The Power of Onlyness

A leading innovation expert illuminates how each of us can unlock the capacity of even our wildest ideas to make a unique contribution to the world.Most of us long to make a dent in the universe, to leave a world that's better than the one into which we're born. Until recently, the only way to pursue this goal was by joining a big company or some other institution and rise in the ranks to have enough power to do so. Meanwhile, the rest of us with new and fresh takes kept getting told our ideas were "too weird" or "too wild."In The Power of Onlyness, Nilofer Merchant offers a new pathway to make those wild ideas reality, and a model of a world in which everyone's ideas can count. Our onlyness is a spot that only we occupy-a function of our history and experience, visions and hopes. It's through our onlyness, and the new power of social media, that we connect to others who share our sense of purpose and together bring about remarkable change.Filled with accounts of ordinary people who have exploited the possibilities of this new era, The Power of Onlyness demonstrates how the power of one can be tapped into to enlist the power of many. People such as Zach Wahls, a teenager who convinced the Boy Scouts of America to include kids who were gay. Or Kimberly Bryant, who established Black Girls Code to provide young and pre-teen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming. Or Jamie Heywood, who began Patients Like Me as a Web community to shift how previously incurable diseases are now getting cured. These change agents blazed their own trails because they had no map to guide them, and their stories light a path for the rest of us to realize our own most passionate ideas.

“"With The Power of Onlyness , Nilofer Merchant passes all three tests of a masterpiece: 1) memorable stories; 2) actionable insights; and 3) urgent relevance to now!" --Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence "Merchant discovers her onlyness when she walks out on an arranged marriage. At first, she doesn't know what to call it but a lifetime of encouraging men and women to summon the best of themselves teaches her how to nurture it--in herself and others. Now we need her empowering work more than ever. Onlyness doesn't mean you work alo≠ but you train yourself, sometimes against the odds, to recognize your own value and increase your chance of finding allies!" --Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation and Alone Together "With captivating stories and keen insights, Nilofer Merchant urges us to cast aside conformity and embrace our own unique identity and purpose. The Power of Onlyness is a bold, inspiring book that will leave you feeling infused with power and ready to take on the world." --Dan Pink, author of Drive and To Sell is Human "For any would-be activists who hear the voice: 'not me' or 'not now,' Merchant makes the strong case for 'yes you' and 'yes now'--and even shows you how to jump in." --Van Jones, host of CNN's The Messy Truth, author of Rebuild the Dream and The Green Collar Economy Praise for 11 Rules for Creating Value in the Social Era : "Social media is a game changer, yes, but it's only part of the larger shift of the social era, writes Nilofer Merchant, [who] sketches out the new paradigm's core principles." --Fast Company (Best Business Books of 2012) "A rare combination: strategic, well researched, and actionable. Nilofer Merchant helps executives see what's at stake in the connection economy." --Seth Godin, author of Tribes and Linchpin "Traditional strategy is dead. But do not fear--Nilofer Merchant shows how your organization can thrive with the new rules of the social era. Buy yourself a copy--and one for every member of your board." --Charlene Li, founder, Altimeter Group; author of Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead and co-author of Groundswell”

“The Power of Onlyness is a book for our times. . . . we wonder if we, as one person amidst [the] din, can make a difference. We wonder if one step will truly add up, over time, to a thousand or a million steps toward progress. The Power of Onlyness says yes, emphatically, and we couldn’t need that kind of encouragement more. . . . Just as Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence, or E.Q., eventually became a widely used phrase describing what was previously thought of as a ‘soft’ personal quality . . . onlyness has the potential to change the way we think about people and the ideas they generate. . . . Merchant is asking us to look less at types of people, as Goleman did, or groups of people, as [Susan] Cain did, and instead appreciate the individual as having a unique perspective that no one else can claim. From that position, your ideas are unique to you . . . . Merchant isn’t calling for a cacophony of voices, disparate and competing. Her book is not about individualism as much as it is about community. . . . Merchant forces us to dig deep, into the book and ourselves, and it goes beyond self-knowledge and self-empowerment, obliterating the fear of otherness with an understanding of the onlyness of us all. The Power of Onlyness calls us to identify what is good in ourselves and to connect with what is good in others so that, together, we can indeed dent the world.”
—Sally Haldorson, 800-CEO-READ (staff pick)

“No longer do we need to worry about how our ideas will be judged. By showing us how to mobilize communities around our ideas, Nilofer Merchant shows us why and how we can elevate the power of our ideas to limitless heights unfettered by conformity.”
—Amy Cuddy, author of Presence

“With The Power of Onlyness, Nilofer Merchant passes all three tests of a masterpiece: 1) memorable stories; 2) actionable insights; and 3) urgent relevance to now!”
—Tom Peters, author of In Search of Excellence
 
