Open Leadership

Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead

By Charlene Li

About the Author

Charlene Li is the founder of the Altimeter Group and co-author of the best-selling book "Groundswell." She is a leading expert on social media and technologies, providing consulting and thought leadership on leadership, strategy, and social technologies. With a focus on how social technology can transform leadership, Li brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights into how leaders can adapt to the new era of openness.

Main Idea

"Open Leadership" addresses the need for organizations to adapt to the increasing demand for openness driven by social technologies. The book offers a framework for leaders to embrace transparency, authenticity, and collaboration while maintaining control. By integrating social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, leaders can improve communication, decision-making, and organizational efficiency.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Hidden Gold
2. The Upside of Giving Up Control
3. The New Rules of Open Leadership
4. The Ten Elements of Openness
5. Crafting Your Open Strategy
6. Structuring Openness with Sandbox Covenants
7. Orchestrating Your Open Strategy
8. Redefining Relationships
9. The Failure Imperative
10. Starting the Transformation

Introduction: Hidden Gold

Li begins by explaining the benefits of giving up control and embracing openness. Using the story of Dave Carroll and United Airlines, she illustrates how social media can amplify customer experiences and push companies to adopt more open policies. When Carroll's guitar was damaged by United Airlines and his claim was denied, his viral video "United Breaks Guitars" forced the airline to change its policies.

"Openness requires more - not less - rigor and effort than being in control." - Charlene Li

This example highlights the need for companies to listen and respond to customer feedback transparently, fostering trust and improving service.

The Upside of Giving Up Control

Li discusses the benefits of giving up control and embracing openness. Through the story of Dave Carroll and United Airlines, she illustrates how social media can amplify customer experiences and push companies to adopt more open policies. Carroll's viral video "United Breaks Guitars" forced United Airlines to change its baggage handling policies after his claim for a damaged guitar was initially denied.

"Openness requires more - not less - rigor and effort than being in control." - Charlene Li

This example underscores the importance of transparency and responsiveness in building trust and improving customer service.

The New Rules of Open Leadership

Li outlines new rules for open leadership, emphasizing the importance of respecting the power of customers and employees, sharing constantly to build trust, nurturing curiosity and humility, holding openness accountable, and forgiving failure. These principles help leaders navigate the balance between openness and control.

"Having the confidence and humility to give up the need to be in control while inspiring commitment from people to accomplish goals." - Charlene Li

These new rules include:

• Respect that your customers and employees have power.
• Share constantly to build trust.
• Nurture curiosity and humility.
• Hold openness accountable.
• Forgive failure.

The Ten Elements of Openness

Openness is divided into two broad categories: information sharing and decision making. The six elements of information sharing include explaining, updating, conversing, open mic, crowdsourcing, and platforms. The four elements of decision making are centralized, democratic, self-managing, and distributed.