Holacracy

March 23, 2015
As this illuminating business manual relates, HolacracyOne founder Robertson started his company in order to help other leaders prepare their companies for growth and scale. According to him, businesspeople need to be able to react promptly and improve quickly, and the current model—top-down; “predict-and-control”—is not fast or agile enough. The “Holacracy” technique was created to address this need. It comprises a “constitution” for the redistribution of power within the company, a revamp of company structure and hierarchy, an overhauled decision-making process, and a revised model for meetings and communication. The book accordingly leads readers through the process of redistributing authority and improving decision-making, which involves shifting from personal leadership to constitutionally-derived power. Backed up by contributions from Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh and other business luminaries, this is a practical, step-by-step guide to putting in place a new, unfamiliar structure, one where the executive retains autonomy and individual authority while allowing others to lead highly structured meetings and systematic decision-making. This approach requires an all-in; it’s most likely to find its readership with those who are ready to make a huge leap. B&w illus. Agent: Lisa Queen, Queen Literary Agency.

Robertson's fundamentally different way to approach running any organization will be challenging for many listeners. But it provides much value in understanding the power of leveraging a more democratic and systematic approach to making effective decisions. Robertson proves to be an excellent narrator. His passion for the "holocracy" approach is evident in every sentence, and, equally important, his steady cadence and candid tone make his delivery sound natural. Furthermore, his deep and slightly raspy voice, which certainly helps in keeping the listener's attention, is impressive enough that he may have missed his calling as a narrator. L.E. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine