Thanks for your response and all the good thoughts therein. The opposite of a dominance hierarchy is a hierarchy of actualization (power to and power with) rather than power over. We still need leaders and those who are working harder or are naturally more intelligent than others should be able to reap the rewards of that as well. But in that kind of leadership, its the leader’s job to make sure that his/her reports have what they need to do their job. Power flows both ways, and not just up.

People like Brene Brown, Peter Block, and Riane Eisler have been speaking in front of and reaching all kinds of organizations, from the US Military to the United Nations, about how a hierarchy of actualization benefits both morale and the bottom line, as well as society as a whole. I won’t pretend that we are anywhere close to where we need to be with this. Block has talked in particular about how many of those in power are so addicted to the privilege and control aspects that it doesn’t matter how good it is for the company/organization, they can’t quite go there.

And that being said, continuing to talk about all of this and ask for it is important.