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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Private Government summary
Elizabeth Anderson
How Employers Rule Our Lives (and Why We Don't Talk about It)
29 mins
Brief summary
Private Government by Elizabeth Anderson explores the problems with modern workplaces and the power asymmetry between employers and employees. It proposes democratic workplaces as a solution to these issues.
Table of Contents
Private Government
Summary of 10 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 10
Most modern workplaces have highly authoritarian governing structures.
Imagine living under a government that organizes society like this:
Everyone is given a rank and divided into a pyramid-shaped hierarchy. At the top, there’s a single, unelected person who’s basically a dictator. Right below him, there’s a small group of likewise unelected “superiors” who get to issue commands to anyone below them. And then there’s you and everyone else – the “inferiors” who have to obey those commands without question.
Sounds like a deeply undemocratic system, doesn’t it? Well, wait, it gets even worse.
The key message here is: Most modern workplaces have highly authoritarian governing structures.
If you went back to the sketch of our imaginary society and replaced the words “dictator” with “CEO,” “superiors” with “managers,” and “inferiors” with “employees,” you’d have a pretty accurate description of most modern workplaces. Now, there are some important caveats to add here, and we’ll address them in the next blink. But first, let’s keep going with our analogy and see how far we can take it.
Alright, so we have the CEO who’s the unelected “dictator” at the top of a typical company’s “government.” Since this “government” is run by a “dictator,” we can rightfully call it a “dictatorship.” And, in fact, we can go even further and call it a “communist dictatorship.”
That might sound like a rather counterintuitive way to describe a capitalist enterprise, but think about it this way: the “government” of a modern corporation owns and controls all of the enterprise’s “means of production”– the various tools and resources employees need to do their jobs. Not only that, but a small group of powerful people within that corporate government make the big decisions and come up with detailed plans for what the workers should produce and how they should produce it. In other words, the government engages in “central planning.”
Are these not the hallmarks of a communist regime?
But the similarities don’t stop there. To make sure its workers are obeying their orders and complying with the company’s policies, a corporate government can engage in all sorts of surveillance and other violations of privacy. In the US, employers can read employees’ emails, record their phone calls, monitor their social media posts, search their personal belongings, and subject them to drug testing.
And the price of disobedience? “Exile” – also known as getting fired.
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What is Private Government about?
Private Government (2017) boldly asserts a provocative thesis: most modern companies are run more like communist dictatorships than the “free enterprises” their often libertarian-minded owners, managers, and defenders believe them to be. Drawing on a wide range of ideas, facts, and data from economics, political philosophy, and history, Private Government backs this thesis up with a strong, compelling argument that’s well worth reckoning with.
Private Government Review
Private Government by Elizabeth Anderson (2017) offers thought-provoking insights into the existence of private governments within modern workplaces and provides a compelling argument for fundamental changes. Here are three reasons why this book is worth reading:
- It presents a powerful critique of the traditional employment relationship, highlighting the authoritarian nature of privately-governed workplaces.
- Backed by extensive research, Anderson explores alternative organizational models that prioritize autonomy and democratic decision-making, offering inspiring new possibilities.
- The book's engaging analysis challenges conventional wisdom and prompts readers to question the status quo, igniting a curiosity that keeps boredom at bay.
Who should read Private Government?
- Employees unhappy with their employment
- Employers wondering why their employees might be so unhappy
- Anyone else wanting to know what’s wrong with the modern workplace
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Private Government FAQs
What is the main message of Private Government?
In Private Government, the main message is that workplaces often resemble authoritarian governments.
How long does it take to read Private Government?
The reading time for Private Government varies depending on the reader, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Private Government a good book? Is it worth reading?
Private Government is worth reading as it sheds light on the power dynamics in workplaces and challenges the traditional hierarchy.
Who is the author of Private Government?
Elizabeth Anderson is the author of Private Government.
What to read after Private Government?
If you're wondering what to read next after Private Government, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Elevate by Joseph Deitch
- The Art of Seduction by Robert Greene
- It Was All a Lie by Stuart Stevens
- Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek
- The Intelligence Trap by David Robson
- The Sleepwalkers by Christopher Clark
- It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy at Work by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
- The Person You Mean to Be by Dolly Chugh
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim