In order to respond to today’s challenging business environment, most organizations try to shed traditional structures and strive to be more adaptive, resilient, and agile. This transformation requires not only a shift in operating model but a fundamental reimagining of leadership, culture, and governance.

In this presentation, we explore how Roche Pharmaceuticals evolved into an organization that functions like a living organism—dynamic, responsive, and anti-fragile, characterized by decentralized leadership, trust-based governance, and a culture of continuous innovation.

To a large extent, this transformation is inspired by the five phases of organizational evolution as outlined by Frederic Laloux in “Reinventing Organizations”, from hierarchical and mechanistic entities to organic, self-managed, and purpose-driven collectives. Roche’s journey reflects this evolution, having successfully transitioned from a traditional, bureaucratic organization to one that fosters greater autonomy, accountability, and empowerment at every level.

The organization as a living organism is a complex, adaptive system capable of thriving in a fluctuating external environment by decentralizing decision-making to respond to emerging challenges in real time. This adaptive model is underpinned by self-organizing teams with autonomy and accountability being distributed across all levels of the organization.

Moreover, instead of long-standing organizational norms around budgeting, career path development, and decision-making hierarchies companies seek more adaptable systems that allow for flexibility in resource allocation. For example, performance management systems focusing on long-term value creation drive purpose-driven organizations where success is measured by the real-world impact on stakeholders.

Leaders in this model act not as controllers but as enablers and facilitators, guiding the organization through trust-based relationships. Executives act as stewards of the company's vision and curators of the organizational climate rather than as micromanagers.