Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom, in their book The Starfish and the Spider, make a
compelling argument for the power of leaderless organizations. They
point to examples like Al Quieda and Alcoholics Anonymous to
illustrate how much can be accomplished when a network is left to its
own devices without a centralized command structure.
Today I had the opportunity to sit in an orchestra. It was an incredible experience. At one point the conductor left the stage and asked the orchestra to play a piece without him. Each group of musicians responded to those around them and the result was beautiful. Was it better with a conductor. Perhaps. But I was amazed at how well the orchestra played without one. The point is they didn't need him up there to make great music, but he was able to bring out the best in them.
That's what a great leader is like.
