Corporate Rebels: Make Work More Fun

by Joost Minnaar, Pim de Moree

"Dit gaan we niet nog veertig jaar zo doen,' zeiden twee rebelse dertigers in de zomer van 2015 tegen elkaar. Ze zegden hun veelbelovende, maar frustrerende banen op met als doel een revolutie te ontketenen in de manier waarop organisaties werken.

Ze vlogen de wereld over met niets meer dan een bucketlist met 100 namen van 's werelds meest inspirerende organisaties, managementgoeroes, vooraanstaande wetenschappers, tegendraadse ondernemers en ceo's.

In dit boek nemen ze je mee op avontuur en introduceren ze de pioniers die hebben laten zien dat werk radicaal anders kan.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Leadership, Management, Self Help, Startup, Cultural

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2020

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

An anecdotal summary of traits of great organisations from startups, to large corps to govt departments.

Some interesting stories of unique people who were able to view the world in different ways and build a future following their principles of what they believe good looks like. It mostly falls down to building and instilling honesty, purpose, trust and transparency in all levels and aspects of the organisation.

It lacked a framework or depth of analysis to help you understand how to replicate the same traits with success and/or understand whether it would be appropriate to do so in your organisation. It would have been interesting to read stories where following these principles had failed and understand why they failed and how to prevent it. To me the ideas did not seem revolutionary or new - therefore perhaps more interesting to people who work in corporate environment. Some chapters felt repetitive. They did not bring up structures of diversity and inclusion which I believe is a key trait of pioneering companies in this day and age.

[Judy Lundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back in the early 90s I read Ricardo Semler’s ground-breaking book Maverick and was inspired. Semler’s book gave me hope that there was a better way of designing and leading our organisations that would enable people to do great productive work while fulfilling their own dreams. Over the intervening years, as I alternated between consulting roles and teaching organisational behaviour courses in business schools around the globe I worked to help create this new world. Often I have despaired as I have continued to encounter soul destroying organisations crippled by bureaucracy and command and control management and I have seen the enormous negative impact on the wellbeing of many employees in these workplaces.
In 2016 I happened upon the work of the Corporate Rebels and my inspiration was re-ignited. Their quest to find and understand the progressive organisations that had successfully adopted more humanising structures and ways of working gave me a sense that we had finally reached the tipping point where more and more people across industries and sectors recognised that a better way is not only desirable but possible. Having been one of the first readers of the Rebels book, it has not disappointed and has become my new ‘go to’ for inspirational case studies that can inform experiments into new ways of working in workplaces large and small. The book has been well written and is an easy read. What I particularly like about the book, and indeed all of the work undertaken by the Rebels, is that it is based on a thorough and rigourous process of visiting the organisations and talking to the people who have made these changes. The book is in no way a prescription, but it provides plenty of inspiration for anyone seeking to transform their workplace into one where people can thrive and achieve great things together. If this is you, then I’d thoroughly recommend it!

[Jorė · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having followed Corporate Rebels for quite a while, the book doesn't bring many surprises. But it doesn't mean it is any less valuable. The authors explore the ways of working that are often called as "nice but not for us" in traditional companies, proving one example after another that work can be fun and it doesn't clash at all with success in business. There's plenty of case stories and summaries of actionable steps to take, which makes it a very down to the earth, practical read.
Some places are a bit scattered, wanting to mention everything, but that's ok. If you feel like rebelling against clumsy "we always have done things this way" management, this is a book to read.
The quotes are just too many to choose from, maybe this can do: "You have to let people do their work and allow them to apply their talents” (De Blok, founder of Buurtzorg). Simple, though for some reason rarely practised

[Bülent Duagi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the stories and resonated with the 8 trends / patterns that the Corporate Rebels team observed across the 100+ interviews with progressive organizations and thought leaders.

[Marcio Sete · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice work!

Corporate Rebels is full of stories extracted from their over for years of research around pioneering management practices, including over 100 different organizations around the globe.

Most stories are shallow but serve the purpose of food for thought. Some of the stories are rich and inspiring!

[Linda Rosink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good ideas, inspiring examples. Did not really enjoy the style of writing, though.

[Elana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the overall message of the book and research behind it, but found the book not particularly well written or easy to reference.

[Sivi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I genuinely think that this book, even if the writing style is not very powerful, is life changing.

