The Prophet and the Flat Organization

It was just the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions that constituted the Muslim Organization. You can't get a flatter hierarchy than that!

But how could he get anything done? How was he able to manage all these people with any degree of effectiveness?

He didn't have to; they managed themselves.

Having the right people in the right places reduces the need for formal management and overseeing. The right people do their work because they want to, not because you are looking over their shoulder.

True empowerment and enjoying the luxury of a functional flat organization can't be realized without the right people in place; the problems it would cause would outweigh the benefits.

Some people try to implement some of these management concepts without realizing that before you actually build, you have to establish the right infrastructure first. A great organization is like an iceberg; you see the outstanding results without realizing that 3/4 of its being is submerged underwater.

You know, in a way the difference between a great organization and a mediocre one is like the difference between someone who uses his conscience mind to perform a task and someone who uses his subconscience mind. The first has to think everything out first, restrain from action until he is confident, and, finally, execute with attention to detail; so much energy is being used up just to get one little action right. The latter on the other hand, just does it! All his limbs know what they have to do; all he does is will it. In fact, he could be multitasking several things at a time.

I don't know if the analogy is accurate, but it's similar to how a leader in an effective organization produces results through empowerment, and how a leader in ineffective organization has to oversee and manage everything himself because he doesn't trust his subordinates to get things done.

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