Henny Portman — 'A valuable framework for thinking about how great organizations stay great'

Portman is a Dutch consultant and blogger on portfolio and project management, named a top-five world PMO influencer in 2023. His review walks the book's three parts: why well-intentioned organisations betray their promises; the incorruptible blueprint for preserving mission; and how exceptional organisations shape whole industries. He doubts some proposals will travel into traditional corporate settings, the Spiritual Holding Company among them, and holds that the questions the book raises stand either way.

“Incorruptable is an ambitious and thought-provoking book that challenges many assumptions about corporate governance, ownership, and organizational design. Ries combines insights from entrepreneurship, governance, systems thinking, and organizational culture into a coherent framework aimed at preserving mission and integrity in a world dominated by financial gravity. Not every reader will be convinced by concepts such as the Spiritual Holding Company, and some proposals may appear difficult to implement in traditional corporate environments. Nevertheless, Ries succeeds in raising important questions about why organizations drift away from their founding purpose and what can be done to prevent it. … For leaders, entrepreneurs, board members, governance professionals, and anyone interested in building organizations that can endure without losing their soul, Incorruptable offers a compelling and highly original perspective. Whether or not one agrees with all of Ries' solutions, the book provides a valuable framework for thinking about how great organizations stay great.” — Henny Portman, Portman PM[O] Consultancy blog