Network Leadership: A New Paradigm

“If you want to do a culture change inside of an organization, you need to know who your influencers are.”

Leadership is changing. As Jeffrey Beeson describes in a recent podcast conversation, “We know that something unusual is happening, and we haven't quite put our finger on it, and all of our leadership theory is not quite covering it.” Traditionally, we’ve focused on individual traits and skills, but the conversation makes it clear that organizations are complex systems—systems that follow the laws of networks. This means leaders need to understand how people connect, how information flows, and how the right structures can either energize or impede innovation, culture change, and overall success.

One core concept is identifying the “hubs” and influencers—those people who quickly and powerfully spread information and shape organizational culture. According to Beeson, “If you want to do a culture change inside of an organization, you need to know who your influencers are.” Ignoring these connectors risks letting critical messages get lost in the informal grapevine. Alongside knowing your connectors, keeping small teams (four to nine people) can build meaningful relationships and a deep sense of commitment, while occasional larger gatherings remind everyone of the broader system they serve.

Ultimately, the discussion underscores the value of paying close attention to the spaces between individuals—how they interact, how easily they can reach one another, and whether they feel they truly belong. “I see mindfulness as a way of improving yourself as a communication agent inside the network,” Beeson observes, because when leaders are fully present, they’re better at sensing and responding to what’s happening around them. For more on these ideas, check out Network Leadership by Jeffrey Beeson (published in the Elements series at Cambridge University Press) and Linked by Barabási—both mentioned in the conversation.

Listen to the episode here.