I mean, you don't actually need to read it since everything is addressed also on their blog - and much more, but following these two young people in their journey across the world, meeting with "corporate rebels" in companies with thousands of people, was fascinating.

Agile teams, built on trust and purposes, where anyone can truly speak their minds and be heard, autonomy... these are the things that keep me working in an organisation and make me satisfied with my work life.

And these principles can be applied almost everywhere, from factories to design studios, to public administrations, since it's more of a mindset than a method, or process to be applied.

Since I started reading it, I tried to immediately apply the easiest - perhaps - of the principles, that is autonomy. Younger people strive for it and we are often too scared to lose control of them, or to see them - and thus us - fail.

I gave a junior member of our team almost total ownership of her tasks, just asking her to keep me updated.

When she asked me what to do, I asked her back "what would you do?", and she had a lot of the right answers in herself already. I tried to be a guide, rather than a boss.

and it worked. After some months, out of the blue, she thanked for trusting her, revealing that it meant a lot to her and was enthusiastic about the project. There were mistakes, but there was so much to learn in them that it basically made her level up.

I really hope that this will the new "state of the art" for companies, since it's so much better to work and live this way.

[booklovingsarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few interesting impulses. I’ve heard of nearly all of the examples (because of my job), so I was a little bit disappointed to not have learned more. But it’s still a great book, well written to easily follow along and offering a lot of new impulses on (modern) work culture. Well, if you aren’t geeking out articles and podcasts on those topics on a regular basis 😅

[Miguel Ocaña · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es un gran trabajo de recopilación y síntesis de lo que han visto en sus entrevistas a lo largo del tiempo, pero creo que todo ese trabajazo no se muestra muy bien en el libro.. para mí una lástima, aunque tiene que ver mucho con mis expectativas, sin duda esperaba más

[Patrik Gustafsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good overview of progressive cooperations in the same category as humanocrazy and reinventing organisations. I liked the book and the content and think this could be a more approachable version of ithe mentioned books. It is like a polished keynote speech. A bit to author centered. But would give value to most who would like to start thinking in the terms of collaborative cooperations.

[Leonardo Longo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joost and Pim start their book highlighting that 85% of employees are disengaged, 23% feeling burned out and 37% believing that their job makes no useful contribution to society, so the authors present their point of view on how to make work more fun.
Instead of presenting a point of view based on one specific experience (like the book "It doesn't has to be crazy at work"), the authors visited more than 100 organisations and intervied more than 1000 academics, employees, and CEOs, with more than 20 examples of the best company cultures. They share eight lessons from the world's most progressive workplaces that will at least make you reflect on your job routine.

[Bruno · Rating 5 out of 5]

Een prachtig rebels en eigenwijs boek... veel komt ook al wel voor op hun blog maar het is een plezier om terug te vinden in acht thema’s, met veel inspiratie en manieren om te starten. Er is natuurlijk geen unieke methodologie (gelukkig maar), maar wel heel veel mogelijkheden. En er is dus geen excuus meer om het traditionele model op de schop te doen. Waar wacht je nog op?

[Kasia Tang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jestem trochę rozdarta :)

Z jednej strony książka jest pełna inspirujących pomysłów i przykładów, opisów wyjątkowych firm i ich sposobów działania. Każdy rozdział jest podsumowany w formie pomysłów do wykorzystania, na skali od najmniej do najbardziej "rewolucyjnego". Z całą pewnością może być świetnym przewodnikiem dla osób, które chcą wprowadzać zmiany, choć pewnie od managera w górę.

Z drugiej strony z niewyjaśnionych przyczyn dość często włączał się we mnie wewnętrzny sceptyk. Jakoś nie mogłam uwierzyć, że opisane firmy są rzeczywiście tak wspaniałe, że jest w nich tak kolorowo jak wynikałoby z opisu autorów. Bo przecież nigdzie nie jest idealnie i nie wszyscy pracownicy mogą być zawsze w pełni zadowoleni... I za to delikatne przekoloryzowanie odejmuję jedną gwiazdkę.

