The last chapter in our book focuses on how to be a leader in a network. We figured that after seven chapters with details about starting, evolving, and managing a network, it made sense to address the readers’ interest and concerns about leadership–as a founder, a manager, a member–in a decentralized network setting.
We wanted to write about what seemed to be unique about leading in a network and we didn’t want to create a full-scale “leadership curriculum.” So we identified what seemed to be the three most difficult aspects of network leadership, based on what we’d seen dozens of network leaders experience, and how to handle them.
* The tension between advancing one’s own vision and needs and tending to those of the network. Answer: Trust the network.
* The tension between responding to a network’s demands and bringing new ideas/possibilities into a network. Answer: Serve the network, but don’t wait for it.
* The tension between living in a network’s constant fluidity/uncertainty and settling into a more manageable order. Answer: Embrace vertigo.
There’s much more detail in chapter 8, including great insights from successful network leaders.