Leader-ship and the Tug Boat

Just as small-talk leads to a larger dialogue, smaller networks lead to more results.  In our ecosystem, there exist small clusters of individuals and resources.  One of the main characteristics of these small-world networks are the short paths between nodes.  A majority of these short paths flow through hubs with a number of high in-degree or out-degree.  These important nodes, although not within a larger network, are important for the overall system.

These networks can be strong and influential, with key-hubs, showing importance by having ties to larger, more disseminated networks.  These sub-networks are the tug boats of larger networks.  Powerful for their size, tugboats push or pull larger vessels through areas that they should not or could not manage on their own.  Smaller networks, powerful for their size, influence the larger network.  Larger networks need to defer to these smaller groups to help along the way; rather than assuming they can manage the task on their own.