Doug Doty, from Mosanto, was a speaker for our leadership development class yesterday. He talked about the difference between a hierarchy and a matrix. He also talked about the difference in leadership between the two. He also talked about the 5 global competencies for Monsanto.
What is a hierarchy and a matrix? A hierarchy is what you see a lot of the time in business. You have the CEO of the company at the the top of the leader board, then you would have people like the district managers, then the managers, and the employees at the bottom. The leaders are the strong ones, maintain control, and are the only ones who know their strategy. With a matrix, everyone sort of communicates with one another and everyone is a leader in their own way. Leaders in a matrix provide a clear vision and strategy for everyone and supports implementation.
Do I think one is better than the other? No. I think it depends on the business and what works best of the business. I like the idea of a matrix because it seems to me that everyone would get heard more and you would have more opinions. Then there isn't really a "boss" of the show. There is more of a share of the leadership. I think of a matrix as more of a go with the flow but still controlled sort of leadership. A hierarchy is still a great option though and works for a lot of businesses. This way there is someone talking initiative and letting the people right below them know what to do. Then the leader is only "in charge" of a small group below them instead of the whole company. Everyone would have a specific job description and know exactly what to do. So it just depends on the business itself and what works best for them.
Dianna Elrod
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