Hell, even flat structures seem to trend towards an informal elite of psychopaths.
The average person doesnt have the energy or desire to be constantly vigilant against overreach of power, but psychopaths do, to figure out weaknesses.
The only effective combat against this that I’ve seen is nonnegotiable time limits on positions. You get your chance in the sun and then you need to find another role, otherwise tendrils get planted and power gets consolidated.
The smaller the group or more complex the roles however, the harder that is. That’s why education and skill sharing is so important, so that no one person becomes indispensable.
Specialized roles in governance should always be rotated per meeting, if you associate a role with an individual for a length of time beyond the ephemeral you have a standing power concentration. This is radically different than what we live with now but it’s not as impossible or even as impractical to do as it sounds.
Flat structures need not collect power, but it’s important to remember that organization isn’t the only place that can collect power to an individual, things like charisma exist. They don’t necessarily need to be discouraged but the organization needs to at least be designed in a way that it isn’t threatened by or nullifies the existence of such social influence.
Hell, even flat structures seem to trend towards an informal elite of psychopaths.
The average person doesnt have the energy or desire to be constantly vigilant against overreach of power, but psychopaths do, to figure out weaknesses.
The only effective combat against this that I’ve seen is nonnegotiable time limits on positions. You get your chance in the sun and then you need to find another role, otherwise tendrils get planted and power gets consolidated.
The smaller the group or more complex the roles however, the harder that is. That’s why education and skill sharing is so important, so that no one person becomes indispensable.
Specialized roles in governance should always be rotated per meeting, if you associate a role with an individual for a length of time beyond the ephemeral you have a standing power concentration. This is radically different than what we live with now but it’s not as impossible or even as impractical to do as it sounds.
Flat structures need not collect power, but it’s important to remember that organization isn’t the only place that can collect power to an individual, things like charisma exist. They don’t necessarily need to be discouraged but the organization needs to at least be designed in a way that it isn’t threatened by or nullifies the existence of such social influence.