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

Brafman, Ori; Beckstrom, Rod A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1591841437 ISBN 13: 9781591841432

Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover, 2006

Synopsis

If you cut off a spider’s leg, it’s crippled; if you cut off its 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.

What’s the hidden power behind the success of Wikipedia, craigslist, and Skype? What do eBay and General Electric have in common with the abolitionist and women’s rights movements? What fundamental choice put General Motors and Toyota on vastly different paths? How could winning a Supreme Court case be the biggest mistake MGM could have made?

After five years of ground-breaking research, Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom share some unexpected answers, gripping stories, and a tapestry of unlikely connections. The Starfish and the Spider argues that organizations fall into two categories: traditional “spiders,” which have a rigid hierarchy and top-down leadership, and revolutionary “starfish,” which rely on the power of peer relationships.

The Starfish and the Spider explores what happens when starfish take on spiders (such as the music industry vs. Napster, Kazaa, and the P2P services that followed). It reveals how established companies and institutions, from IBM to Intuit to the US government, are also learning how to incorporate starfish principles to achieve success. The book explores:

* How the Apaches fended off the powerful Spanish army for 200 years
* The power of a simple circle
* The importance of catalysts who have an uncanny ability to bring people together
* How the Internet has become a breeding ground for leaderless organizations
* How Alcoholics Anonymous has reached untold millions with only a shared ideology and without a leader

The Starfish and the Spider is the rare book that will change how you understand the world around you.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Advance praise for The Starfish and the Spider

"The Starfish and the Spider is a compelling and important book, rich with examples of how decentralization is fundamental to what I call the 'right environment'--one that promotes equal access, rich connections and 'skin in the game' for participants."
--Pierre Omidyar CEO, Omidyar Network; Founder and Chairman, eBay Inc.

"The Starfish and the Spider, like Blink, The Tipping Point, and The Wisdom of Crowds before it, showed me a provocative new way to look at the world and at business. It's also fun to read! It's a quick read, but a profound one. Every CEO should think about what aspects of catalyst leadership they embody, or can embody, for the good of their company."
--Robin Wolaner, author of Naked in the Boardroom

"A fantastic read. Constantly weaving stories and connections. You'll never see the world the same way again."
--Nicholas J. Nicholas, Former Co-CEO of Time-Warner

"A must read. Starfish are changing the face of business and society. This page-turner is provocative and compelling."
--David Martin, CEO of YPO International

"Starfish provides a powerful perceptual prism for understanding the patterns and potential of self-organizing systems."
--Steve Jurvetson, Partner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson

"Starfish lifts the lid on a massive revolution in the making, a revolution certain to reshape every organization on the planet from bridge clubs to global governments. Brafman and Beckstrom elegantly describe what is afoot and and offer a wealth of insights that will be invaluable to anyone starting something new--or rescuing something old--amidst this vast shift."
--Paul Saffo Director, Institute For The Future

"The Starfish and the Spider is great reading. [It has] not only stimulated my thinking, but as a result of the reading, I proposed ten action points for my own organization."
--Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum, Davos

"Starfish challenges the command and control economy with the power of participatory consumers. From eBay to Google, Skype to Craig's List, inspired individuals are catalyzing a marked shift from hierarchies to the wisdom of crowds. Ori and Rod provide sharp insights into how to avoid becoming the next victim of this market populism; or if you are so inclined, the strategies to take on those vulnerable incumbents."
--Randy Komisar, Author, Stanford Professor, and Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers Partner

"I just read The Starfish and the Spider a second time. I am writing a Board paper asking my Board to approve a completely new top management structure. I have borrowed heavily from your thoughts, and feel even in an age-old bricks and mortar industry, we can apply some of the leaderless organization rules to grow faster and be significant to our members and our communities."
--Pradeep Paunrana, CEO, Athi River Mining, Ltd., publicly listed Kenya Company

"It is my pleasure to endorse The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom. Reading The Starfish and the Spider is like jumping into the minds of two visionaries who can see possibilities for our world that others can not hope to even imagine. But the great thrill of this book is that these two authors are visionaries who have already achieved extraordinary accomplishments in this world - they know how to make visions incarnate. That's why you need to read this book. They see the world the way it can be."
--Caroline Myss, Author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Sacred Contracts

"In addition to being highly readable and highly entertaining, Beckstrom and Brafman make a strong case for the leaderless organization, an approach that is too often unappreciated in today's world."
--Robert Leaf, Former Chairman, Burson Marsteller International

"The Starfish and the Spider is an intelligent and compellingly written exposition of the importance of decentralization in our lives, culture and economy. The authors' weaving of neurochemistry with economics sociology and psychology entertained and educated me and will do the same for anyone who wants to learn."
--Frederic Luskin, Ph.D. Director Stanford Forgiveness Projects... Author Forgive for Good

"Starfish represents an important framework for understanding and mastering distributed leadership."
--David Whorton, Managing Director, Tugboat Ventures

"How do you *think* about running your organization in a world where customers openly share their opinions of your business without you controlling the dialog? Is your mentality starfish or spider driven? Read about insightful examples and consequences of paths companies, governments, and social groups have pursued."
--Edward A. Smith, VP of Marketing, Clickshift

"Before I read The Starfish and The Spider, I often felt like I was bobbing alone in a sea of old ideas in how I chose to manifest and guide an organization or project. Now my instincts are affirmed and I go forth with greater insight, confidence and words to articulate my ideas. And of course, I am on the lookout for other starfish."
--Kimberly Carlisle, The Carlisle Enterprise and The Flag Foundation

"This book explains clearly and simply the power of decentralized organization. If decentralized organization sounds like an oxymoron, read on! This is a powerful new organizational model and Brafman and Beckstrom demonstrate how and why it is taking industries by storm."
--Steve Farrell, Former CEO, Enterprise Networking Systems Inc.

"This is one of those books that is so striking, that I keep bringing it up in conversations. As the head of an international nonprofit, the insights into non-hierarchical organizations are not just valuable, they're essential to our work in the future."
--Jim Fruchterman CEO, Benetech

"I'd suggest adding to the list the upcoming The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations, by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom. It's another great look at how we can often be more effective by subverting hierarchy rather than following it."
--Scott Allen The Ubiquitous Librarian *Blog

"I actually finished it within 48 hours of receiving it, but wanted to re-read and think about it more...it is amazing and continues to give me much to consider - something happens every other day that makes me think about the concepts. Bravo!"
--Jessica Flannery, Co-founder Kiva.org

About the Author

Ori Brafman is a lifelong entrepreneur.  His adventures include a wireless startup, health food advocacy group, and a network of CEOs working on public benefit projects, which he co-founded with Rod Beckstrom.   He holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford Business School.

Rod A. Beckstrom is a serial start-up entrepreneur. He founded CATS Software Inc, which he took public and has helped start and build other high tech firms.  Rod has served on various private and nonprofit boards.  He holds a BA and MBA from Stanford and is a Fulbright Scholar.

About this edition

• Publisher: Portfolio Hardcover
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1591841437
• ISBN 13: 9781591841432
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240