We can distinct three world in which we operate in companies: networks, organizations and teams. These worlds differ from each other and these differences matter for leaders.
Networks are relatively loose clusters of organizations. This network of organizations meet each other to attain common goals.
An organization is a tight cluster of departments or teams.
These departments share a mission, culture and values.
These three last shared elements are unfortunately intangible which make it difficult to align on the organization mission and let conflict emerge among these departments and teams.
Teams is the last level of the chain: it is a one unit cluster. The team members have more identifiable and concrete goals allowing a better and more intense cooperation.
As a consequence, leading a network is an entirely different game than leading an organization or leading a team.