5 • Chi guida la rete? Il ruolo dell’impresa capofila tra coordinamento, innovazione e performance

The chapter analyzes the leadership of the lead firm and its effects on innovation outcomes and partner turnover. In collaborative settings without formal hierarchies, leadership emerges from practices of influence, coordination, and goal alignment rather than from ex ante authority. Using 2023 and 2025 survey data from the National Observatory of Network Contracts, the study shows that stronger leadership is associated with higher levels of product and process innovation and affects turnover dynamics. From a contingent perspective, leadership proves especially valuable during external shocks, enhancing innovation and adaptive capacity, while internal adverse events trigger reorganization and partner reallocation.