Introduction
In his thought-provoking book "The Power of Giving Away Power," Matthew Barzun challenges our traditional notions of power and leadership. He argues that the hierarchical, top-down approach to power - what he calls the "pyramid" mindset - is outdated and ineffective in today's complex world. Instead, Barzun proposes a new model: the "constellation" mindset, where power is shared and distributed among many individuals working towards a common goal.
Drawing from history, business, politics, and his own experiences as a diplomat and entrepreneur, Barzun makes a compelling case for why we need to rethink our approach to power. He shows how sharing power can lead to greater innovation, engagement, and success in various fields.
This book is a call to action for leaders, managers, and anyone interested in creating more effective and humane organizations. It offers a fresh perspective on how we can harness the collective power of individuals to achieve remarkable things.
The Pyramid vs. The Constellation
Barzun introduces two contrasting models of power: the pyramid and the constellation.
The Pyramid Mindset
The pyramid represents the traditional hierarchical structure we're all familiar with:
- Power is concentrated at the top
- Decisions flow from top to bottom
- Roles are rigidly defined
- Focus is on individual achievement
- Leaders maintain control and authority
This model has dominated our thinking about power for centuries. It's how most businesses, governments, and organizations are structured. The pyramid offers a sense of stability and clear lines of authority. However, Barzun argues that it's becoming increasingly ineffective in our rapidly changing world.
The Constellation Mindset
In contrast, the constellation represents a more distributed and collaborative approach to power:
- Power is shared among many individuals
- Decision-making is decentralized
- Roles are flexible and evolving
- Focus is on collective achievement
- Leaders empower others and facilitate collaboration
The constellation mindset allows for more creativity, adaptability, and engagement. It harnesses the diverse talents and perspectives of many individuals working towards a shared goal.
The Great Seal: A Tale of Two Mindsets
To illustrate these contrasting approaches, Barzun tells the fascinating story of the Great Seal of the United States.
When the founding fathers declared independence in 1776, they realized they needed a symbol to represent their new nation. The process of creating this "Great Seal" embodied the constellation mindset:
- Multiple committees and individuals contributed ideas
- Different perspectives were integrated over time
- The final design emerged through collaboration
The front of the seal, featuring an eagle and the motto "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of many, one), perfectly captured this spirit of unity through diversity.
However, there was also a reverse side to the seal, depicting a pyramid with the motto "Novus Ordo Seclorum" (New order of the ages). This side wasn't used until the 1930s when President Franklin D. Roosevelt rediscovered it.
For FDR, the pyramid represented stability, authority, and centralized power - exactly what he felt was needed during the Great Depression. He had it placed on the one-dollar bill, alongside the original constellation-inspired design.
This duality in the Great Seal symbolizes the ongoing tension between the pyramid and constellation mindsets in American culture and beyond.
The Rise of the Pyramid
Barzun argues that over time, the pyramid mindset has come to dominate our thinking about power and leadership. We've become increasingly reliant on hierarchical structures and top-down decision-making. This shift has occurred for several reasons:
Desire for certainty: The pyramid offers a clear chain of command and defined roles, which can be comforting in uncertain times.
Efficiency: Centralized decision-making can sometimes lead to faster action, especially in crisis situations.
Cultural reinforcement: Our education system, media, and business culture often celebrate strong individual leaders rather than collaborative efforts.
Fear of chaos: There's a common belief that without strict hierarchies, organizations would descend into disorder.
However, Barzun contends that this over-reliance on the pyramid mindset is holding us back. It stifles creativity, disengages employees, and fails to leverage the full potential of human collaboration.
The Power of Constellations
Barzun provides numerous examples of how the constellation mindset can lead to remarkable achievements:
Wikipedia vs. Encarta
The story of Wikipedia's triumph over Microsoft's Encarta encyclopedia perfectly illustrates the power of the constellation approach:
- Encarta (pyramid): Relied on a small group of experts, slow to update, limited in scope.
- Wikipedia (constellation): Leverages contributions from millions of users, constantly evolving, vast breadth of knowledge.
Despite having far fewer resources, Wikipedia's open, collaborative model allowed it to quickly surpass Encarta in both size and relevance.
Obama's 2008 Campaign
As a fundraising strategist for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, Barzun witnessed firsthand the effectiveness of the constellation mindset:
- Traditional approach (pyramid): Focus on big donors, centralized control of resources and messaging.
- Obama's approach (constellation): Empowered thousands of small donors and volunteers, decentralized organizing.
