When no one’s in charge. Who leads the way?
Between rules and relationships
The challenges we face today are too big, too complex, too interconnected to solve from a single discipline or through top-down hierarchies. That’s why we’re seeing more and more cross-functional teams and networks — working across departments, organizations, and entire sectors. Not because it’s trendy. But because it’s necessary.
Self-organization still needs leadership
Many organizations are embracing self-management or self-organizing teams. That means giving people space to decide what they do and how they do it. But autonomy only works when there’s clarity, trust, and maturity. Self-organization doesn’t mean no leadership. It means a different kind of leadership — one that goes beyond formal lines.
Informal leadership matters
More and more, people without official titles or mandates are stepping into leadership. Because they spark movement. Because people trust them. Because others naturally look to them for guidance. They may not show up on the org chart, but they’re the ones making the real difference — especially in networks, project teams, and cross-functional collaborations.
The boundaries have truly blurred
Organizations are increasingly relying on independent professionals. They’re not part of the performance review cycle, but they do the work. They operate with more freedom — and often, with more ownership. Their relationship to leadership is more equal, less dependent. That forces us to rethink how we lead, and how we structure responsibility.
What successful organizations understand
Every organization has two realities: The formal organization — structure, roles, and processes. And the real organization — relationships, informal networks, and influence. The work is in connecting those two worlds. Leadership author Emmanuel Gobillot names three conditions that make this possible:
- Trust – Built not over years, but through actions that strengthen others.
- Meaning – A shared understanding of why we’re doing what we’re doing.
- Dialogue – Not a side conversation, but the fuel that moves things forward.
What leadership looks like today
Leaders — formal or informal — bridge systems and people. They hold clarity and space. They offer direction, without closing things down. If you walk away from a conversation feeling more confident, someone just led you. If someone else walks away feeling that way after speaking with you — then you led.
That’s leadership. That’s the kind of space we help create.