Skip navigation
Are You Ready to Lead Work Without Jobs?
Article

Are You Ready to Lead Work Without Jobs?

We’re moving toward a system of work design that will profoundly change the roles of organizational leaders



Editorial Rating

8

getAbstract Rating

  • Innovative
  • Visionary
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

Organizational agility has been a catchphrase for years – but how does it really change the nature of work? Organizational researchers John Boudreau and Jonathan Donner delve into the future of talent management and the need for significant upskilling among managers and employees alike. It’s time to ditch traditional job roles, the authors argue, and radically reshape the way you work.

Summary

New ways of working will feature a shift from fixed job roles to task-based assignments.

Organizations are adopting new systems of work design to meet the need for greater organizational agility and flexibility. The main feature of the emerging operating system is the shift from fixed job roles to task- and project-based work. Individual tasks will be completed not just by employees and contingent workers but also by machines. Workers’ roles will be defined by their skill set rather than a job role, and they will move between teams to complete projects and tasks aligned with their competencies.

Leaders must display increased agility and coordination to navigate this new system of work design...

About the Authors

John Boudreau is professor emeritus at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and a senior research scientist at its Center for Effective Organizations. Jonathan Donner advises organizations about the future of leadership and organizational capability.


Comment on this summary

More on this topic

Related Skills

Advance Your Career
Attract and Recruit Talent
Become More Productive
Career
Develop Team Members
Develop the Organization
Drive Team Performance
Enhance Employee Experience
Foster Team Culture
Human Resources
Implement Digital Infrastructure
Innovate Strategically
Innovation
Leverage AI for HR
Manage Learning and Development
Navigate Leadership Challenges
Personal Growth
Soft Skills
Understand AI
Understand Innovation
Workplace Skills
Reskill and Upskill Employees
Offer Flexible Work Arrangements
Leverage AI for Management
Lead Strategically
Restructure Your Organization
Shape Organizational Culture
Delegate Effectively
Emerging Work Technologies
Manage Team Boundaries
Understand Leadership Approaches
Use AI for Workforce Planning
Manage Your Leadership Impact
Manage Talent
Leverage Ambidexterity
Lead Yourself
Manage Up
Tech Impact on Work
Engage in Job Crafting
Guide Teams Through AI Transition
Understand AI Impact on Work
Become More Adaptable
Build Digital Culture
Digital Transformation
Streamline Your Workflow
Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Integrate Enterprise Systems
Understand Organizations
Lead Operational Planning
Enhance Team Agility
Place Talent Strategically
AI Transformation
Drive Change Without Authority
Manage Teams and Departments
Drive AI Transformation
Lead Remote or Hybrid Teams
Leverage AI for Leadership
Strengthen Team Collaboration
Future Skills
Master Collaboration
Embrace Change
Enable Digital Organization
Plan AI Workforce Transformation
Understand Organizational Change
Organize for AI
Practice Transformational Leadership
Work Remotely
Future of Work
Translate Strategy into Action
Execute Digital Operations
Drive Organizational Performance
Drive Project Management
Implement Agility
Lead through Change
New Work Models
Emerging Leadership Approaches
Build Your Employer Brand
Leadership
Manage People and Talent
Manage Change
Collaborate Across Functions
Management
Executive Leadership