The ongoing Public Leadership Through Crisis blog series aims to provide insights for leaders grappling with the challenges presented by crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on the previous post’s emphasis on the necessity to adapt working methods, this article explores strategies for achieving this goal.

Drawing from the experiences of the Building State Capability (BSC) team and insights from experts like Dutch Leonard, the discussion begins by examining the typical hierarchical structures found in public organizations. These structures, ranging from standalone entities to complex hierarchies, are designed to address known challenges efficiently. However, they often falter when confronted with novel threats or crises that require cross-boundary collaboration.

Coordination across hierarchical boundaries becomes crucial in crisis situations, yet traditional bureaucratic structures hinder such efforts. In many cases, coordination is limited to individual sectors, with resources and decision-making authority concentrated within specific domains. While effective for routine operations, this approach proves inadequate for addressing crises that demand collaboration across sectors.

To overcome these limitations, leaders must embrace flat, fast, and flexible organizational structures that prioritize adaptability over adherence to predefined processes. Such structures allow for the rapid mobilization of resources and empower diverse teams to tackle emerging challenges collaboratively.

Various concepts, such as spiders and starfish structures and the snowflake model, offer valuable frameworks for building flat, fast, and flexible organizations. The snowflake model, in particular, emphasizes the formation of numerous teams coordinated around a central team to address crises collectively.

Practical steps for implementing a snowflake structure involve convening a central team comprising trusted individuals to initiate crisis response efforts. This core team then expands its network by engaging additional stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and organizations. Through this iterative process of outreach and collaboration, a robust structure emerges, enabling effective problem-solving across organizational boundaries.

In essence, fostering a culture of agility and collaboration is essential for navigating crises successfully. By embracing innovative organizational structures and cultivating networks of diverse stakeholders, leaders can enhance their capacity to address complex challenges and drive meaningful change in times of crisis.