And finally the summary of the last talk of the day. Rod Beckström wants to leave us with a new toolkit for managing organizations. He uses an interesting metaphor by comparing the organization of the spider and that of the starfish. The starfish is a typical example of a decentralized creature. If you cut of a leg, it just grows on again. And from a single starfish leg, a whole new starfish can grow. On the other hand we have the spider. And we all know what happens if you cut of a leg of the spider: a crippled spider. Transponed to a managerial organizational model, you are better of with a decentralized organization.

These organizations are formidable opponents, as examples of the Apaches in the 19th century and the terrorist organization Al Qaeda shows. Worse, even if you capture the leader, the organization will still function. Fortunately, organizations and society move in cycles from decentralization to centralized organized and back again to decentralization. A nice example is the music industry: at the end of the 19th century, the only way to enjoy a musical performance was to go to one the hundred thousands of performances around the world. Very decentralized indeed. Then came the phonograph and radio. In 1945, not more than 15 publishing companies accounted for more than 80% of all the music sales. In 1980, this number had decreased to 5 major labels. Then came Napster, Kazaa and Bittorrent. Now we are on a fast track again towards a decentralized music community.

(screenshot from Frankwatching)
Beckstrom describes five denominators of a decentralized organization

• Passion
• Catalysts (people with passion, such as Craig from Craigslist)
• Shared values (ideology_
• Circles - the core organizing unit
• Protocols: what does it take to be a member

Beckstrom concludes his story by noting that the next generation leaders are catalysts instead of hierarchical leaders; they support decentralized units of organisation instead of being the centerpiece of an organisation. Look at the way Skype, Ebay and Paypal are organized. He gives us some homework, look at your own organisation and look how it’s organized. Are you ready for the 21st century?