an online book by David Gurteen
Personal development or self-improvement consists of activities that develops a person's capabilities and potential, enhance quality of life, and facilitate the realization of dreams and aspirations. Personal development may take place over the course of an individual's entire lifespan and is not limited to one stage of a person's life.
Credit: Wikipedia - Personal_developmentI get this question all the time. Simon, I buy into all your stuff, it’s wonderful. Thank you very much, but I’m not the CEO. How do I change the organization when I’m not in charge? There’s like four levels up above me. What am I supposed to do? And the answer is, of course, Continue reading Influence Change at Any Level Simon Sinek (2024)
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. | Bernard Shaw Continue reading Changing Minds Bernard Shaw
Change emerges organically through interactions and relationships within complex systems. Rather than imposing top-down mandates, create conditions that attract desired behaviors by strategically altering the environment. Facilitate sense-making processes and share stories that shape collective thought patterms, fostering natural adaptation and evolution. Don't Try to Change People, Change … Continue reading Don’t Try to Change People, Change How They Interact Change Insight
Dissent is essential for meaningful dialogue, reflection, and commitment. Suppressing doubts or disagreements drives negativity underground, but surfacing them fosters understanding, ownership, and progress. “No” begins the path to genuine collaboration and effective change. Embrace Dissent, Don't Suppress Itaudio Don’t Discourage DissentFear, uncertainty and doubt are good … Continue reading Embrace Dissent, Don’t Suppress It Change Insight
History isn’t the study of the past; it is the study of change. History teaches us what remains the same, what changes, and how things change. | Yuval Noah Harari Continue reading History Isn’t the Study of the Past Yuval Noah Harari
We must become the change we want to see in the world. | Mahatma Gandhi Continue reading On Becoming Change Mahatma Gandhi
Despite current ads and slogans, the world doesn’t change one person at a time. It changes when networks of relationships form among people who share a common cause and vision of what’s possible. This is good news for those of us intent on creating a positive future. Rather than worry about critical mass, our work is to foster critical … | Meg Wheatley Continue reading The World Doesn’t Change One Person at a Time Meg Wheatley
I have long argued, and repeated ad nauseam that in complexity we start journeys with a sense of direction we don’t try and achieve goals. We remain open to the evolutionary opportunities of the here and now, the present and the adjacent future states. | Dave Snowden Continue reading In Complexity We Start Journeys with a Sense of Direction Dave Snowden
A culture is emergent and is the result of millions of interactions, behaviours, artifacts and stories that people build up over time. It is unpredictable and results in surprise. The idea that a “culture change initiative” can be rolled out from the top of an organization is not only a myth, it’s a hidden form of colonization. And worse, the idea that people need to be changed in the way the … | Chris Corrigan Continue reading Culture Is Emergent Chris Corrigan
Changing the interactions between people is both more effective in achieving change and more ethical; telling people what sort of people you think they should be is a paternalistic form of neo-colonialism. | Dave Snowden Continue reading Changing the Interactions Between People Dave Snowden
Stop the paternalistic attempt to define how people think and engineer a XYZ culture and instead focus on creating and disrupting connections and engaging people in small actions in the here and now. Mindset change smacks of indoctrination. | Dave Snowden Continue reading Mindset Change Smacks of Indoctrination Dave Snowden
If you want to make any real difference then stop making lists of idealised qualities of how things should be—they will always end up as anodyne platitudes—focus on understanding and critically ACTING in the present to start shifting things in a better direction | Dave Snowden Continue reading Stop Making Lists of Idealised Qualities of How Things Should Be Dave Snowden
You think that writing is communicating your ideas to your readers. It is not. What is professional writing? Professional writing, what is it? It’s not conveying your ideas to your readers. It’s changing their ideas. Nobody cares what ideas you have. Credit: Larry McEnerney Comment: This quote challenges the conventional view of writing as mere Continue reading Changing Your Readers’ Ideas Larry McEnerney
The function of an academic piece is not to communicate your ideas, it’s to change the ideas of an existing community. Now, sometimes you do that by communicating your ideas, sometimes you don’t. But understand what it’s for and understand that your training has been all about revealing your head. | Larry McEnerney Continue reading The Function of an Academic Piece of Writing Larry McEnerney
Change is often seen as an individual choice or a top-down plan. But in complex systems, this view breaks down. Change emerges through interaction, adaptation, and learning as people respond to one another and to changing circumstances. Rethinking change means paying attention not only to what we want to achieve, but to how we find our way forward together. Continue reading Introduction: Rethinking Change Finding our way forward in a complex world
The kind of conversation I like is one in which you are prepared to emerge a slightly different person. | Theodore Zeldin Continue reading The Kind of Conversation I Like Theodore Zeldin
Most change initiatives begin with trying to change individuals, but lasting change rarely starts there. Interaction, not the individual, is the primary unit of change. Continue reading Interaction as the Primary Unit of Change Is not the individual, it’s the interaction
Traditional change management methods, with their rigid plans and fixed outcomes, often struggle in today’s complex, unpredictable environments. Dave Snowden’s Vector Theory of Change offers a more adaptable solution by focusing on setting a broad direction (vector) rather than a specific goal. Continue reading The Vector Theory of Change Navigating change in a complex world
The adjacent possible shows that small steps can lead to significant changes. But human habits and fears often shrink the space we move within. When we listen and respond with openness, conversation becomes a gateway to new futures. Continue reading Conversations and the Adjacent Possible How dialogue creates quiet shifts in what is possible
Conversations shape how we understand and respond to change. When dialogue is constrained by rigid goals, fixed plans, or predetermined outcomes, creativity and insight can easily be lost. A more flexible, direction-focused approach allows conversations to remain purposeful while adapting to new ideas and emerging circumstances. Continue reading The Vector of Great Conversations A parallel between the vector theory of change and conversational leadership
In complex systems, we cannot reliably predict how change will unfold. Plans that assume clear relationships between cause and effect can easily produce unexpected consequences. Safe-to-fail probes offer a different approach: make several small interventions, observe what happens, and adapt our actions as the situation evolves. Continue reading Safe-to-fail Probes: Rethinking Change in Complexity Probing, sensing, and responding when the way forward is uncertain
Small group conversations are at the heart of Conversational Leadership, but there are several challenges to be overcome if they are to be effective. Continue reading Introduction: Small Group Conversations Small groups are an essential building block to any future you want to create
Rethink Change: In complex environments, change is not driven by individuals but by interaction. Plans fail when they ignore direction and the system’s readiness for what’s next. Real progress comes through shared movement, guided by interaction and small steps into the adjacent possible. Continue reading Rethink Change A Conversational Leadership Practice Area
Don’t Discourage Dissent: Many view conflict as harmful and try to suppress it, but disagreement is healthy. It is an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation, and we should encourage it. Continue reading Don’t Discourage Dissent Fear, uncertainty and doubt are good things
