Listen to a sample
The Power of Giving Away Power
- Author
- Matthew Barzun
- Narrator
- Matthew Barzun
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Publish Date
- 10 June 2021
- Run Time
- 4 hours 49 minutes
- Format
- x-book®
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
How do great leaders thrive in uncertain times? By changing their mindsets about power.
“A leadership manifesto like you’ve never read before. Every page is eye-opening, provocative and energising.” Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit
“This book is a breakthrough. I’m buying a dozen copies to share with friends and colleagues.” Seth Godin, author of The Practice
“Matthew Barzun might well be the first modest man to write a great book on leadership. This is a gift.” Richard Thaler, Novel Prize laureate and co-author of Nudge
__________
What if the biggest obstacle to organizational performance is your leadership structure itself?
For decades, we've debated top-down versus bottom-up leadership. But both approaches trap organizations in the same outdated shape: the Pyramid. The Pyramid, with its hoarded authority and rigid hierarchies, blocks the innovation, agility, and engagement that modern businesses desperately need.
The alternative is Constellations: a fundamentally different organizational model that distributes power strategically rather than centralizing it.
Drawing on his experience as an entrepreneur, political campaigner, and U.S. Ambassador, Matthew Barzun reveals how the Constellation approach transforms teams into dynamic networks where each member operates as both an autonomous leader and an integrated collaborator.
What you'll learn:
- Why conventional hierarchy fails at speed, creativity, and talent retention
- How to structure teams as interconnected networks that scale without bureaucracy
- Why giving away power multiplies your influence and organizational capacity
These principles drove a digital payments revolution, built the world's largest encyclopaedia, and reinvented political organizing. Barzun distils case studies from Visa, Wikipedia, and Obama's presidential campaigns into actionable insights for leaders navigating complexity, managing distributed teams, and building cultures of innovation.
The Power of Giving Away Power shows you how to lead by distributing authority. The question is whether you can afford not to.
__________
“An extraordinary book about human flourishing, about linking properly to the best bits of ourselves and others to move mountains. Enlightening and brain reviving.” Alain de Botton
‘A brilliant challenge to conventions that have held back organisations for decades and a crisp playbook for making distributed leadership work for everyone.” Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer of Netflix
Critics Review
-
“A leadership manifesto like you’ve never read before. Every page is eye-opening, provocative and energising.” Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit
-
“Matthew Barzun might well be the first modest man to write a great book on leadership. This is a gift.” Richard Thaler, Novel Prize laureate and co-author of Nudge
-
“An extraordinary book about human flourishing, about linking properly to the best bits of ourselves and others to move mountains. Enlightening and brain reviving.” Alain de Botton
-
“An incredibly timely book and blueprint into how power and leadership should operate across the world.” Sir David Adjaye, OBE
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
‘A brilliant challenge to conventions that have held back organisations for decades and a crisp playbook for making distributed leadership work for everyone.” Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer of Netflix
-
“With compelling personal and historical stories Barzun artfully makes the case for replacing the ‘Great Man’ myth of leadership through empowering others.” Professor Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor, University of Oxford
-
“Bursting with insight, vision and creativity, The Power of Giving Away Power is a groundbreaking analysis of political leadership. Drawing on an unparalleled pedigree of experience, Barzun proves that we can build a better future if we build it together.” David Lammy
-
“As we grapple with the challenges facing the world, we need to build bridges across cultures and communities. With The Power of Giving Away Power, Matthew Barzun presents a type and quality of leadership that is inspiring, thoughtful – and incredible timely.” Baroness Valerie Amos
-
“This book is a breakthrough. It’s beautifully written, perfectly timed, and heralds a new way forward. I’m buying a dozen copies to share with friends and colleagues.” Seth Godin, founder of altMBA and author of The Practice
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Matthew Barzun
- Narrator
- Matthew Barzun
- Duration
- 4 hours 49 minutes
- Release Date
- 10 June 2021
- ISBN
- 9780008471729
- Format
- x-book®
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Genre
- Business ethics and social responsibility, Management: leadership and motivation, Organizational theory and behaviour, Occupational and industrial psychology, Advice on careers and achieving success, Assertiveness, motivation, self-esteem and positive mental attitude
Synopsis
How do great leaders thrive in uncertain times? By changing their mindsets about power. “A leadership manifesto like you’ve never read before. Every page is eye-opening, provocative and energising.” Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit “This book is a breakthrough. I’m buying a dozen copies to share with friends and colleagues.” Seth Godin, author of The Practice “Matthew Barzun might well be the first modest man to write a great book on leadership. This is a gift.” Richard Thaler, Novel Prize laureate and co-author of Nudge __________ What if the biggest obstacle to organizational performance is your leadership structure itself? For decades, we've debated top-down versus bottom-up leadership. But both approaches trap organizations in the same outdated shape: the Pyramid. The Pyramid, with its hoarded authority and rigid hierarchies, blocks the innovation, agility, and engagement that modern businesses desperately need. The alternative is Constellations: a fundamentally different organizational model that distributes power strategically rather than centralizing it. Drawing on his experience as an entrepreneur, political campaigner, and U.S. Ambassador, Matthew Barzun reveals how the Constellation approach transforms teams into dynamic networks where each member operates as both an autonomous leader and an integrated collaborator. What you'll learn: Why conventional hierarchy fails at speed, creativity, and talent retention How to structure teams as interconnected networks that scale without bureaucracy Why giving away power multiplies your influence and organizational capacity These principles drove a digital payments revolution, built the world's largest encyclopaedia, and reinvented political organizing. Barzun distils case studies from Visa, Wikipedia, and Obama's presidential campaigns into actionable insights for leaders navigating complexity, managing distributed teams, and building cultures of innovation. The Power of Giving Away Power shows you how to lead by distributing authority. The question is whether you can afford not to. __________ “An extraordinary book about human flourishing, about linking properly to the best bits of ourselves and others to move mountains. Enlightening and brain reviving.” Alain de Botton ‘A brilliant challenge to conventions that have held back organisations for decades and a crisp playbook for making distributed leadership work for everyone.” Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and chief content officer of Netflix
About xigxag and the x-book®
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
Our x-book® format is the only fully integrated listen-and-read experience available. See the text on screen as you listen, look up words, take notes, search within the book, and share quotes. It is especially useful for accessibility, language learning, and getting more from non-fiction. Look for the purple x-book® ribbon on the cover, or filter your search by "x-book" to find them.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.