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by Jeremy Heimans
Premium summary · Opens in the app · 30 min read
Every so often, the rules that govern how influence works get rewritten. The last century was shaped by a particular kind of power. It was centralized, hierarchical, and controlled by institutions that had the resources to broadcast their messages to the masses. Governments, corporations, media empires, and established churches held the microphone. Everyone else listened.
**Author:** Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms
**Estimated Reading Time:** 45 minutes
**What You'll Learn:** How power is shifting from closed, hierarchical institutions to open, participatory networks, and what this means for how you lead, organize, and create change.
**Who This Book Is For:** Leaders, entrepreneurs, activists, organizers, and anyone who wants to understand why some movements catch fire while others fade, why some organizations thrive in chaos while others collapse, and how to harness the energy of connected crowds.
Every so often, the rules that govern how influence works get rewritten. The last century was shaped by a particular kind of power. It was centralized, hierarchical, and controlled by institutions that had the resources to broadcast their messages to the masses. Governments, corporations, media empires, and established churches held the microphone. Everyone else listened. That world is not gone, but it is no longer the only world. A different kind of power has emerged alongside it. This new power is not held by a few but activated by many. It does not flow downward from the top of an organization. It surges sideways through networks of peers. It is not guarded like a treasure. It grows when it is shared. You have seen this power at work. When millions of people dumped ice water on their heads to fight ALS, they were not responding to a government mandate or a corporate advertising campaign. They were participating in something that felt like theirs. When Airbnb turned strangers' spare rooms into the world's largest hotel chain without owning a single property, it was not because a boardroom of executives decided to build more hotels. It was because ordinary people were given the tools to become hosts. When Black Lives Matter spread from a hashtag to a global movement, it was not because a single charismatic leader commanded it. It was because thousands of local organizers adopted and adapted the idea for their own communities. These are not isolated anomalies. They are signals of a fundamental shift in how power operates. Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms call this shift the rise of "new power." And they argue that understanding it is no longer optional. It is essential for anyone who wants to lead, build, or create change in the twenty-first century. The problem is that most of us were trained in the logic of old power. We learned that influence comes from titles, credentials, and control. We learned that organizations succeed by protecting their secrets, managing their reputations, and directing their employees. We learned that change happens when the right people in the right rooms make the right decisions. But that playbook is failing. Institutions that once seemed permanent are being disrupted by…
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Get the complete summary in the appOld power is like a currency. New power is like a current.
The shift from old power to new power is driven by technology and changing cultural expectations.
Participation exists on a spectrum from consuming to shaping. Successful communities create pathways for people to move
Ideas that spread are designed to spread. Use the ACE framework: Actionable, Connected, Extensible.
The most effective organizations blend old power and new power. They know when to control and when to release control.
New power leadership is about signaling, structuring, and shaping. It is about inspiring participation rather than comma
"New Power" is a strong fit if you want practical ideas around business, leadership, sociology, especially themes like old power is like a currency. new power is like a current; the shift from old power to new power is driven by technology and changing cultural expectations. The MinuteRead summary distills these concepts into a focused read, whether you're deciding whether to buy the book or applying its lessons at work.
Motivated to help readers with the possibilities for social and economic transformation offered through digital technologies", Jeremy Heimans wrote “New Power” as a practical guide drawn from years of experience and research. In “New Power”, Jeremy Heimans focuses on power. Through “New Power”, Jeremy Heimans distills the core ideas on business into lessons readers can absorb in a single short sitting. Readers turn to this work when they want Jeremy Heimans's perspective on the subject without w…
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