There’s a comfort in centralized command and control. Having a corporate HQ and a clear hierarchical structure eliminates guesswork about who’s in charge and how decision-making flows. The trouble is it’s a model from—and better suited to—a different age. Wikipedia’s bold experiment—a open, collaborative encyclopedia, has demonstrated the power of a distributed model for information. And its parent company, Wikimedia foundation, has translated this approach into a distributed model of corporate governance. As Wikimedia’s Executive Director Katherine Maher emphasizes, a distributed model is just good business in a complex, globalized world.Rethink traditional headquartersConsider distributing your people across different places and experiences. Hire for geographic and cultural diversity.Distribution allows for: 24/7 operations, linguistic diversity for serving the global community, rapid detection of problems, a sense of global citizenship, employee satisfaction, connection t...