The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations.(Brief article)(Book review)

The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations ORI BRAFMAN AND ROD BECKSTROM. Portfolio, $24.95 (240p) ISBN 1-59184-143-7

Brafman and Beckstrom, a pair of Stanford M.B.A.s who have applied their business know-how to promoting peace and economic development through decentralized networking, offer a breezy and entertaining look at how decentralization is changing many organizations. The title metaphor conveys the core concept: though a starfish and a spider have similar shapes, their internal structure is dramatically different--a decapitated spider inevitably dies, while a starfish can regenerate itself from a single amputated leg. In …