Marc Stamos

I’m a believer. Masses of people house the collective brainpower, creativity, and energy to make small work of even the largest “problems”.

This is growth on my part. I used to think I was the smartest guy alive. This is a slight exaggeration of course, but I have always been a lone wolf when it came to projects, papers, or professional undertakings.

Under the caring tutelage of those who know stuff I don’t, I have come to be a huge proponent of (mass)collaboration and collective intelligence.

My fervor was further cemented as I read the book Wikinomics, right up until the point when I realized: If (mass)collaboration and collective intelligence are so powerful and clairvoyant, why is the world in its current state of social, economic, and ecological disarray? Shouldn’t all this collective wisdom have solved these issues and redirected us to a happy, prosperous, and abundant world?

As I was pondering this, a friend asked what I was up to. When I shared my conundrum, she asked if I had read The Wisdom of Crowds.

I hadn’t, but it seemed on topic so I looked it up. The book’s website says:

No one in this world, so far as I know, has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.
-H. L. Mencken

H. L. Mencken was wrong.

In this endlessly fascinating book, New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea that has profound implications: large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant—better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future.

I reiterate: if large groups of people are better at problem solving, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, and even predicting the future, then why is Al Gore so popular these days?

If communities were spontaneously forward looking, holistic thinking, and innovative, the world would never have come to a place where we needed the Al Gore’s, Gandhi’s, JFK’s, Mother Theresa’s, Warren Buffet’s of the world. Or, at very least, communities would have spontaneously reacted and corrected missteps long ago.

As I wrestled with my (now) deeply held beliefs vs. what my eyes and hears have been telling me, I came to the following realization:

It’s not a question of either / or, one being better than the other. It’s a question of AND.

It takes both to be truly powerful. Every history changing example of mass collaboration–Linux, the Indian independence movement, Greenpeace–can be traced back to one or a small handful of visionary, brilliant people who initiated, focused, and guided the awesome power of collective action. These experts provide the leadership and direction for the mass collaboration to form around, and the goal to direct and guide collective intelligence.

Bottom line: it’s not a question of collective intelligence being superior to individual expertise/leadership. When both are present, that’s when true power is achieved. AND, thats how to transform our world into the aforementioned happy, prosperous, and abundant world.

Hah…I just thought of my next blog topic. It’s all about the “And”.

(note: it’s quite possible that either or both books make the same point, but truth be told, I’m at page 126 of Wikinomics, and haven’t read The Wisdom of Crowds yet.)