The campaign's unofficial slogan - "respect, empower, include" - embodied this collaborative spirit. By giving supporters the tools and freedom to self-organize, the campaign achieved unprecedented levels of engagement and grassroots support.
Cities as Constellations
Barzun draws on the work of urban theorist Jane Jacobs to show how great cities grow organically, like constellations:
- Cities aren't centrally planned, but emerge from the interactions of many individuals and communities.
- The best neighborhoods have a fractal-like quality, with patterns repeating at different scales.
- This self-similar structure allows cities to adapt and grow without a master plan.
These examples demonstrate how constellations can harness collective intelligence and energy in ways that rigid hierarchies cannot.
Mary Parker Follett: Pioneer of Collaborative Leadership
Barzun introduces us to Mary Parker Follett, a largely forgotten thinker who pioneered many of the ideas behind the constellation mindset. Born in 1868, Follett developed groundbreaking theories on organizational behavior and leadership:
Power-with vs. Power-over: Follett distinguished between coercive power (power-over) and collaborative power (power-with). She believed true leadership involved creating power together, not imposing it from above.
Integration over Compromise: In conflicts, Follett advocated for integration - finding creative solutions that satisfy all parties - rather than mere compromise.
The Importance of Groups: She recognized the unique power of small groups to generate new ideas and solve problems.
Circular Response: Follett observed that in human interactions, we constantly influence and are influenced by others, creating a dynamic, evolving system.
The Law of the Situation: Instead of relying on hierarchical authority, Follett believed decisions should be based on the specific circumstances and expertise relevant to each situation.
These ideas were revolutionary for their time and continue to be relevant today. Follett's work laid the foundation for many modern management concepts, including participative leadership and organizational learning.
Building Special Relationships
A key aspect of the constellation mindset is fostering what Barzun calls "special relationships." These are connections that go beyond transactional interactions and allow for true collaboration and co-creation.
Characteristics of special relationships:
- Mutual respect and trust
- Openness to new ideas
- Willingness to be changed by the interaction
- Focus on shared goals rather than individual gain
Barzun argues that these special relationships are crucial for creating the "fruitful friction" that leads to innovation and progress. He contrasts them with routine relationships, which are based on fixed roles and expectations.
To build special relationships, Barzun recommends the A.L.S.O. formula:
- Ask others what they think
- Link their experiences to your own
- Serve the relationship
- Open up and share your own thoughts and feelings
By cultivating these deeper connections, leaders can create constellations of engaged individuals working towards common goals.
Interdependence: The Key to Effective Teams
Building on Follett's ideas, Barzun emphasizes the importance of interdependence in successful organizations. This concept goes beyond mere teamwork:
- Interdependence recognizes that individuals are both independent and interconnected.
- It allows for autonomy while fostering collaboration.
- Team members rely on each other's strengths and compensate for weaknesses.
Barzun cites research by Google showing that interdependence was the most important factor in determining team effectiveness. Teams that understood how their work impacted others and actively sought input from colleagues consistently outperformed those that didn't.
To foster interdependence, leaders should:
- Clearly communicate how each person's work contributes to the overall mission.
- Encourage cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing.
- Create opportunities for team members to develop personal connections.
- Recognize and reward collaborative efforts, not just individual achievements.
By embracing interdependence, organizations can create resilient, adaptive constellations capable of tackling complex challenges.
Harnessing the Energy of Uncertainty
One of the most powerful aspects of the constellation mindset is its ability to thrive in uncertain environments. While pyramids seek to eliminate uncertainty through rigid control, constellations can actually harness it as a source of energy and innovation.
Barzun uses the metaphor of hunting versus farming to illustrate this difference:
- Hunting (pyramid): Seeks to capture specific, known targets. Relies on top-down planning and execution.
- Farming (constellation): Plants many seeds, nurtures growth, and adapts to changing conditions. Embraces uncertainty as part of the process.
The Obama campaign's fundraising strategy exemplified this farming approach. By empowering thousands of small donors rather than focusing on a few big ones, they created a resilient, growing network of support.
Other examples of harnessing uncertainty:
- Startups that use agile development methods to rapidly iterate and adapt their products.
- Scientific research that follows unexpected results to make breakthrough discoveries.
- Artists who embrace improvisation and happy accidents in their creative process.
Leaders who adopt the constellation mindset learn to:
- Frame uncertainty as an opportunity for growth and learning.
- Encourage experimentation and calculated risk-taking.