“Merchant discovers her onlyness when she walks out on an arranged marriage. At first, she doesn’t know what to call it but a lifetime of encouraging men and women to summon the best of themselves teaches her how to nurture it—in herself and others. Now we need her empowering work more than ever. Onlyness doesn’t mean you work alone; but you train yourself, sometimes against the odds, to recognize your own value and increase your chance of finding allies!”
—Sherry Turkle, author of Reclaiming Conversation and Alone Together
 
“With captivating stories and keen insights, Nilofer Merchant urges us to cast aside conformity and embrace our own unique identity and purpose. The Power of Onlyness is a bold, inspiring book that will leave you feeling infused with power and ready to take on the world.”
—Dan Pink, author of Drive and To Sell is Human
 
“Nilofer Merchant’s spectacular gift is to make tangible what we already feel to be instinctual: the power of the individual alongside the power of a community in the service of one idea can change the world. But Nilofer also explains what may not feel so instinctual: that all of us have the capacity to create change, no matter our social, racial, gender or economic status. This book is one of the most hopeful pieces of writing I’ve read in a long time. Nilofer defines and explains the value of individuality and collaboration in equal measure. It’s a true celebration not just of humanity but of all the possibilities we can accomplish together.”
—Stacy London, style expert, TV personality, and author of The Truth about Style

“For any would-be activists who hear the voice: ‘not me’ or ‘not now,’ Merchant makes the strong case for ‘yes you’ and ‘yes now’—and even shows you how to jump in.”
—Van Jones, host of CNN’s The Messy Truth, author of Rebuild the Dream and The Green Collar Economy

“This is an illuminating book about the context in which great, world-changing ideas emerge and take root, with stories and insights galore.”
—Eli Pariser, co-founder and co-CEO, Upworthy

“The Power of Onlyness is the wake-up call that the world needs so badly right now. It's a reminder that, quite simply, we all matter. That each perspective has inherent value. That each person's unique vantage point is literally a position of power. That each voice matters, and should be used. Be warned: after reading this book, you won't be able to ignore that voice again. You will be compelled to speak up and to use it, in bigger, bolder, louder ways than ever before.”
—Jessica Jackley, founder of Kiva

“An exhortation to raise one’s freak flag, dust off that notebook full of plans and dreams, and set up shop. . . . The best of Merchant’s case studies illustrate the operating principles of cultural difference and the power of persistence in getting things done.”
—Kirkus Reviews
 
“Merchant encourages her readers to embrace their uniqueness in this self-help guide for would-be innovators. She begins by asserting the importance of identifying one’s purpose, or what she calls ‘the dent,’ and then tells her readers how to find theirs. . . . Next, Merchant encourages her readers to find ‘co-denters,’ those people who can help you amplify your message. Finally, she urges readers to galvanize others to act . . . Merchant asserts that trust is rewarded . . . and delivers an inspiring message about the power of believing in one’s dreams.”
—Publishers Weekly

Nilofer Merchant is a thought leader in business and entrepreneurship who won the Thinkers 50 Award in 2013, has written two business books on collaborative work, and was named by Fast Company one of the 25 Smartest Women on Twitter. She has been featured on Bloomberg, CNN, Mashable, Forbes.comand inThe Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Vogue, O- The Oprah Magazine, TheNew York Times, Financial Times, Fast Company, Fortune, and Harvard Business Review. Her 2013 TED Talk "Sitting Is the Smoking of Our Generation," is one of the top 10 percent of the most viewed on that platform.

A leading innovation expert illuminates how each of us can unlock the capacity of even our wildest ideas to make a unique contribution to the world Most of us long to make a dent in the universe, to leave a world that's better than the one into which we're born. Until recently, the only way to pursue this goal was by joining a big company or some other institution and rise in the ranks to have enough power to do so. Meanwhile, the rest of us with new and fresh takes kept getting told our ideas were "too weird" or "too wild." In The Power of Onlyness , Nilofer Merchant offers a new pathway to make those wild ideas reality, and a model of a world in which everyone's ideas can count. Our onlyness is a spot that only we occupy--a function of our history and experience, visions and hopes. It's through our onlyness, and the new power of social media, that we connect to others who share our sense of purpose and together bring about remarkable change. Filled with accounts of ordinary people who have exploited the possibilities of this new era, The Power of Onlyness demonstrates how the power of one can be tapped into to enlist the power of many. People such as Zach Wahls, a teenager who convinced the Boy Scouts of America to include kids who were gay. Or Kimberly Bryant, who established Black Girls Code to provide young and pre-teen girls of color opportunities to learn in-demand skills in technology and computer programming. Or Jamie Heywood, who began Patients Like Me as a Web community to shift how previously incurable diseases are now getting cured. These change agents blazed their own trails because they had no map to guide them, and their stories light a path for the rest of us to realize our own most passionate ideas.

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