<![CDATA[The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations]]>

false <![CDATA[The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1167321524m/21314.jpg 21314 6 Understanding 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 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. BACKCOVER: Advance praise for The Starfish and the Spider The Starfish and the Spider is a compelling and important book. Pierre Omidyar, CEO, Omidyar Network and 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! Robin Wolaner, founder, Parenting Magazine and author, 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 Jr., former Co-CEO, Time Warner A must-read. Starfish are changing the face of business and society. This page-turner is provocative and compelling. David Martin, CEO, Young Presidents' Organization The Starfish and the Spider provides a powerful prism for understanding the patterns and potential of self-organizing systems. Steve Jurvetson, Partner, Draper Fisher Jurvetson The Starfish and the Spider 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 offer a wealth of insights that will be invaluable to anyone starting something newor rescuing something oldamidst 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." Professor Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum 3014004 5 10 2006 The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations total:286|5:78|4:105|3:75|2:20|1:8| 286 1083 566 83 4 1 false false Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 30 04:25:15 -0700 2007 Thu Aug 30 04:28:18 -0700 2007
The Starfish and the Spider—the unstoppable power of leaderless organizations by Ori Brafman and Rod A Beckstrom

If you want to know about organizations like YWAM, read this book.

This book is an excellent story about centralized, decentralized and hy...more...]]> 4 1 false true Fri May 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 22 14:02:26 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 22 14:45:47 -0700 2009
quick book on the power of decentralization. goes well with brave new war.

Quotes:

"...more...]]> 0 1 false false Tue Jun 02 10:49:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 02 11:24:56 -0700 2009
The overleaf of this book says, “If you cut off a spider’s head, it dies; but if you cut off a starfish’s leg, it grows a new one, and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Traditional top-down organizations are like spiders, but now starfish or...more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sun Apr 12 16:45:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 12 16:55:45 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 2 false false Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Jul 16 20:06:16 -0700 2007 Sun Feb 03 13:19:43 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Aug 17 14:18:30 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 17 14:26:23 -0700 2009
My greatest issue with Brafman's ideas ...more...]]> 5 1 false false Mon Nov 03 10:27:24 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 03 10:28:33 -0800 2008 4 1 false false Tue Sep 01 12:54:05 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 13:11:09 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 20:25:27 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 20:31:15 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Aug 05 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 14 06:43:45 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 14 06:43:45 -0700 2009
When I started this book, I thought it was going to be a re-hash of the "new organization" I've read before. I'm glad I continued reading, as the authors do an excellent job of showing how the "new organization" isn't ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 25 19:39:43 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 25 19:45:42 -0800 2009 The Head of the Church - Jesus Chris...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Apr 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 19 19:59:14 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 19 20:09:11 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 08 20:57:16 -0700 2008 Wed Oct 08 21:15:51 -0700 2008
I just started an awesome new job which affords me two days a week of reading for pleasure at work! Unbelievable, no? It is truly the greatest. (The other two days I work, I spend all of my time on my feet caring for AWESOME animals!)

This book...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Aug 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 18 17:35:54 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 18 17:39:15 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 13 17:24:19 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 13 17:39:00 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Apr 22 14:24:55 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 14:29:04 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Jul 27 19:45:03 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 27 19:53:20 -0700 2008
My learning from this book is simple; it'...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Apr 22 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 04:24:40 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 22 04:25:34 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun May 11 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 08 17:31:52 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 08 17:34:28 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Oct 30 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 19 05:02:43 -0700 2008 Thu Oct 30 16:35:47 -0700 2008 1 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=21314