People will always strive for order. If you gather ten or one hundred or one thousand or even more people in one location or even multiple locations, an order will emerge after a while. If you want to see it in action, watch Lauren Carpenter experiment. Part of this order will be the emergent of one or several leaders for many reasons. Leaders will motivate people and organize work. If you watched the video, you might hear several people’s voices that where lauder of the rest, they might be the leaders.
In most of the discussions I have, people think that without central control organizations are missing leadership and they are in a state of anarchy. Both statements contradict reality. There is order in organizations without central control, sometimes more order than in a hierarchical system with clear managers! Order and leadership are basic needs of society to protect it against the chaotic environment we are living in.
The main difference between hierarchical and non-hierarchical organization is that the first one (hierarchy) is base on artificial order and artificial leadership (AKA management), while the non-hierarchical order and leadership emerged after a while. When order and leadership appear naturally, they are more accepted and followed. They feel natural. They also differ from group to group, depending on the group members.
Most of your social networks (except work) are non-hierarchical. In those networks, order and leadership emerged, and they keep on changing all the time. No one nominates the leader in any group of friends you are part of, but there is one. No one appoints the leader of your extended family, but we all know who is the one. If you are part of a church, sports group, or many other groups; the same applies, orders and leaders emerge naturally.
Now take a second and think. In which type of group do you feel better, and you enjoy more? Is it the one with artificial order and leadership or it is the natural one? Once you reach your conclusion and if it the natural one, just fix it!