Book Review: The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations. by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom

With business savvy under their personal belts, authors Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom offer a wide span of information and experience toward their book entitled, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations. Ori Brafman, with business ventures including a wireless business start-up, an advocacy group and a CEO network, brings a creative, entrepreneurial spirit of deliberate lifetime achievement to his writings. Born in Israel and raised in Texas, Ori is a world traveler, a mastermind catalyst behind many world-wide projects, and a media resource for all forms of business. Co-author Rod Beckstrom is equally as entrepreneurially-gifted. His giftedness in computer analytical systems and companies provide a nice balance in the writing of this book with his co-author. Globally, his research and development involving security have landed him a seat working for the United States Government. His diplomatic efforts globally in Pakistan and India have launched new border trade and initiatives to further peace. He leads and supports many world-wide organizations.
The thesis of the book, The Starfish and the Spider is that through the advent of the internet, traditional businesses and industries have weakened notably through the absence of structure, leadership and formal organization; therefore, giving rise to a new decentralized organizational breed of business and industry. The purpose of this book is to understand the differentiation between a centralized, traditional leader-driven organization and a decentralized, leaderless and ambiguous organization.
The book comprises several unique chapters. In the first chapter, the Recording Industry’s relative maintenance of power will topple the known future with the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of MGM’s control issues. What is compared to the sudden eruption of companies to “burst” expansion is the simple theoretical understanding of the struggle between the Spanish invaders and Apache Indians and the current Alcoholics Anonymous group in reference to both their decentralization of power that expands and increase no matter what angle of defeat. Chapter two introduces the morphology of the starfish and the sudden descent of the spider when attacked. This explains the variable difference between centralized and decentralized organizations. Chapter three reviews current organizations that break into the mold of decentralization. In chapter four, the authors write about operational systems in regards to a decentralized organization: circles, catalyst, ideology, preexisting networks and the champion of new ideas.
Continuing with chapter five, the authors write about the hidden power of the catalyst. Catalyst within a decentralized boundary permits freedom and trust to develop and control the organizational community. This allows effectiveness and ingenuity. In chapter six, using circles as the second leg of decentralization, activists are activated through a catalyst to strike against a centralized organization. With the transformation apparent to turn toward decentralization, circle groups combat centralization to become a decentralized group in efforts to fight equally. Chapter seven suggests that on the way to becoming decentralized, an organizational circle may become a hybrid in an effort to commonly hold both characteristics. Chapter eight moves along a continuum line of centralized and decentralized until a “sweet spot…that yields the best competitive position” [page 189] is achieved. Industries that are based on informational data and anonymity will pull toward decentralization. Industries that are based upon security and accountability will become centralized quickly. Finally, in chapter nine, ten guiding principles maneuver decentralized organizations or move the company closer in defending their territory. It will be about joining forces or a battle that forces change and is counterproductive. Their book closes with an epilogue reiterating the usage of the similar principles of the starfish, the Apaches and the Internet.
Having read this book, I propose two questions to ask the authors about their work: 1) within the realm of a church, is it important to create cross-functional teams to be the catalyst of change or should the visionary be solely responsible for the caring the vision? and 2) Can street mission work prosper from being decentralized by allowing real interaction between church and neighborhood? between individual and individual?
In my own personal context of ministry and church, I tended in the past to perform organizationally as I had been taught in a stable, protestant denominational way. Once I crossed the line from laity to clergy, I began assessing the failures, achievements and growth of the ecclesiological structure. I reached a stark decision! It was not working…this centralized system. Nothing got done; it was only talked about constantly. My decision was to move away from the old institutionalized structure has freed me to move in ways that sparks creativity and spontaneity of choice with my parishioners. I see Living Hope Fellowship as an organization that is decentralized at most, where sharing and power fuel groups and circles to build-up the new start-up church, reach the culture and community, and strive to produce emerging leaders capable of rapid multiplication.
The author’s main theme for their book is to allow the reader, in whatever leadership capacity, to see the unstoppable power of leaderless organizations. It is my hope that LHF will adopt these ten rules with being flexible for God to move in a mighty way throughout our decentralized organization and community. The first attempt of freedom and trust worked in developing our website, created by those gifted in the knowledge of technical savvy. The web team expands the ministry at their pace with little guidance or input with grace and diligence of creativity. They are aware of the church’s perimeters. This is exciting to see happen. I am looking forward to move this church into a decentralized organization. -- Ben Bright

Rev. Ben Bright is the Logistics & Administration Pastor for LHF