Tym niemniej zdecydowanie polecam, na pewno zamierzam wracać do książki i będę się zastanawiać jak mogłabym skorzystać z niektórych pomysłów w pracy :)

[Hugo Pereira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joost and Pim provide an inspiring view of how modern organizations inspired a better way to lead and what principles truly stand in building a purpose driven workplace while having fun. They interviewed organizations and influential leaders around the world, provide stories on how change was made and sparks of insights on modern leadership. As someone already geared up to the principles shared the book had less impact than expected and some stories could have been more explored in the book—going beyond the conceptual change companies went through but the actual emotional journey and learnings.

[Floris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Een verzameling van ideeën waar de auteurs fan van zijn. Zeker reden om eens na te denken over hoe je werk is georganiseerd.
Er is echter geen onderbouwing van of en waarom deze ideeën werken. Er wordt specifiek naar positieve voorbeelden gezocht, puur anekdotisch dus. Het boek levert ook geen kritische reflectie op de voorstellen. Niet mijn soort boek zullen we maar zeggen.

[Eduardo Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this should be considered and inspirational book.

Then again I would love to hear from them examples of Frontline workers creating that 'revolution' of culture. Maybe something of a Rebelión Workbook

Then again if I'm to be an aspiring CEO or entrepreneur or HR director this could help me see things in a different perspective

[Peter den Dulk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Goed verhaal, maar weinig nieuws voor mij. De verhalen van bijvoorbeeld Semco en Buurtzorg zijn al heel vaak voorbij gekomen in andere boeken.

[Eduardo Padilla Mejia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vivimos tiempos de cambio, hoy en dia el termino de moda es el VICA, estamos en plena evolución de la cuarta revolución industrial y cada vez se ven venir cambios mas grandes. Somos afortunados de vivir esta pandemia nunca antes vista. La organizaciones tambien estan evolucionando siguiendo estas tendencias de cambio y este libro resumen experiencias de organizaciones de todo el mundo donde el proceso evolutivo ya se esta dando. Las organizaciones TEAL son la nueva tendencia con 3 pilares fundamentales PLENITUD, AUTOGESTION y PROPOSITO EVOLUTIVO. Si bien no es algo nuevo es una tendencia que viene agarrando mucha fuerza. La vimos desde el caso exitoso de IRIZAR en españa en la decada de los 90 con Koldo saratxaga y ahora viene a tomar mucha fuerza con autores como Frederic Laloux en su libro Reinventar las Organizaciones. Ahora con esta lista de empresas por todo el mundo llamadas REBELS que estan revolucionando la forma de organizarse y hacer toda una disrupcion en la forma de gestionar las organizaciones. Un nuevo paradigma del cual hay mucho por aprender. :D

[Siim · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is an energetic manifesto against outdated corporate bureaucracy, built around the authors’ visits to “rebellious” companies around the world. It succeeds in sparking inspiration — stories of self-managing teams, radical transparency, and alternative organizational models make you rethink what’s possible at work.

But while it’s engaging and packed with anecdotes, the depth is uneven. Many examples are presented as shiny success stories without digging into the messy realities or long-term sustainability of these practices. At times, it feels more like a travel diary of cool companies than a rigorous playbook. There’s little critical analysis of when such models fail or how traditional companies can realistically transition.

Worth reading if you want inspiration and case studies of unconventional workplaces. Less helpful if you’re looking for practical guidance or a balanced, evidence-based framework for reinventing organizations.

[Luciana Rosa (Bookmark Curiosities) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about changing ways of work to make it more fulfilling and functional.
It has cases of how companies around the world are transforming workplaces.
It is quite inspirational, but also I can clearly see the “pain points” in my work life.

There are many useful tips, with handy guides in the end of each chapter.
I enjoyed this book, but I wish there were more mentions on the thoughts of employees. There is a lot of advocacy for handing decisions and responsibilities to the lower levels of the organizations, but most of the interviews in this book are with CEOs.
Also, there are a lot of managerial jargons that makes it difficult to understand what actions were taken in each company showcased in the book, like “counter the status-quo”, “unconventional style”, “empowering employees”, etc.

[Evita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit radical but very inspiring :)

Some examples of what successful rebelious companies do:
- Scrap yearly planning and budgeting. “prediction can never be creative.”
- Democratically elect leaders.
- Make decisions based on data rather than opinions and egos.
- Experiment properly and fail masterfully, have FAILWALL to share learnings.
- TRUST employees to make right decisions without stiff rules & regulations.
- Apply network of teams organisational model.
- Have 4day workweek with profit-sharing above break-even-point and unlimited holidays and training opportunities.
- Are radically transparent, even about salaries.

