Co-authored with Steve Wunker and originally published in the journal Leader to Leader.
Abstract
Steve Wunker (Managing Director of New Markets Advisors) and Jonathan Brill (Futurist-in-Residence at Amazon) discuss their concept of the “Octopus Organization.” They write that “as artificial intelligence moves from novelty to necessity, organizations face a sobering truth: traditional structures can’t keep up.” They believe that the Octopus Organization represents a fresh approach and “a new archetype for leadership.” Their “framework is based on our work as pioneers and doers as well as in-depth discussions with more than fifty leaders in AI, academia, and industry.” Examples are cited from companies such as HelloFresh, Stripe, and Microsoft. They identify a major shift in the role of middle managers, which “becomes less about directing and more about enabling – asking the right questions of AI systems, guiding teams in judgment, and surfacing risks that machines might miss.” In the Figure “the Neural Necklace: How Information Powers the Whole,” they identify four actions; in their words: Put Boundaries around AI; Redefine “Manager”; Map Decision Lanes, and Hunt Blockers. To transition into this new type of organization, they offer questions leaders should ask, such as “What might an AI-enabled process save in terms of time and labor versus your old ways of doing things?”
