Author Bio
Mike Dulworth is an expert on the strategic value of personal and professional networks. He is President and CEO of Executive Networks, which is a leading provider of peer networks for human resource professionals in large organizations. Mike is the author of several books and he writes and speaks widely on networking. Learn more
Every Node Matters
Posted on March 11, 2008
Filed Under Uncategorized
Networks can change the world; every node matters.” This is a quote I picked up (source unknown) and love. I think it really captures the essence of what a powerful group of connected individuals can accomplish, plus it stresses the fact that everyone is important, no matter what their background, gender, socio-economic position, etc. We don’t have to look very far for examples that prove this point:
- The Linux computer operating system, which was largely developed on a volunteer basis by a network of users and developers and is used today throughout the world on desktop computers, servers, and even supercomputers.
- President Clinton’s Global Initiative brings together a community of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges including poverty, climate change, global health, and religious and ethnic conflicts.
- Proctor & Gamble’s Connect and Develop program, which uses an open network of thousands of scientists to solve problems that P&G needs to overcome. The goal of C + D is to look outside P&G’s corporate walls to find new products, technology, packaging, design, processes, and business models. P & G is also a member of the InnoCentive network where “Seekers” post their tough R&D challenges on the confidential Web site, www.innocentive.com. More than 18,000 leading scientists and researchers in 125 countries around the world can then submit solutions to scientific challenges and receive a financial award for delivering the best solutions.
- Grameen Bank’s founder Muhammad Yunus, who formed a cooperative to provide micro-loans to “solidarity groups” of poor women in Bangladesh and won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for “efforts to create economic and social development from below.”
At their heart, these initiatives are all networks. People meet people, share their interests, passions, and knowledge, help one another, and form binding relationships and associations which often result in great accomplishments. This is how human beings work—at our core we’re social animals.
What examples can you provide that support the phrase “Networks can change the world; every node matters”?
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