🎻 Reimagining how we organise: from hierarchy to harmony

Reading Frederic Laloux’s Reinventing Organisations a few years ago reshaped how I think about work, belonging and power. Not just in theory, but in how we live, lead and design systems — from neighbourhoods to local government.

The book traces how human civilisation has evolved through different organisational models: from tribal loyalty to hierarchical authority, from competitive achievement to decentralised networks. But it’s not a linear journey — more like a symphony. As people, we carry all these ways of organising within us, often at the same time.

That’s what makes change hard — and hopeful.

🧭 The desire for direction and autonomy

Even as we move towards self-managed, participative models, many of us still crave clarity, identity and safety. It’s why strong leaders and institutions still hold appeal — even when we know their limits.

So the challenge isn’t just to “flatten the hierarchy.” It’s to design systems that can hold different ways of relating to power — without letting one dominate.

In Adur & Worthing Councils, we’re trying to live this through our Mission Control model. We set shared missions, then empower cross-functional teams to organise around them. Not command and control, but orient and trust.

It’s early. It’s messy. But it’s working.

🌀 Examples to learn from

1. Buurtzorg — coaching, not controlling

In the Netherlands, Buurtzorg supports self-managed nursing teams. When a team gets stuck, they don’t get told what to do — they ask for facilitation.

2. AES — anyone can decide, but not alone

At AES Corporation, anyone can make a decision. But they must consult:

• Everyone affected
• People with relevant expertise

It’s a model that values autonomy and interdependence. Not either/or.

Try this: Run a decision-making workshop where the “initiator” isn’t the manager, but the person who noticed the opportunity.

3. Sociocracy and consent-based decision-making

Movements like Enspiral and Sociocracy for All use circles and consent, not consensus. It’s not about everyone agreeing — it’s about safe enough to try, and good enough for now.

🔧 How you can apply this

If you’re working in innovation, participation or delivery, here are four ways to explore teal-ish thinking:

1. Map your current power flows

Where are decisions really made? Who’s got discretion — and who feels stuck?

2. Test role-based leadership

Instead of permanent titles, try time-bound roles. Who leads on X for 3 months? What support do they need?

3. Use advice not approval

Before making a decision, seek advice from those affected and those with knowledge. Log the advice — and the rationale.

4. Build psychological safety

Radical participation isn’t possible without safety. That means slowing down, hosting reflection, and normalising emotion.

🌿 Final thoughts: playing different notes

Laloux compares people to strings — the more tensions we’ve held, the more notes we can play. That metaphor has stuck with me.

Because redesigning organisations isn’t about choosing one note (teal, agile, flat, hierarchical). It’s about learning to play the harmony — to hold paradox, to grow our range.

If you’re testing new ways of organising — or holding space for others to try — I’d love to hear what you’re learning.

Because the future of work isn’t a structure. It’s a practice.

This blog draws on insights from Frederic Laloux’s Reinventing Organisations, and builds on real examples from Buurtzorg, AES Corporation, Enspiral, Sociocracy for All, and Adur & Worthing Councils.