The Power of Giving Away Power
Matthew Barzun
If you let go of hierarchy, chaos will reign…or so many leaders believe. But when leaders find the courage to distribute power—rather than hoard it—creativity multiplies, trust deepens, inclusivity expands, and a new kind of order emerges.
Barzun brilliantly layers lessons across history and industries with his own experiences as an internet entrepreneur, political organizer, and US ambassador to the United Kingdom and Sweden. The Power of Giving Away Power shows how the Constellation mindset shines in some of the most impactful organizations and innovations the world has ever known. And it encourages us all to recognize, as Barzun writes, “the power we can create by seeing the power in others,” and making the leap to lead together.
I had the opportunity to meet Matthew during the time he was the ambassador in Britain. Whenever we would have occasion to talk, I would scramble to find a pen and paper so I could take notes on everything he said. This was why I asked Matthew to write a book for Optimism Press.
Meet Matthew
Matthew Barzun has always been fascinated about how we can stand out and fit in at the same time. He helped countries do both when he served as US ambassador to the United Kingdom and to Sweden. He helped citizens do both as National Finance Chair for Barack Obama by pioneering new ways for people to have a stronger voice in politics. And he helped tech consumers do both as an entrepreneur when he helped build CNET Networks in the early 90s.