Welcome to the Monthly Newsletter by Amer Kaissi 

Edition #30, June 2022

“The Power of Giving Away Power” is a gem of a little book. Matthew Barzun pushes back against the typical organizational pyramid (which is the form of every organizational chart), and instead, introduces the idea of a constellation. Thinking in constellations allows leaders to enable many branching parts to evolve naturally, with voluntary engagement and reciprocal commitment. In this type of organization, “power is given away, then grows, then more is given back.”

Barzun provides fascinating examples of organizations and groups that have followed the constellation mindset: Wikipedia, VISA credit card, President Obama’s first presidential campaign, and many other examples where leaders decided to go against conventional thinking, give away their power, and ended up enjoying tremendous success that would not have been possible with a more traditional approach.

The most interesting lesson that I learned from this book was about the life and work of Mary Parker Follet, the mother of modern management and one of the most brilliant minds ever. Warren Bennis wasn’t exaggerating when he said that “just about everything written today about leadership and organizations comes from Mary Parker Follet’s writings and lectures.” Follet died in 1933, but her influence on how we think about organizations, constellations, and power will remain forever.

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Dr. Amer Kaissi is a Top Leadership Keynote Speaker. He speaks about leadership, teams and culture.