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The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations

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The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations (Hardcover)

by Ori Brafman (Author), Rod A. Beckstrom (Author)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product details

Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Portfolio (30 Mar 2007)
Language English
ISBN-10: 1591841437
ISBN-13: 978-1591841432
Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15 x 2.8 cm

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 270,437 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Synopsis

This work provides an understanding of the amazing force that links some of today's most successful companies. If you cut off a spider's leg, it's crippled; if you cut off it's head, it dies. But if you cut off a starfish's leg it grows a new one, and the old leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Some organisations are just as decentralised as starfish, with no control centre or grand strategy. Think of craigslist and the original Napster, run totally by their own customers. Or Alcoholics Anonymous, which has thrived for decades as a loose network of small groups. Or even al Qaeda, which is so hard to destroy because its cells function independently. "The Starfish and the Spider", based on groundbreaking research into decentralised organisations, proves that this type of leadership is primed to change the world. Major companies like eBay, IBM, Sun, and GE are starting to decentralise, with great results. Decentralisation isn't easy for people who are used to the classic chain of commence organisation. But as readers will learn through this book's fascinating stories - ranging from the music business to geopolitics - it can be a very dangerous trend to ignore.

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews

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4.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Exploring alternative organizational models, 23 Aug 2008

By	Oscar Del Santo (London, England) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations (Paperback)

This easy-to-read book explores de-centralized organizations and how they (sometimes) outperform conventional, centralized ones.

While the book offers some interesting examples to back up its claims, one would be ill-advised to quickly jump into conclusions. Centralized organizations are just as necessary as decentralized ones and we probably need both in our complex, post-industrial, information-rich society.

Still, this books makes its case for a new wave of so-called 'leaderless' organizations where member contribution and overarching, internalized ideologies are key. A timely reminder that successful organizational models are as diverse as human beings and their cultures.

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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An intriguing report on how "leaderless organizations" often outperform conventional ones. , 13 April 2007

By	Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract.com" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

In 1946, after intensive research, Peter Drucker wrote Concept of the Corporation, a study of decentralization at General Motors. Drucker's book had a profound influence on the business world, particularly on Japanese auto manufacturers, such as Toyota, which incorporated many of his ideas into its operations with great success. Flash forward to 2006, when Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom wrote this pivotal book about "leaderless organizations." Their insightful analysis concerns the remarkable organizational revolution under way as hierarchies (spider entities) give way to decentralization (starfish entities). The fundamental tension between these two forces remains a pivotal dynamic in business. Today's decentralization movement makes awareness even more critical. GM failed to learn from Drucker's book. This turned out to be a huge mistake. We recommend: Do not make the same mistake with this important book; it should not be ignored.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Likely to become a classic, 18 Jan 2008

By	David Wood - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this to be utterly engrossing. The metaphor of the starfish vs. the spider is bound to enter common parlance - the same way as "Tipping Point" did. This book is a sober but enlightening account of the issues of centralisation ("spider") vs. decentralisation ("starfish"), as well as suitable mixtures of the two.

The book also shows why there's a great deal at stake behind this contrast: issues of commercial revenues, the rise and fall of businesses, and the rise and fall of change movements within society - where the change movements include such humdingers as Slave Emancipation, Sex Equality, Animal Liberation, and Al Quaeda.

There are many stories running through the book, chosen both from history and from contemporary events. The stories are frequently picked up again from chapter to chapter, with key new insights being drawn out. Some of the stories are familiar and others are not. But the starfish/spider framework casts new light on them all.

Each chapter brought an important additional point to the analysis. For example: factors allowing de-centralised organisations to flourish; how centralised organisations can go about combatting de-centralised opponents; issues about combining aspects of both approaches. (The book argues that smart de-centralisation moves by both GE and Toyota are responsible for significant commercial successes in these companies.)

The book also spoke personally to me. As it explains, starfish organisations depend upon so-called "catalyst" figures, who lack formal authority, and who are prepared to move into the background without clinging to power. There's a big difference between catalysts and CEOs. Think "Mary Poppins" rather than "Maria from Sound of Music". That gave me a handy new way of thinking about my own role in organisations. (I'm like Mary Poppins, rather than Maria!)

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Brief Review of the Starfish and the Spider
This book is highly recommended for leaders of organisations of all kinds. The sub-title in regard to Leaderless Organizations is a misnomer -all organisations have leaders... Read more

Published 4 months ago by K. J. Edmonds

5.0 out of 5 stars The Starfish & The Spider...WOW!
The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations Wow, what an amazing book. I ate up every word of it. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Soleira Green

5.0 out of 5 stars The centre vs the periphery
This is a useful book. It's a meditation on the age old problem of how to get the centre and the periphery of an organisation working together. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Dr. Nicholas P. G. Davies

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