Getting Rid of Leaders

The piece below is about what happens to organizations that try to implement the pleasant-sounding idea that companies can do without managers — that everyone can just “manage themselves.” In part, it’s a story about the essential role that managers play in keeping systems moving. But it’s also a story of what happens in the absence of leadership. >>>

LINK: The utopian dream of a “flat hierarchy” is actually a nightmare (By Deborah Aarts for Canadian Business)

…The idea of slashing red tape and freeing teams to self-organize is certainly seductive, but in practice, few organizations can operate that way without devolving into chaos. Someone needs to keep things on track, make executive decisions, and hold scoundrels and slackers accountable. People just aren’t great at doing that kind of uncomfortable reckoning when no one bears explicit responsibility for it. Self-motivation doesn’t generally extend to performing such awkward tasks as calling out a co-worker for doing a crappy job….

What do you think?

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