The document discusses boundary-spanning leadership, which involves creating direction, alignment, and commitment across organizational boundaries to achieve common goals. Boundary-spanning leadership is important because it taps into diverse perspectives to reduce costs and risks while increasing potential for innovation. The document provides strategies for developing boundary-spanning skills, such as building credibility through sharing information, listening, and engaging in learning with others across boundaries.

1. Boundary-Spanning
Leadership
March 25, 2015
by
Kelly Trusty, Ph.D.

2. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
Our learning path
• Definition of leadership
• Definition of boundary-spanning leadership - WHAT
• Importance of boundary spanning leadership – WHY
• Strategies to build boundary spanning skills – HOW
• Practice boundary spanning skills
• Questions & comments

3. Leadership – A Definition
Leadership is a process whereby an individual
influences a group of individuals
to achieve a common goal.
Leader
Followers
Leadership
KSAs
Goal
Adapted from Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, p. 5, 7

4. Skills leaders need at every level
Zenger, J. & Folkman, J. (2014). The skills leaders need at every level [weblog]. Retrieved from the Harvard Business Review website, https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-skills-leaders-need-at-every-
level/

5. Leadership
KSAs
What a leader does with the skills
Leader
Followers
Goal
Direction
Alignment
Commitment
Adapted from Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice (6th Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, p. 7

6. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
Boundary-spanning leadership – the capability to create
direction, alignment and commitment across
boundaries in service of a higher vision or goal.
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf , p. 4
WHAT?

7. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
Examples
• Intel, Microsoft & Cisco Systems – technology solutions
• Coca-Cola & Heinz – more sustainable containers
• AirBnB & Vayable – local lodging and personalized tourism
• State Farm & Ford – safe driver discounts through technology
• NASA & Lego – “real life” STEM education programs.
• Society for Arts & Technology & Hospital Saint Justine – using
sensory scenes to help with healing
Turira, T. & Cros, S. (2013) Co-business: 50 examples of business collaboration. Retrieved from Co-Society website, http://www.co-society.com/wp-content/uploads/CO_business_2013.pdf
WHAT?

8. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf , p. 15
WHAT?

9. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
• In nature, where two ecosystems meet is where you have
the most diversity in new life forms.
• “Today’s business landscape requires leaders to bridge
boundaries to tap the innovative outcomes that lie at the
intersection of groups working together”
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf , p. 17
http://deepgreenpermaculture.com/permaculture/permaculture-design-principles/10-edge-effect/
WHY?

10. • The “Edge Effect” – synergy of diverse ideas that breeds
innovation; a precondition of collective creativity
The “Edge Effect”: The Place Where Innovation Happens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoGUdPsOM2M
• “High performing managers stand out from their peers in
the ability to “tap large, diversified networks that are rich
and experience and span organizational boundaries”
Boundary-Spanning Leadership
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf , p. 13
WHY?

11. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
• Why is boundary spanning important?
• Taps into diverse expertise and perspectives
• Creates synergy
• Reduces costs and risks because they are shared
• Increases potential for innovation
• What do we get if we don’t span boundaries?
• Organizational silos
• Stuck thinking/one right way
• Groupthink/loss of independence
• Lack of innovation
WHY?

12. • 97% of senior leaders
feel boundary
spanning is an
important leadership
skill
• 91% of middle
managers feel it is
important
• Only 43% of ground
floor leaders feel it is
necessary.
Boundary-Spanning Leadership
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf , pp. 5, 11
WHY?

13. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
http://www.clker.com/clipart-bottleneck-effect-3.html
WHY?

14. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
“The transition from entry to middle to senior level
leadership positions requires a transformational shift from
holding a team or functional perspective to an approach
of perceiving a team or function within the broader aims
of the organizational strategy or vision”
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf , p. 13
WHY?

15. • Nexus Effect
• Nexus – a meeting place across boundaries
• Effect – collaboration across boundaries that
produces direction, alignment and commitment
• Collaboration across functions
• Empowering employees at all levels
• Developing cross-organizational learning
capabilities
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf , pp. 20-21
Boundary-Spanning Leadership

16. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
Linda Hill: How to Manage for Collective Creativity
https://www.ted.com/talks/linda_hill_how_to_manage_for_collective_creativity
“Innovation is a journey. It's a type of collaborative problem solving,
usually among people who have different expertise and different
points of view…”
“…Leadership is the secret sauce that creates the space where people
are willing and able to work together across boundaries.”

17. Boundary-Spanning Leadership
• Leaders need to
• Broaden their perspectives
• Practice new collaborative skills
• Develop behaviors needed to foster cross-
organizational innovation and transformation

18. The most important characteristic of a
boundary-spanning leader:
CREDIBILITY
Credibility = character + competence
Linden, R. (2010). Leading across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. , p. 60

19. Linden, R. (2010). Leading across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. , pp. 60-70
Start Becoming a Boundary-Spanner!
Ten Ways to Build Credibility
1. Share accurate information
2. Set aside time to get to know people
3. Take a personal interest
4. Be an excellent listener
5. Model openness: use self-disclosure
6. Honor commitments
7. Build the partnership in chunks/take small steps
8. Offer help during a crisis
9. Engage in learning together
10.Earn trust by sharing credit, keeping confidences,
and being trustworthy

20. What two things could you do today
to improve your Boundary Spanning Skills?
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL Organizational
Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf
Start Becoming a Boundary-Spanner!

21. References
The Aspen Institute (2014). The “Edge Effect”: The place where innovation happens – a
discussion with Yo-Yo Ma. [video]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoGUdPsOM2M
Hill, L. (2014). How to manage for collective creativity. [video] Retrieved from
https://www.ted.com/talks/linda_hill_how_to_manage_for_collective_creativity.
Linden, R. (2010). Leading across boundaries. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Turira, T. & Cros, S. (2013) Co-business: 50 examples of business collaboration. Retrieved
from Co-Society website, http://www.co-society.com/wp-
content/uploads/CO_business_2013.pdf
Yip, J., Ernst, C. , & Campbell, M. (2011). Boundary Spanning Leadership (CCL
Organizational Leadership Whitepaper Series). Retrieved from
http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/BoundarySpanningLeadership.pdf
Zenger, J. & Folkman, J. (2014). The skills leaders need at every level [weblog]. Retrieved
from the Harvard Business Review website, https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-skills-leaders-
need-at-every-level/

22. For Further Study
Insead Knowledge (2014). How Innovative Companies Collaborate.
Retrieved from the Forbes website,
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insead/2014/01/08/how-innovative-
companies-collaborate/2/
Ito, J. (2011) "Innovation in Open Networks and the Media Lab“
[video]. From O’Reilly YouTube Station,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEDHjuTUeXs
Wild, S. (2014) Companies that collaborate will ride on rocket
powered roller skates. [weblog] Retrieved from
http://simonwild.me/2014/03/13/collaboration-will-overcome-
apathy/
Keppel-Palmer, N. (2012). In innovation today, the smartest
companies collaborate with enemies. Retrieved from the Fast
Company website, http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669718/in-
innovation-today-the-smartest-companies-collaborate-with-enemies

23. Thank you.
Kelly Trusty, Ph.D.
@KellyTrusty
kellytrusty.com