The End of Power: From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being In Charge Isn’t What It Used to Be

He’s convinced me—he writes about some things I have noticed and wondered about and his examples are taken not only from the US but from around the world, not only from politics but from business, finance, religion, and other spheres. This is a big picture look at a rapidly changing dynamic that is usually only considered from narrower perspectives. This book places you in the same uncomfortable place as consideration of global warming, the implications of DNA mapping of individuals, and increasing reliance on social media for information—I see it happening, I need to think about it, too little is understood and rationally discussed about the future implications of these changes. But this book gives you a framework for an show more awareness of these changes, and he does provide some ideas for how to recognize and counteract any negative effects of these power structure alterations. Stop focusing on rankings, as they seldom can predict power any more, make life harder for the “terrible simplifiers” (that catchphrase deserves to be a hashtag if anything does!), bring trust back and strengthen political parties. You may disagree with some things—but since finishing I have thought of it often, he has touched a nerve. show less

Li a versão em Português, editada pela Gradiva

É um texto útil para a reflexão do impacto que a sociedade em rede provoca na forma como nos organizamos e como as nossas instituições gerem a sua influência e poder.

A ideia força é a de que as formas tradicionais de poder estão em decadência e que tal exige de cada um de nós e das nossas organizações, formas de acomodar a transformação de modo a nos afastarmos do resultado dessa decadência e perda de influência de quem regulava o mundo.

Útil, mas assustador, pois reflete essencialmente nos efeitos de vazio de poder e na forma como é possível documentar no nosso tempo, os resultados desta perda. Sem no entanto proporcionar caminhos e formas mais do que alertar para a show more necessidade de se refletir sobre o próprio poder.

Como refere no início do último capitulo (o 11): "A primeira e, talvez, mais importante implicação deste livro é a necessidade urgente de mudar a forma como pensamos e falamos sobre poder."
Este é também o amago do livro, que merece uma leitura atenta. show less

Rating 2.75

Read this because of zuckerburg book club. This book was nothing over the top mind blowing. I thought parts were quite redundant. I think the whole book could be summed up with , not that ideas and information can pass faster and easier than ever before in history. Things that used to have power do not have the same power they did because people can find new ideas and new ways of marketing and selling products.

Rating 2.75

Read this because of zuckerburg book club. This book was nothing over the top mind blowing. I thought parts were quite redundant. I think the whole book could be summed up with , not that ideas and information can pass faster and easier than ever before in history. Things that used to have power do not have the same power they did because people can find new ideas and new ways of marketing and selling products.

very important work, one everyone interested and concerned about the future should read, explains the gridlock in DC and that it is not just the US experiencing these challenges... it is the world... and not just governments but businesses, churches, labor unions,and many other organizations

The End of Power by Moisés Naím talks about sources of power and explains that there is a mutation of power happening right now. The general narrative is that power is concentrating, that inequality of wealth and inequality of income has become more radical. The wealthy have more and therefore have more power, money and opportunities to buy politicians and distort public policy in ways that reinforce the trends towards inequality. However, Naím argues that power has become easier to get, harder to use and faster to lose.

Anyway, the book starts with an explanation of what power is and it says that “Power is the ability to direct or prevent the current or future actions of other groups and individuals. Or, put differently, power is show more what we exercise over others that leads them to behave in ways they would not have otherwise have behaved.”

Then, Naím goes to the main concept of the book which is the erosion of power. He argues that power is becoming harder to use, there are far more constraints on those that have power and, finally, power is becoming more slippery. In other words, Moisés Naím looked at various statistics in many areas, such as governments, armies, labour movements, culture, church and, of course, the media and business and explains what has happened to power. He presents the fact that politicians, people in power, CEOs all the people who once almost had that absolute control, who really could do whatever they wanted, are no longer able to execute that absolute control with the same degree of freedom that once existed. It doesn’t matter if talk about CEOs, presidents, military leaders or even pope, their power becomes more fragile vs individuals. In addition, turnover rates of the powerful are now much higher than it used to be.

The author goes through different areas which used to define power and affected its level. For instance, he explains the erosion of the barriers that used to protect the reduced space of the most powerful people. The tumbling down of barriers is produced by many factors such as demographic, economic, political and technological changes and also by changing social values, expectations and norms. Other reasons are economic growth, the increase in migrations and the improvement of health services and education systems in poor countries.

We also have to understand how power works. We must take into account that it doesn´t exist in isolation and, commonly, is wielded by many players. In many cases, the whole structure of connections is vulnerable vs new stakeholders and is built on shared interests and trust. These interests sometimes are selective.

Furthermore, Naím claims that the sources of power are in a constant move so despite the previously mentioned conditions it´s also impossible to foresee it precisely. We have Legitimate Power based on their position or role. It’s determined by the hierarchy of the organization. Next, Coercive Power...(if you like to read my full review please visit my blog https://leadersarereaders.blog/the-end-of-power/) show less

I can see this being a regular studied book in any political science class.