New Power: Why outsiders are winning, institutions are failing, and how the rest of us can keep up in the age of mass participation
by Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms
Old power works like a currency. It is held by few. Once gained, it is jealously guarded, and the powerful have a substantial store of it to spend. It is closed, inaccessible, and leader-driven. It downloads, and it captures.
New power operates differently, like a current. It is made by many. It is open, participatory, and peer-driven. It uploads, and it distributes. Like water or electricity, it’s most forceful when it surges. The goal with new power is not to hoard it but to channel it.
This is a great book that not only explains how the dynamics of power are changing, but also provides the tools – and, importantly, the confidence – to harness those changes to spread our ideas. Drawing on examples from business, politics, popular culture and social justice, as well as case studies of organisations like LEGO and TED, New Power is a fascinating, easy-to-read book that really captures the essence of Next Gen GP!