The Winners of the Future Think Collectively

By Kirsten Stendevad

In The Hive Mind at Work, Siobhan McHale presents an important approach to organizational coherence, arriving at precisely the right time. As an expert in cultural transformation, she shows how companies can unlock the enormous potential embedded in their collective intelligence.

In an era where artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the rules of the game, McHale convincingly argues that one of our strongest countermeasures is to strengthen human collective intelligence. Her research demonstrates that diverse teams operating in high-trust environments systematically outperform both individual experts and AI systems in complex problem-solving.

For Danish companies, the book is especially relevant. Our tradition of flat hierarchies and employee involvement gives us a unique starting point for implementing McHale’s principles. We simply need to learn how to activate “collaborative intelligence” and understand the invisible rules governing intelligent group work.

McHale emphasizes that neither IQ nor EQ alone are sufficient leadership tools anymore. Leaders also need the ability to sense and leverage the wisdom of bee hives. In a beehive, all members work dedicatedly toward a higher common purpose, everyone knows their role (and does not compete for others’ roles), and all develop immense resilience—a strength reinforced by their invisible, unbreakable cohesion. McHale argues that leaders must become skilled at sensing and cultivating what she calls “organizational neural networks”—the invisible connections that enable collective innovation. She demonstrates how these networks can serve as a democratic safeguard against technological centralization and control.

At a time when AI development is concentrated in the hands of a few tech giants, McHale also shows how distributed human intelligence can act as a powerful counterbalance. She argues that genuine innovation and resilience do not come from centralized AI systems but from diverse networks of people collaborating toward meaningful goals.

As a transformation expert, I see The Hive Mind at Work as an essential textbook for new leadership. McHale goes beyond traditional theories of teamwork by showing how collective intelligence is a distinct discipline—and may be our best defense against technological tyranny.

Particularly compelling is her analysis of what happens when groups unite around a higher purpose. Through case studies, she demonstrates that teams working for something larger than profit consistently deliver more innovative and sustainable solutions. This “purpose premium” becomes especially critical in a time of accelerating technological change, as people otherwise risk losing sight of the broader meaning of their work.

The book stands out for its practical approach to building what McHale calls “collective wisdom systems”—organizational structures that promote both innovation and ethical technological development. She illustrates how companies can:

• Identify and remove barriers to collective intelligence

• Build psychological safety that fosters genuine knowledge sharing

• Design work processes that stimulate emerging innovation

• Cultivate ethical technology development through collective wisdom

• Balance AI implementation with human creativity

I have long been focused on methods to ensure that 1 + 1 equals 11. From that, I know McHale is correct: this does not happen automatically. I recently launched a game for this purpose, in which there are neither winners nor losers—only activation of what is greater than the individual. Many participants at the premiere were amazed at how clearly they could feel “the magic in the middle” and how quickly deep connections were formed, even among people who did not know each other beforehand.

In a time when AI both fascinates and intimidates, McHale reminds us that humanity’s greatest strength lies in our ability to collaborate toward something greater than ourselves. The Hive Mind at Work points the way to the next evolutionary leap in organizational development: consciously cultivated swarm intelligence guided by a higher purpose.