Butterflies have always been the symbol of regeneration and transformation. Humanity is now in the midst of profound changes that could lead to a new civilization. Yes, humanity is on the verge of a great leap in its evolution as a biological species! And this trend is driven by our decisions and actions. The Butterfly symbol reminds us that we live in an emerging world in which our decisions and actions really matter! It reminds us that we live in a world of connectivity, that we are not alone, but together. In partnership we can achieve much more! We live in a plentiful Univers and not exploitation and competition will bring us this wealth, but collaboration and partnership! ”The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations” by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom is one of my favorite books on organizational theory and complex systems. If you cut off a spider’s head, it dies; if you cut off a starfish’s leg it grows a new one and that leg can grow into an entirely new starfish. Traditional hierarchical organizations are like spiders, but now starfish organizations are changing the face of business and the world. The starfish represents decentralized “organizations” while the spider describes hierarchical command-and-control structures. In my drawings the symbol of starfish is all about decentralized organizations, resilience, healthy relationship and partnership! What happens when there’s no one in charge, when there’s no hierarchy. You’d think there would be disorder, even chaos. But in many areas, a lack of traditional leadership is giving rise to powerful groups that are turning society upside down.
Decentralized, „agile” organizations are more resilient and regenerative (when you attack a decentralized organization it becomes more decentralized, more resilient). A starfish system does not need to have a central control because the governance is spread throughout the system: each member is self-governed, is autonomous. So it is able to respond more quickly to challenges because each member has access to all the knowledge and the ability to make direct use of it. Starfish organizations are able to use highly effective available their resources. They are an environment for authenticity, empathy, joy, creativity, engagement and responsibility. Are a healthy and peaceful environments: put people into autonomous-free relations and they’ll automatically want to contribute! Put people in lines and they will revolt! We were used that the different needs of a community to be fulfilled by various institutions (spider organizations). Until recently, only the institutions offered - exclusively - the services that we need. Now human collaboration challenges the institutions and brings better alternative services for the same needs! Services provided by human collaboration are cheaper, more valuable than those offered by institutions and bring many other benefits at personal and community level!
Step by step people dare get out of line and claim the ownership of their lives and mistakes, of their challenges and responsibilities and so the solutions for their problems begin to emerge! People dare to reimagine their world and build other kind of organizations in which nobody dominates over others; where governance, control, decisions, responsibility and dignity are spread throughout the system. These are the new starfish organizations. I hope seeing my starfish butterfly to open you for this kind of human healthy relationship, to make you yearn for being part of a starfish - resilient, fair, creative, joyful, responsible society!