Tom Barfield posted Nancy, your blog reminds me of one my favorite work experiences in my career. It was 2000, and I had just joined a brand new team of about eight people in Accenture’s learning organization that was to be responsible for driving learning infrastructure improvements (ex. LMS…). In forming the team most of the members had applied for the team lead role – and of course, only one person got that role. Two months later the team lead decided to take a new opportunity outside the organization. Who was going to be the new team lead? The team came together and quickly came to the conclusion that we didn’t want one team lead – we wanted to be a self-lead team. We took our thinking to the Chief Learning Officer and he loved it! Over the next five years this team bonded and did many amazing things. The members of the team each grew into new responsibilities in leadership across the organization. The lack of a hierarchy was never an issue. It remains one of my fondest times in my career. I still count the other members of that team among my closest friends. Tom

Thanks for a thoughtful answer. I'm not sure that I agree that democracy and hierarchy are not mutually exclusive. To the degree that those at the top of the hierarchy can tell employees what to do, even if those employees think what they are being asked to do is wrong; and if they don't comply they lose their job, and maybe with a poor or no recommendation to get another job (take the Wells Fargo example) - those employees have lost their freedom. I grant that not all employers are that harsh, but the point is they have the power to be so if they choose. In a democracy that is too much power in the hands of people who may or may not choose to exert it. Certainly there are CEOs that would not act in such ways, but we know that power corrupts and that safeguards are needed to protect citizens from that potential corruption. At issue for me that the current hierarchical structure in too many large corporations has become toxic, harmful to employees, government, and the environment. To the extent that those at the top of the hierarchy have a kind of unlimited power, that is not even checked by the Corporate Boards - those working in those corporations are not free.

Thanks for you comments. I'd be interested in hearing more about your work with major project and how they implement a more democratic approach. Nancy