- Create flexible structures that can adapt to changing circumstances.
- Foster a culture where failure is seen as a valuable source of information.
By embracing uncertainty, constellations can tap into the collective creativity and problem-solving abilities of their members.
The Challenge of Unlearning
Barzun acknowledges that shifting from a pyramid to a constellation mindset is not easy. We've been conditioned to think in hierarchical terms for so long that it takes conscious effort to change our approach.
He shares his own experience with Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, where he noticed a subtle shift back towards a more traditional, top-down approach. The campaign's unofficial slogan changed from "respect, empower, include" to "respect, empower, include, win" - subtly prioritizing victory over collaboration.
This backsliding is common, even among those who intellectually understand the benefits of the constellation approach. Barzun identifies several reasons for this:
- Comfort with familiar structures
- Short-term pressures that favor quick, centralized decisions
- Ego and the desire for personal recognition
- Fear of losing control
To overcome these challenges, Barzun suggests:
- Regularly reminding ourselves and others of the benefits of shared power
- Creating systems and rituals that reinforce constellation thinking
- Celebrating collective achievements rather than individual heroics
- Practicing giving away power in small ways to build confidence
It's an ongoing process that requires patience and persistence, but the rewards are worth the effort.
Redefining Leadership for the Future
As we move towards a more interconnected and rapidly changing world, Barzun argues that we need to fundamentally rethink what it means to be a leader. The traditional image of the strong, decisive individual at the top of the pyramid is becoming increasingly obsolete.
Instead, effective leaders in the constellation model:
- Act as facilitators and connectors, bringing people and ideas together
- Create environments where others can thrive and contribute their best work
- Listen deeply and integrate diverse perspectives
- Share credit and celebrate collective achievements
- Remain humble and open to learning from others
Barzun cites research showing that many of the world's most successful companies are led by individuals who exhibit these qualities. These leaders are often described as humble or even shy, but they excel at motivating and empowering their teams.
To cultivate this new type of leadership, Barzun suggests we need to change the messages we send to young people. He proposes reframing common graduation speech themes:
- "Don't give up" becomes "Give up power - to make more for everyone"
- "Embrace failure" becomes "Embrace uncertainty"
- "Work hard" becomes "Work through hard things together"
By shifting our focus from individual achievement to collective empowerment, we can create leaders better equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern world.
The Way Forward: Embracing the Constellation Mindset
In concluding his book, Barzun makes a passionate case for why we need to embrace the constellation mindset now more than ever:
Complexity: The challenges we face - from climate change to economic inequality - are too complex for top-down solutions. We need to harness the collective intelligence of diverse groups.
Engagement: People, especially younger generations, crave more meaningful involvement in their work and communities. The constellation approach offers a way to tap into this desire for purpose and connection.
Innovation: In a rapidly changing world, we need the creativity and adaptability that constellations provide. Rigid hierarchies simply can't keep up.
Human potential: By unlocking the full potential of individuals working together, we can achieve far more than through command-and-control structures.
Ethical imperative: Sharing power is not just more effective - it's the right thing to do. It aligns with our deepest values of democracy, equality, and human dignity.
Barzun acknowledges that making this shift won't be easy. It requires us to let go of deeply ingrained habits and beliefs about power. But he argues that the potential rewards - for individuals, organizations, and society as a whole - are immense.
He encourages readers to start small:
- Practice giving away power in your daily interactions
- Look for opportunities to foster special relationships
- Celebrate the achievements of groups rather than just individuals
- Be open to being changed by others' ideas and perspectives
Over time, these small actions can create a ripple effect, gradually shifting our collective approach to power and leadership.
Final Thoughts
"The Power of Giving Away Power" is a timely and important book that challenges us to rethink fundamental assumptions about how we organize ourselves and achieve great things. Barzun's constellation model offers a compelling alternative to the outdated pyramid structures that dominate much of our world.
By weaving together historical examples, personal anecdotes, and cutting-edge research, Barzun makes a persuasive case for the transformative potential of shared power. His ideas have profound implications for how we approach leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving across all areas of life.
While the book doesn't provide a step-by-step guide for implementing these ideas, it offers a powerful framework for reimagining our relationships and organizations. It's a call to action for anyone who believes we can create more effective, humane, and fulfilling ways of working together.
As we face increasingly complex global challenges, the constellation mindset may be exactly what we need to unlock our collective potential and build a better future. Barzun's work invites us to see the power in others and in ourselves - and to use that power not for domination, but for co-creation and shared success.