Beyond Control: How Network Science is Shaping the Future of Work

Some management practices seem so different from what we’re used to that it’s hard to believe they represent the future. When confronted with such methods, the common reaction is: “That’s not how we’ve succeeded before, so it won’t work here.”

For example, consider Morning Star, the world’s leading tomato processor based in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The company uses no job titles. Instead, new employees enter a negotiation process with their colleagues to define their responsibilities. 

Accountability is peer-driven rather than hierarchical. This model — quite radical in the context of traditional organizational structures — gives employees a remarkable degree of autonomy.

Founder Chris Rufer explains the philosophy behind this approach.

“Everyone does better if they are free to pursue their own path,” he says. “If they are free, they will be drawn to what they really like, versus being pushed toward what they have been told to like. The freer individuals are to explore those nuances and tailor their relationships around their own particular competencies, the better all those contributions fit together.”

The results speak for themselves. Compared to competitors, Morning Star demonstrates superior productivity and higher levels of employee happiness, and leads the industry in environmental sustainability.

The company’s ability to adapt and thrive in a competitive industry speaks to the power of decentralization and individual agency, both of which are key to its business success and corporate culture.

More Common Than You Think 

This isn’t an isolated case. Companies that embrace similar principles consistently achieve both higher performance and greater employee engagement.

Buurtzorg, for instance, a home nursing care provider based in the Netherlands, is structured around small, self-managed teams of 10 to 15 nurses, each serving a population of about 10,000 people.

Buurtzorg nurses do more than just provide care — they also handle client acquisition, recruiting, bookkeeping, scheduling, and professional development.

Unlike the rigid hierarchies that cause friction in healthcare, teams collaborate across the company to share best practices, solve problems together, and continuously learn from one another.

The impact? Buurtzorg nurses require 36% less time than competitors to deliver care while also achieving the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry. The model has been so successful that over 60% of home care nurses in the Netherlands now work for Buurtzorg — a company that started from scratch in 2006.

Buurtzorg has also been named Dutch Employer of the Year five times, illustrating the long-term viability of this approach even in a traditionally high-stress industry.

Perhaps you’re thinking: “That’s fine for tomato processing or nursing, but it wouldn’t work in my industry.”

Think again. General Electric Appliances, a company in a highly complex and competitive industry, has successfully applied similar principles. It has divided its organization into so-called microenterprises, typically consisting of 10 to 15 members.

These microenterprises decide for themselves how the work will be done, who does what, and even how each member of the microenterprise will get compensated.

The result? In a mere five years, GE Appliances showed double-digit growth rates and catapulted itself from fourth in market share to dominating its industry. 

In addition, 76% of employees say that GE Appliances is a great place to work — substantially beating the national average of 57%. 

The Future is Networks

Network science, a relatively young discipline officially recognized in 2005, has fundamentally transformed how we understand systems and connections, and how individuals or entities influence and depend on one another. 

Enabled by advancements in digitalization, network science allows researchers to map and analyze networks with unprecedented precision. This shift in thinking is essential for understanding how organizations can thrive in a rapidly changing world.

At its foundation, every network — no matter how complex — consists of three simple elements:

• Nodes: The individuals or entities within the network.
• Links: The connections or relationships between these nodes.
• Content: The information, goods, or services that flow through the network.

Take, for example, a postal network. The nodes include the people who send and receive mail, as well as the post offices that facilitate its movement. The links are the vehicles — bicycles, trucks, airplanes — that transport letters and packages. The content is the mail itself, the information being delivered.

The key insight network science provides is that all complex systems, including organizations, are structured around these network patterns. 

This understanding shifts leadership from a command-and-control approach to one that enables and strengthens networks. It’s not about tight control or hierarchical command, but about fostering and maintaining the right connections and allowing information, ideas, and energy to flow freely across those links.

Morning Star, Buurtzorg, and GE Appliances have all succeeded because they leverage the natural power of networks. Rather than relying on rigid hierarchies or top-down directives, they empower decentralized groups to connect, share knowledge, and collaborate effectively. 

Their success isn’t just about self-management — it’s about designing organizations in alignment with the principles of network science, in which the dynamic interconnections among individuals are the driving force for growth, innovation, and adaptability.

For leaders, this means the future isn’t about exerting tighter control. It’s about enabling the right kinds of connections. Organizations that embrace network thinking will not only adapt to change more effectively, but will also drive innovation, resilience, and long-term success. 

As we move forward into this new era of work and leadership, the future of leadership is already here. It’s just distributed differently.

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