Starfish or Spider

Do you like firm structured organizations? Apparently they are extinct. But what happens when a starfish tries to take out another starfish?

Today's Fishbowl was hosted by Ori Brafman a 31 year old MBA from Stanford. His bio along with his co-author is pretty fascinating. One of the funny points in his talk was about YouTube - to illustrate his point he showed this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpA2tMrQ4RU Now you are one of the millions who have seen this but not the President's most recent TV appearane.

Teaser:
If you cut off a spiderÂ’s leg, itÂ’s crippled; if you cut off its head, it dies. But if you cut off a starfishÂ’s leg it grows a new one, and the old leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. WhatÂ’s the hidden power behind the success of Wikipedia, craigslist, and Skype? After five years of ground-breaking research, Ori Brafman shares 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:

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

Born in Israel and raised in Texas, Ori Brafman has been a lifelong entrepreneur. He holds a BA in Peace and Conflict Studies from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Stanford UniversityÂ’s Graduate School of Business. After the events of 9/11, Ori co-founded Global Peace Networks, which catalyzed a network of CEOs working on conflict resolution and economic development. These small circles of CEOs collaborated in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa. There was no hierarchy or rigid structure. Rather, the circles worked independently on their own projects. His experiences with Global Peace Networks led him to write The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations.

Wanna buy it? Go to The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations