The body, as an organism, is deeply fascinating. All cells in the body are at the service of something greater than themselves. There are constant communication and feedback loops; all cells are equally important, each plays a crucial role, and they work naturally and without friction toward a shared goal of creating, restoring, and regenerating well-being. Just imagine if our municipalities were organized in the same way—as an organismic rather than a hierarchical entity. And imagine what that would mean for the well-being of our municipal employees and leaders—and not least for their ability to truly place the citizen at the center, to a degree that many deeply wish for.

Når jeg som foredragsholder, coach og facilitator besøger landets kommunale arbejdspladser, ofte flere gange om ugen, bliver jeg konstant mindet om det komplekse og ofte udfordrende miljø, vores kommuner befinder sig i. Et miljø fyldt med dedikerede ledere og medarbejdere, som gør alt, hvad der står i deres magt for at gøre en forskel. For hinanden og for kommunens borgere. Men også et miljø, hvor der ofte hersker fortvivlelse og frustrationer, som slår ud i mistrivsel og afmagt, fordi der mangler tid til kerneopgaven, varme hænder til at udføre den og helt basalt ressourcer.

A report from DI Analyse supports this picture. It shows that since 2007, far more “cold” than “warm” hands have been hired in Danish municipalities—and the mental imbalance is hard to miss. According to a new study from DJØF, just over one in five municipal managers with staff responsibility report feeling stressed in their daily work to either a “very high degree” or a “high degree.” Seventeen percent of municipal employees report the same, while among top management the figure is 12 percent.

It is challenging across the board, but it does not surprise me that leaders with personnel responsibility are particularly hard hit. They are tasked with the day-to-day management of large groups of employees who genuinely want to make a difference—yet at the same time feel they lack the opportunity to do so.

As a people manager, it is a difficult task to maintain high levels of well-being within the current framework—no matter how closely you manage to be present for your employees, and no matter how empathetic and attentive you are. I have the deepest respect for the heroic fight they are engaged in. The same goes for the “warm hands” who do everything they can to make ends meet and keep the citizen at the center. They deserve praise, a pat on the back, and genuine recognition.

What kind of municipal organism do we want?

The immense—and fundamentally inhumane—pressure on our municipal employees, which affects not only their own well-being but also the citizens they are meant to serve, calls for political responsibility. It has done so for a long time, and I find it incomprehensible how anyone can believe that we can continue squeezing the lemon through cost-cutting measures while at the same time boasting of having—and fighting for—a world-class welfare society. If we continue down the current path, we risk a massive exodus of employees, and the price will be paid by the elderly, the sick, and the children in our daycare institutions.

At the same time, the situation—according to my best professional judgment—calls for a discussion about the way we organize our municipalities, and indeed companies and organizations more broadly. Or perhaps rather, that we respectfully and empathetically ask one another the question: What kind of municipal organism is, in reality, best for the well-being of our municipal employees and leaders—and not least for the citizens we so deeply wish to provide with world-class welfare and well-being?

With well-being research at our backs, and a number of pioneering examples lighting the way, there is no doubt in my mind that we must move away from the hierarchical structure that has dominated municipal governance—as well as most other companies and organizations—for decades.

A structure in which top management—and then middle managers—all too easily become “bottlenecks,” because every decision has to pass through them. A structure in which frontline staff become paralyzed in their actions because they lack influence and decision-making power, even though they are closest to the citizens and often have the clearest insight into the core task. And a structure in which communication all too rarely flows freely and with the shared goal in mind, because it is part of the very “nature” of hierarchy that silos emerge—and that people listen more to those at the top than to those at the bottom.

The municipality as an organism

For more than 20 years, I have written about, spoken about, and advocated for a far more organismic way of structuring our companies, organizations, and municipalities. I often use the body as the perfect teacher. In the body, all cells work together in a dynamic system where every single cell has its unique role and task. The cells are constantly at the service of one another and of something greater than themselves. There is no power, hierarchy, or manipulation. All cells are “born” involved. They know exactly why they are here, and each of them has the ability to act when needed—without having to wait for “permission.” If the body, for example, gets a wound, constant communication and feedback loops between the body’s cells and organs ensure that the damage is repaired quickly and efficiently by those best suited for the task.

This fascinating cosmos that lives within us—quite literally—is a world champion at creating, regenerating, and sustaining well-being, which makes it almost biologically counterintuitive not to let ourselves be inspired by it when we structure our organizations.

If we transfer organismic thinking to municipalities, it corresponds to frontline staff—the people closest to the citizens—having both the mandate and the training to act and make decisions without first having to “ask for permission.” Everyone is equally valuable, and everyone must be listened to equally, whether you are the municipal director or a care home employee. Because it is the organism—the unit as a whole—that is collectively capable of solving the challenges. Everyone in the organization has their unique legitimacy by virtue of a meaningful task in relation to the shared core mission that all have in mind. No one has a “safe haven,” and no one can hide behind a hierarchy.

From organization to organism — through self-organization and facilitative, liberating leadership

Fortunately, there are a number of pioneering examples and “pathfinders” who have taken practical, hands-on steps from organization to organism. In my podcast series “Give While You Grow”, I speak with several of them.

A good example is Regionshospitalet in Horsens, where the chief physician of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Marie Storkholm, together with her department, has worked purposefully to promote job satisfaction—among other things by breaking down hierarchies, cultivating a strong sense of community, eliminating bureaucracy and unnecessary functions, and challenging the prevailing “permission” culture. Here, everyone—regardless of rank or seniority—has significant influence over how everyday work is organized and how the future is shaped.

The results are remarkable—especially in a strained healthcare sector. Together in Horsens, they have created a department where there is no shortage of staff, where recruitment is not a problem, and where sick leave was reduced by 40 percent in just one year.

In the podcast below with Marie, you can hear more about how they work concretely with liberating leadership in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics in Horsens.

What these frontrunners who are pulling ahead—in the best possible way—have in common is that they have managed to flatten leadership structures and create autonomy, meaning, coherence, and self-determination in the work with the core task. Here, the role of leadership is not about making decisions and “granting permission,” but rather about facilitating the framework that employees can fill, drawing on their professional expertise and decision-making mandate.

In this way, one can speak of an underlying movement from traditional leadership toward a more facilitative, liberating, and servant form of leadership—and toward a more leadership-light, self-organizing, and self-determining organization. All of this is sustained by core virtues such as collaboration and respect, along with humility toward the core mission.

Gain more knowledge, inspiration, and concrete tools

Do you and your colleagues want knowledge about working with self-organization, self-leadership, and self-managing teams—as well as supportive leadership approaches such as liberating and facilitative leadership, with all that entails? And hands-on, practice-oriented insight into how to get started in the best possible way and bring employees along on the journey. Because, unfortunately, it’s not enough to “simply” delegate responsibility and expect it to be embraced. It requires ongoing support, guidance, and—most importantly—knowledge of and training in the psychology behind liberating leadership and self-organization in practice, among both leaders and employees. If the above resonates with you, take a look at my upskilling one-day course in facilitative and liberating leadership. If you would like to dive even deeper into how you, as a leader or employee, can help create sustainable well-being, greater meaning, and psychological safety in your organization—where you give while you grow—you also have the opportunity, starting January 17, 2025, to join my competency-granting Well-being Coach Certification, which is based on the latest research in well-being, meaning, psychological safety, health psychology, and regenerative culture transformation (only a few spots left).