The Starfish and the Spider
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Product Description
Product Description
Cut off a spider's head, and it dies; cut off a starfish's leg and it grows a new one, and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Traditional top-down organisations are like spiders, but now starfish organisations are changing the face of business and the world. What's the hidden power behind the success of Wikipedia and Skype? What does Ebay have in common with the women's rights movement? The authors have discovered some unexpected answers, gripping stories and a tapestry of unlikely connections.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
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!)
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!)
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format: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.
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.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
An intriguing report on how "leaderless organizations" often outperform conventional ones.
13 April 2007
Format:Hardcover
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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Most Recent Customer Reviews
On networked organisations
About networked organisations.
Using some case-studies (like Napster-alikes) the book highlights the differences between spider and star fish type organisations. Read more
Using some case-studies (like Napster-alikes) the book highlights the differences between spider and star fish type organisations. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Peter W. Burden
Content is great - rough cut of pages was poor
The book was advertised as being new, but the pages were rough cut, meaning that some of them were up to 5mm short, so book looks scruffy. Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2010 by Mr. Roger Lane
Really good, just...really really good
If you are looking at this book, you've probably been recommended it by someone, and if you're reading the reviews, you just need convincing that its as good as they said it... Read more
Published on 11 Jan 2010 by A. Dodwell
Unorganized leadership
Normally we think of projects and processes as a result of organized leadership. But sometimes the it's the idea not the leader that make things work. Read more
Published on 21 Nov 2009 by L. Bitsch-Larsen
No so great
On the first page of the book and the back cover are a lot of praises for this book. But most of them are exaggerating the importance of this book. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2009 by Edward
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 on 10 July 2009 by K. J. Edmonds
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 on 9 Mar 2009 by Soleira Green
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 on 10 Nov 2008 by Dr. Nicholas P. G. Davies
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