Managing Without Power: Creating high performance teams and organizations in your own human way

by Joris Merks-Benjaminsen

In its heyday Google was notoriously anti-management. They stripped managers of their power where they could. Recruitment, performance evaluation and promotions are decided in groups, and compensation is largely determined by fixed rules. Joris Merks-Benjaminsen worked at Google for twelve years, and embraced this principle of Managing Without he became one of Google's highest scoring managers and trained many fellow managers. When humaneness prevails at the expense of accountability, or if prestige or a focus on performance wins over humaneness and culture, a new balance is needed. Managing Without Power helps you build teams and organizations that combine a high bar for performance with human leadership. If you are a manager starting out, the practical models and exercises will quickly help you get started. If you work in HR, or in a senior leadership position, the book helps create principles, processes and systems that balance performance and humanity. Diversity and inclusion is always the 'default setting'. A team or organization can only perform at its highest level if all people are their best selves and work well as a team. Joris Merks-Benjaminsen played a critical role in Google's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives. As an independent entrepreneur he now organizes trainings and courses to coach managers in finding the right balance between humaneness and performance.

264 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2023

Reviews

[Jorg van Gaal]

I knew about this book through an online AI leadership session I joined with the author, Joris Merks-Benjaminsen, and got curious about reading more.

I have read quite a bit about the 'Google way' and Psychological Safety but this book provides the complete overview to me. The author provides a very clear overview with the 5 brilliant basics that contain lots of practical tips and guidelines on building and maintaining your team. Whether you are leading a team of 2 or several hundred people all the principles can be applied - you just adapt them to your unique situation.

I instantly saw various practical implications for the organisation I work for and shared it with my manager as well.

Don't wait any longer, if you want to become a better manager, get the book and start applying those best practices.