Tag: Power Sharing
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The Power to Resist: How Self-Managed Teams Offer an Alternative to Oppression
The world is shifting, and not always in the direction of progress. We are watching, in real time, as command-and-control leaders attempt to consolidate power, erode protections, and enforce top-down compliance–both in government and in organizations. Oppression thrives in rigid hierarchies, where those at the top dictate the fates of those below and where fear…
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New Year, New Team: Micro-Experiments to Grow as a Leader
The start of a new year often feels like a fresh chapter—a chance to reset, reflect, and embrace growth. For new managers or leaders looking to strengthen their skills and connect more deeply with their teams, this moment offers an opportunity to experiment with new leadership approaches. Leadership isn’t just about authority or decision-making; it’s…
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Resolutions for Resilience: Exploring Self-Management in 2025
As the new year approaches, it’s tradition to reflect on the past twelve months and set resolutions for the year ahead. These resolutions often focus on our personal growth—getting healthier, saving more, learning something new. But what if we extended this practice to our organizations? What kinds of resolutions could our teams and workplaces make…
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Making the Leap: How to Prepare Your Organization for Self-Management
The idea of self-management can feel both inspiring and intimidating. It promises greater autonomy, shared accountability, and a workplace where trust, transparency, and collaboration replace rigid hierarchies. But how do you get there? If you’re contemplating this transformation in 2025, you’re not alone. Organizations across industries are realizing that traditional power structures often stifle creativity…
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Cultivating Empowered Teams: The Key to a Thriving Business
Imagine your team like a garden. You can choose to plant each seed in a neat little row, fencing them in with strict boundaries, hoping they’ll grow on their own. Or, you could prepare rich soil, give each plant room to spread, provide the water, nutrients, and sunlight they need, and watch as they grow…
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Celebrating a Decade of Frederic Laloux’s Reinventing Organizations: A Personal Tribute
“As human beings, we are not problems waiting to be solved, but potential waiting to unfold.” – Frederic Laloux This week marks the 10-year anniversary of Frederic Laloux’s groundbreaking book Reinventing Organizations. As I reflect on the impact the book has had on my personal and professional journey, I feel a deep sense of gratitude.…
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Horizontal Leadership: A Gateway to Self-Management
If you’ve ever felt stuck in a bureaucratic organization, trapped by rigid hierarchies, or stifled by an “it’s not my job” culture, you’re not alone. Many of us have experienced the limitations of traditional top-down leadership—where decisions are made far away from the real work, and agility is a far-off dream. But what if I…
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From Boss to Coach: Easing into Self-Management
In traditional, hierarchical organizations, leadership is often synonymous with control—leaders issue directives, make high-level decisions, and manage subordinates. However, in self-managed teams, leadership takes on an entirely new form. For those transitioning from hierarchical organizations to self-managed ones, this shift can feel daunting, even threatening. Many leaders, especially those with long-standing experience in executive roles,…
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Reimagining Work: Roles vs. Job Titles
One thing that has been consistent over my years managing technology teams is that people generally thrive when they have the chance to learn new things while contributing something of value. The routine of doing the same tasks every day can quickly become a grind, leading to boredom and disengagement. It’s especially frustrating when you…
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Distributing Decision-Making: The Road to True Empowerment
I was talking with a friend and former colleague recently who is in an executive role at a manufacturing company. I asked him what some of his biggest organizational challenges were, and he said he was having the most trouble with empowering people to make decisions. It wasn’t because he was unable or unwilling to…