Jeffrey: Because what you're asking for people to do is to come out and, and, and speak their minds. You want them to participate, to be engaged. without psychological safety, that's not not gonna happen. So, so those are some of the
[00:28:29] Jerry: Yeah.
[00:28:29] Jeffrey: that I think every network organization would have to work on. Uh, and certainly anybody that's thinking of heading this direction should be looking at those issues very closely.
[00:28:41] Jerry: Sure. And if, and if we study the world's, you know, best cultures, whether in the business or in just society, you know, cultures take a long time, right? Cultures take a lot of, especially in the, in the trust and safety space. Um, you know, I'd be remiss if we didn't have a conversation about, uh, organizations and the evolving nature of it without talking about ai.
[00:28:57] I. AI is here, it will evolve. It will [00:29:00] change the ways that we work, think, and strategize, uh, and, and make decisions. And so what, what is the impact of, you know, the evolving nature of ai, um, into the network science, into network leadership? And again, how can leaders, you know, look out for opportunities or also look out for potential pitfalls when it comes to the, uh, insertion of AI into network leadership?
[00:29:21] Jeffrey: That's a, that's a really, really good question. And I, I'd say just as a preface to the answer here, uh, first of all, the fact that AI is where it's at. due to network science. So this is also a network phenomenon. Uh, and uh, as I said before, you have to approach a network phenomenon with a network solution. that's, that's one of the things that we're finding is that the best way to implement an AI initiative is to look at it as a network issue.
[00:29:50] Jerry: Hmm.
[00:29:51] Jeffrey: Uh, and, uh, if, if the AI helps to make connections. Helps to strengthen connections. Then [00:30:00] it's going to be accepted by the organization. If it doesn't like it replaces people, it cuts them off. Then you're going to have an organization that is resisting ai. that's not going to work for the organization. So what you need to do is embed. The artificial intelligence into the networks of the organization, which is, first I have to understand what the networks of the organization are. How does it support the central connectors in your organization?
[00:30:31] How does support the peripheral people, how does it support the hubs, uh, that are so critical to how a, a network functions? These are all things that, that you as a leader should know. Let me give you an example of, of how, uh, AI integrated into an organization really makes sense. And, uh, for instance, you have Airbnb has, um. A global host community, they have used AI to enhance local [00:31:00] decision making, not control it. the hosts receive, uh, real time pricing and demand insights from their marketplace, and that helps 'em to, to, to make a decision as to what they're gonna offer their properties for. And then also the AI automates routine tasks like messaging and bookings. so that it allows the host to actually pay more attention to the one thing that humans can do, which is hosting. uh, that's I think, a, a really nice. I. An integration of AI into an existing business. How do you support the people in the network so that they can do their work even better? And, and, to strengthen the, the connections.
[00:31:43] And there's also connecting people is something that AI can do. very well. Uh, and if that is how AI is being used, I think you're gonna find that it, there's no resistance in the organization. As a matter of fact, there'll be an acceptance and an [00:32:00] enthusiasm for how it's simplifying their work and their lives. Uh, the big issue that we're having, however, is that, uh, AI is often seen as, uh, basically, uh, illuminating jobs. And of course it is to a certain extent doing that, but that cannot be the re. Of, of ai because within what you're doing, just from a purely network perspective is you're destroying connections and this cannot be healthy for the organization.
[00:32:26] Jerry: Jeffrey, I've, I've learned so much in our brief conversation and then you have so much insights to share. Um, what, as we wrap here, um, share with us what's the one thing leaders can do tomorrow to begin creating a more networked and agile organization rooted in network leadership?
[00:32:42] Jeffrey: I could talk about all sorts of complicated things people could do. but, uh, you know, I don't want to scare people off. I think that this is something actually that everyone can start tomorrow. Uh, and, uh, it's, and, and with very [00:33:00] simple, simple things. So, you know, how about starting with this question, who else needs to be in the conversation?
[00:33:07] I. You know, and asking yourself that at least once a day, and, and actually following up on it. So someone that you haven't included in a conversation before. but that might have something to bring. And by actually taking that action, can actually see.
[00:33:30] Jerry: All right.
[00:33:31] Jeffrey: How adding new perspectives, new connections, actually impacts your decision making. So that's a really simple one. Um, a little bit more complicated and I think, uh, but a very good first step is to bring network mapping into the C-suite. Uh, because right now a lot of companies do network mapping. Uh, they, they give the network mapping over to the data analysts and they take care of it, and they, [00:34:00] they take a look and, and, you know, they're, they're, they're looking at all the data there, and I'm not sure exactly what they're doing with it. Uh, but, uh, they're, you know, like sending nudge messages to people on, on network input. belongs in the C-Suite. This is so critical and important to the way your organization works that. Suggestion to leaders of organizations make this part of what you look at and what you, you're, you're, um, basing decisions on. you need to begin to become familiar with the language of networks. And by doing that, you will be, will begin to, you'll begin to start talking about central connectors and peripherals and, and edge, uh, people at the edge and, and, and, uh, hubs and who knows what else that, uh, is part of the language.
[00:34:50] And becoming versatile in that language is certainly a first step because if you don't understand what it is we're talking about, how can you possibly [00:35:00] implement it? Uh, I, I personally think that, uh, mapping is a much more important activity. I. Than strategy, and that if people look at how the work really gets done, they'll immediately see opportunities to make things better.
[00:35:17] Jerry: Awesome. Thank you Jeffrey. Uh, I'll add one thing. Uh, the one thing that leaders can do tomorrow or even today to begin to create a more network world, uh, is to get Jeffrey's book. Uh, if you're joining us on video, I'm holding up his book called Network Leadership. If you're joining us on audio, uh, we'll have all the links where you can learn more about Jeffrey's work and links to go by his book, uh, in the show notes.
[00:35:40] Um, you can check more of his work@jeffreybeeson.com and also@networkleadership.eu. Uh, Jeffrey, author of Network Leadership Promoting a Healthier World through the Power of Networks and the, uh, uh, foremost leader in the, uh, advocacy of shifting to a network leadership, um minded world. [00:36:00] Uh, thank you so much for coming on tomorrow.
[00:36:02] I've certainly learned a lot and I think our audience has as well. Uh, thank you again for joining us for another episode of Tomorrow. I'm your host, Jerry won, and here's to a better tomorrow.
[00:36:12] Jeffrey: Thank you, Jerry.
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