My favourite quotes:
Is reading policy manuals the best use of company time? Do we have to impose strict rules on the masses due to the sins of the few?

[Andreas Konstantinou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Corporate Rebels is a book about how luminary leaders are changing the old-school corporate culture. The authors explore a world of fresh management ideas by meeting with a "bucket list" of pioneers and companies that are changing the workplace. The book introduces success stories of flat organisations, with a radical, pyramid-less structure made up of a network of teams, as well as counter-intuitive corporate structures where the management is voted by the employees. The book also covers success stories with more established "new corporate age" paradigms like radical transparency, freedom and trust, and the move from profit to purpose and values. It's a host of fresh ideas, proven in the field, and ripe to be picked up by the next generation of corporate leaders.

[Soumaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het aanschaffen van dit boek was een best ondoordachte keuze. Iets triggerde me toen ik het zag op de site van de leverancier Managementboek.

Van het ene hoofdstuk naar het andere hoofdstuk was ik benieuwd wat er komen ging. Ik moet bekennen dat ik verrast ben hoe goed het opgebouwd was. Door de vele voorbeelden was het goed voor te stellen. Ik kon het ook prima relateren aan mijn huidige omstandigheden en dat vond ik fijn. Ik ben opzich een rebel merkte ik zelf. Ik wacht niet op een manager die iets besluit. En zelfs als een manager iets besluit durf ik mijn mening of advies te geven.

Al met al. Fijne reminders. Voldoende stof tot nadenken en actie!

[Marloes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has helped me see the things I don’t like in my current working environment by showing how other companies combat this. It’s a nice accord of pioneers and it’s nice to read about a completely different way of doing business. However, the section in the back on how to drive these changes yourself is just too easily inserted, too small, and screams “easier said then done” to me. Even the guy who was supposed to have little influence was still managing a team of 30 people. Obviously he had the means to experiment. It seems that for the lionshare of “normal” employees, this is out of reach and all it does is give you a list of companies to apply for a new job.

[Raluca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice ideas but the stories were so superficially treated that they seem idealistic instead of realistic. What I got from it is that you need a visionary leader who can attract the right kind of people and inspire them to take responsability for their work, a leader who listens, understands and knows how to help people reach their potential. I think that this can only work for people raised in certain cultures or with an openmindedness to other cultures and the determination to bring progress into less evolved cultures.

[Pete Quinn]

Whether you want some recent data on engagement, case studies about successful (or poorly executed initiatives) or just some positive stories then buy this now. Read it and try it. I think this is the way forward for many organisations whether this be a white goods monolith from China, a climbing company or a care organisation.

I expect this will be a book I revisit, give away and hope their will be a sequel too.

[Carl Lens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of examples of ‘progressive’ organizations. I knew a lot already since they are mostly not very new, but the anecdotes are great to understand the patterns the authors discerned. They are right about the flaws in the corporate world they left, but I feel they don’t do a good job in thoroughly understanding that. In my opinion it is a little bit too much just inspiration and “just do it”. Inspiring and recommended nonetheless.

[Billie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book falls into the category of business book I think of as experience reports.

Basically stories (often people building their own personal mythos) that tell their experiences of a situation. As this is the case you need to take this book with a big pinch of salt, as these "rebels" are people who largely inherited positions of power, and people in that situation often justify it as skill over luck. The authors of the book are a couple of people who could afford to take 10 months off work to wander around the world ticking off items on their 'bucket list'. Cringe.

Having said all that, this book was fun, and while failed to provide any true depth to anything they talked about was well written, and I am going to use it as a jumping off point to read some more in this aread.

[Nicolas Leroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was waiting on my pile of books to be picked up and read. The story of Pim and Joost was great to read and I was asking myself: I’ve been there too, why didn’t I decide to quit and visit pioneers? What a great idea it was, and it was interesting to read what they discovered during their visits.
As a scrum master it is clear to me that by just introducing scrum for the employees you can’t transform an organisation. The top level also needs to change. Or, after reading this book, the structure of the organisation has to change. Out with bureaucracy (too slow), and let’s transform to an inverted pyramid or network of self-managing units.
Thanks for the insights. I’ll be even more of a rebel as of now 😉