New Power: A Key to Leadership in the 21st Century

Do want to understand how networks are changing business, culture, and politics? Do you want to unleash the power of crowd leadership?

Then you should read New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World — and How to Make It Work for You, the new book by our friends Jeremy Heimans (Purpose) and Henry Timms (92Y and #GivingTuesday).

New power is a way of harnessing the power of crowds. A diverse range of leaders from Lady Gaga to Pope Francis, from Black Lives Matter to the National Rifle Association (NRA), from GE’s Beth Comstock to T-Mobile’s John Legere have successfully deployed new power strategies.

New power leaders signal to the crowd, showing people that they are powerful and inviting them to participate. They know how to structure that participation, driving increased engagement and commitment over time. New power leaders also have the ability to shape the values and the agenda of the crowd in ways that go beyond the boundaries of their formal or institutional authority.

In the “New Power” book, Jeremy and Henry build on the ideas, arguments, and stories that they first introduced in their 2014 Harvard Business Review article and TED Talk.

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.

Join Beth Comstock and “New Power” authors Henry Timms and Jeremy Heimans on Facebook Live, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, 1 PM — 1:45 PM (Eastern Daylight Time). Post your questions on the Facebook event or submit them during the live feed. Beth, Henry & Jeremy will answer as many questions as possible.