Disrupting Traditional Leadership:Flock Behavior in Communities

Maggie Fox, Social Media Group@maggiefox

How do birds do this?

They do it by staying in context.

By observing and maintaining a set distance from nearby flock members.

Much like aerial performance teams…

…and financial indicators.

It’s all about where you arein relation to everyone else.

So?

Generally, flocks followleadership groups with the most members.

But new research and mathematical modeling by Hai-Tao Zhang, a physicist at the University of Cambridge, shows that a much smaller, more distributed

group of birds can change thedirection of an entire flock.

Separation: steer to avoid crowding local flockmates

Alignment: steer towards the average heading of local flockmates

Cohesion: steer tomove toward theaverage position oflocal flockmates

Distribution.

Allegiance.

CommunicationCommunication.

RevolutionsRevolutions…

ElectionsElections…

Networked communitiesNetworked communitiesof all kinds...of all kinds...

Some stuffto think about…

What would thetechnology look like?

Could we haverevolutions insurprising places?

Social businessSocial businessin action?in action?

Thanks & Photo Creditshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/kinkyinkhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/odreiuqzidhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabarehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/abrahamiphotographyhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/pghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mshadeshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/mickeysackshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/b0xmanhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ceasolhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/hamoidhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/lyng883http://www.flickr.com/photos/respreshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/djbradyhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/pixelitofotohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/tmartinhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/phaehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/myrmicianhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/paopix/http://www.flickr.com/photos/wheatfieldshttp://www.flickr.com/photos/exothermichttp://www.flickr.com/photos/hinkelstonehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/edmittance