Adam Zeiner

First off, we need to stop thinking about systems maps as deliverables. They’re research tools — stepping stones on our path to understanding complex problems.

The paper draws on Donella Meadows’ notion of “deep leverage points” – places to intervene in a system where adjustments can make a big difference to the overall outcomes.

I think of these hierarchical layers as levels of leverage that different people, or teams have with their work.

So, there are two kinds of competences that make up what design is: the theoretical and the practical. And we can use this as a mental model for how we think and talk about design – as a kind of philosophy for what design is, what it means to be a designer and to do design.

1. Alignment & common language

Many business leaders don’t know how to select the ecosystems, or how to identify those opportunities with the highest value. Shaping the ecosystem strategy requires focused, design-led work in three areas:

the first paper is out from our Leverage Points project [...] and lays out a conceptual framework and research agenda, all around the notion of “deep leverage points”

This explains a good deal of what works and doesn't work for teams, especially when it comes to their mission. For highly capable knowledge-work teams (marketing teams, software teams, research team, etc.), low-leverage missions tend to be uninspiring.