Leaders Read#117
- Lars Christensen
- Dec 14
- 2 min read
👋 Hello everyone,
Satya Nadella said, "Our industry does not respect tradition—it only respects innovation."
Here are a few resources you might have missed:
📚 Book Summary:
This week's book is "Thinking in Systems" by Donella H. Meadows.
This book was written by one of the pioneers in Systems Thinking. The book is a primer with great, easy-to-understand examples. Systems are all around us, and by mapping those out, you will be able to see feedback loops and challenge your mental models in business as well as in life.
One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this:
"The thing to do when you don't know is not to bluff and not to freeze, but to learn. The way you learn is by experiment—or, as Buckminster Fuller put it, by trial and error, error, error. In a world of complex systems, it is not appropriate to charge forward with rigid, undeviating directives. "Stay the course" is only a good idea if you're sure you're on course. Pretending you're in control even when you aren't is a recipe not only for mistakes, but for not learning from mistakes. What's appropriate when you're learning is small steps, constant monitoring, and a willingness to change course as you find out more about where it's leading."
✅ Actionable advice:
Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle Is the Way and other bestsellers, wanted to open a bookstore in a small Texas town. Everyone said it was foolish—Amazon rules, authors don't run bookstores. He asked Tim Ferriss for advice. Tim said, "Do everything as small experiments." Ryan did. Today, The Painted Porch thrives because big bets became tiny tests. Thinking in systems lets you put your mental models and behaviors on trial— follow Tim Ferriss's advice: Be willing to test fast. Learn quickly. Give yourself the option to pivot your course. Start by asking: What’s the smallest step we can take today that teaches us the most about tomorrow?
Have a great week!