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Discussion: Leadership in a Network EnvironmentReported This is a featured thread

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creinelt
creinelt
Leadership in a network environment
Sep 12 2009, 2:20 PM EDT | Post edited: Sep 12 2009, 2:27 PM EDT
I read a provocative article by Bill Traynor that recently appeared in Nonprofit Quarterly (attached below) that expanded my thinking about leadership in a network environment. According to Bill, a network environment is dominated by space, and so it is the space that should dominate our attention. A critical function of network leadership is the creation, preservation and protection of space. Why is space so important? Because "when the space closes, networks die". Bill identifies three ways to create and preserve space:

1. Keep moving the creative, adaptive edge of the network outward.
2. Create an efficient demand environment in which new space is always being created.
3. Shrink or contract routine and recurring actions to their simplest and most efficient forms.

A key takeaway is that we shouldn't think about a network as a form, but rather an environment.
Do these insights resonate with you? What are you learning about effective network leadership? Do you find this valuable?    

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