The document discusses the challenges of horizontal leadership across organizational boundaries. It notes that more business challenges are found between organizational boxes rather than within them. It also discusses how to lead horizontally without formal authority. Some key challenges discussed include creating value from the "interpersonal mush" that necessarily results from horizontal collaborations, and addressing the different experiences, thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of those involved. The document argues that mastering horizontal leadership requires understanding one's network and the different views within it. It recommends clarity in distinguishing observations, thoughts, feelings, and perspectives to overcome challenges.

1.
Horizontal
Leadership
–
Mastering
Change
and
Complexity
• Important
Business
Challenges
-­‐
more
and
more
oBen
found
between
rather
than
in
the
organizaFonal
boxes?
How to lead horizontally across
•
organizational boundaries without a
formal authority and mandate?
Gunnar
Westling,
Ph
D,
Center
for
Advanced
Studies
in
Leadership
at
the
Stockholm
School
of
Economics

2. The
Challenge
Overall, research and 2000 years
of change experience suggests:
70 %
of all change
initiatives fail
Michael Beer and Nitin Nohria 2000

3. The
Challenge
Johns Hopkins
Rule of Change:
90%
of all terminally ill
patients will not
make
lifestyle changes
necessary to save
their life.

4. By
necessity,
horizontal
interac;on
and
interdependencies
creates
interpersonal
mush
Interpersonal
Mush
-­‐
an
interac;on
by
two
or
more
people
based
on
stories
they
have
made
up
about
each
other
that
they
haven’t
checked
out

5. By necessity, horizontal collaborations creates interperso
How
to
create
value
out
of
mush?
Help
each
other
to
create
interpersonal
clarity
=
Know
what
my
experience
is,
know
what
your
experience
is,
and
know
the
difference
between
them

6. Experience
Cube
Observa;ons
Thoughts
• The
informaFon
you
get
from
your
• What
happens
in
your
mind
senses.
• Thoughts,
interpretaFons,
• What
you
see
and
hear,
mainly.
fantasies...
• No
interpretaFons,
thoughts
or
• Share
by
describing
your
view,
no
feelings.
truths
• SelecFve
percepFon
-­‐
check
-­‐receipt.
• SelecFve
percepFon
-­‐
check
-­‐
receipt.
• You
own
your
reflecFons.
Will/wants
Feelings
• The
needs
you
get
in
contact
with
• What
happens
in
your
body
• What
you
wish
• Feelings,
sensaFons,
reacFons
• What
you
want
to
do
• Share
by
describing
your
view,
no
• What
acFons
you
want
to
take
truths
• SelecFve
percepFon
-­‐
check
-­‐
receipt.
• You
own
your
feelings.

7. Challenges
during
the
”Good
ol’
Fmes”
”I
believe
that
this
na;on
should
commit
itself
to
achieving
the
goal,
before
this
decade
is
out,
of
landing
a
man
on
the
Moon
and
returning
him
safely
to
the
Earth”
Eight
years
later…
President
John
F.
Kennedy's
A
Special
Address
to
Congress
On
The
Importance
of
Space
May
25,
1961

8. InternaFonal
space
staFon
–
cooperaFon
between
15
naFons
“In
some
ways
it
was
easier
to
go
to
the
moon,
because
we
had
total
control,”
Cabana
(Astronaut)
said.
“We
didn’t
have
to
ask,
’What
is
your
opinion
on
this?
How
do
you
want
to
do
it?
You
know,
we
just
dictated
to
ourselves
how
we
are
going
to
do
it.’
But
those
days
are
gone.
(O’Brien,
M.
“Earthly
Woes
Mount
for
InternaFonal
Space
StaFon”
CNN.com,
May
29,
2000.)
In
the
new
era
of
exploring
space,
the
biggest
challenge
is
on
ground
rather
than
in
space.

9. 1
1.5
2
4
5
3
1
1
1.5
1.5
2
4
5
2
4
5
3
3
1
1.5
2
4
5
3

10. To
Master
Challenge
–
Understand
Your
Network

12. “Ver;cal
leadership”
Manage
a
group,
unit,
or
funcFon
Defined
responsibility
-­‐
authorizaFon
Allocated
resources
Rou$nes
+
processes
+
problem
solving
“Horizontal
leadership”
Manage
tasks
laterally
across
the
organizaFon
OBen
challenges
of
great
importance
–
unclear
who
is
responsible
Resource
allocaFon
based
on
negoFaFon/consent
of
others
Sencemaking+
network
+
prototypes

13. CooperaFon
and
leadership
across
organizaFonal
barriers.
Is
it
a
good
idea?
• Overall,
research
recommends:
”Don’t
do
it,
unless
you
have
to”
(Huxham
och
Vangen,
2005)

14. More
”wicked”
problems?
Type
of
problem
• The
problem
itself
appears
as
fragmented
• The
problem
cannot
be
understood
before
soluFons
are
tried
out
in
pracFce
• SoluFons
oBen
create
new
problems
”Wicked”
• The
problem
can
not
reach
its
final
soluFon,
There
is
not
“stop
rule”
• Different
stakeholder
have
different
views
and
ways
to
understand
the
problem
”Tame”
• Sound
soluFons
can
be
worked
out
through
analysis
• Couse-­‐effect
relaFonships
hang
together
• It
is
possible
to
organize
ways
to
solve
the
problem
• Act
fast
and
bring
more
resources
Crisis
Extraordinary
situa$on

15. Linear
”tame”
problem
solving
Working
on
”wicked”
problems
Gather
data
Problem
Analyze
data
Formulate
solu;on
Solu;on
Implement
solu;on
Time

16. AdopFon
curve
Number
of
”supporters”
Typically
expected
Typically
experienced
(S-­‐kurva)
Time
Source:
Bresman,
INSEAD

17. The
ant
perspecFve
When
we’re
totally
absorbed
by
the
challenge

18. SoluFon
1:
Zoom
out

19. SoluFon
2
Change
perspecFve

20. SoluFon
3
VariaFon

21. Conclusion
-­‐
The
leadership
challenge
Challenges
faced
by
organizaFons
are
foremost
found
in
hinterland
between
units
and
organizaFons
(rather
the
than
falling
neatly
into
boxes
in
the
organizaFon
ready
to
deal
with
them)
 It
is
thus
as
important,
or
more
important,
to
understand
and
manage
the
social
complexity
of
a
problem
as
it
is
to
solve
the
problem
operaFvely/
technically

22. Conclusion: How to lead horizontally?
1. Big enough idea or vision and yet focused enough
to create action
2. Understand links between the challenge and the
organization’s mission and competitiveness
3. Carefully map stakeholders and their interests
4. Find a sponsor (insurance in bad times)
5. To be influenced is the best method to influence
others.
6. Variation, innovation and “language games”
7. Respectful collaboration in small groups (create a
“fellowship”
8. Early, hands-on prototypes!
9. Dare to confront
10. Endurance (”S-curve”)