Code Halos: How the Digital Lives of People, Things, and Organizations are Changing the Rules of Business

Chapter TenManage Your Career Based on Code: Winning in the Wirearchy

When we work, where we work, how we work, who we work with, and how we manage are undergoing breakneck transformation thanks to the emergence of the Code Halo economy. Some elements of the traditional management process will remain intact, but others will change dramatically. This chapter looks at how management and leadership are changing in this environment and provides a series of recommendations on how you personally can successfully navigate in these new waters.

At their core, management and leadership are simply exercises in knowledge and communication. The SMAC Stack is naturally suited for a rich exchange of information and ideas. Yet most managerial structures, methods, and cultures are trapped in centuries-old approaches that ignore the power of these innovations and new mindsets about work. Learning these “new rules of code” will help you survive and thrive in a Code Halo world.

The Changing Nature of Power: Hierarchy versus “Wirearchy”

Regardless of size, industry, or location, most organizations currently manage through a command-and-control hierarchy. Though this worked for hundreds—if not thousands—of years, it’s not working anymore. Millennials prefer to work in heterarchies—dynamic networks of connected nodes free of predefined priorities or ranks, like that shown in Figure 10.1.

Figure 10.1 Organizations Blend Hierarchy and Wirearchy Structures

We can imagine this in the context of ...