This book is considered the go to reference for Stuart Kauffmans exploration of complexity and systems theory as it applies to the origins of life and evolutionary development. He lays the foundation of a future of cross disciplinary exploration of network science and complexity theory to understand, analysis, design, and develop the myriad of complex systems we humans take part in. It’s a dense read, I’ll admit, with mathematics and diagrams to back up the framework he is putting together. I read this as a part of deeper research into complexity science and network theory and I’ve found it a valuable exploration and reference guide for applying the science to complex problems in aerospace and in my thinking about other challenges facing other industries. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the science of complexity but also evolutionary development and design principles and for engineers looking to broaden their understanding if this unfolding field.
The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company
I’m a huge fan, believer, and engineer focused on systems design and analysis approaches. The Startup Owner’s Manual has been a go to resource for a systems thinking view of building an organization but I also believe improving one as well. The central tool of this method is the “Business Model Canvas” but it can just as easily be translated to “Organization Model Canvas” or even “Teaming Model Canvas” with a few tweaks in verbiage and format. I’ve coupled this tool with strategic analysis tools like SWOT and Market Analysis frameworks. It’s an incredibly rigorous, practical, and proven approach to design, prototype, implement, and improve your business model as you startup, scale, and mature your organization. I believe the canvas can be a central tool for organizational effectiveness consultants, consultants in general, General Managers, and Innovation focused leaders. The processes are clear but also the tools are visual, easily understand by wide audiences, and create a systems (broad and interconnected) view of how your organization meets it’s purpose and value proposition for it’s customers. This is a Top book of mine that I recommend probably the most often.
On Change Management from Harvard Business Review's "10 Must Reads"
As with Harvard Business Reviews “On Strategy”, “On Change Management” is a rich resource and primer in the area of organizational change management. The variety of authors bring a broad yet deep background in the field to provide the reader with articles that have prescriptive as well as descriptive components. This book provides a pragmatic understanding of the subject matter but also provides the readers with systematic, tests and proven methods for successful change management. As with “On Strategy” many of these authors have since published books built from the core principles laid out in these articles. A must read for human resources professionals, continuous improvement experts, change agents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand human and organizational psychology and how to get from current state to a brighter future.
On Strategy from Harvard Business Review's "10 Must Reads"
This compendium on Strategy from the Harvard Business Review is a classic, must read selection of their top articles on Strategy. Many of these authors have since gone on to publish books built from the core theses’ of their articles. Michael Porter’s “What is Strategy?” is a fundamental explanation of Strategy in a business industry setting, where the power is and where the profit is held. Each author lays out their framework for developing, understanding, analyzing, and implementing strategy in any organization, business, non-profit, or otherwise. If you want a clear and approachable primer to the fundamentals of strategic thinking, look no further than this classic as a launching point.
Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation
Johnson’s book “Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation” is a book that started and went in a direction I completely unanticipated. It is highly readable, with numerous references and examples to great minds and thinkers of history, but that brings network science, psychology, sociology, organization design, and much more to develop a deep understanding of how good ideas are discovered, developed, and brought to use in our lives. He has 7 key drivers that bring about Good Ideas and with clear examples, elaborations, and an approachable style he brings a difficult scientific subject and applies it with ease to this much sought after subject of creativity and good ideas. I recommend this book for any creatively minded person, no matter the discipline or interests, for innovative business leaders, for engineers as well as entrepreneurs. It’s on my lists of “fundamentals” to learning, creativity and innovation, and successful structure for life and organizations in an increasingly competitive and changing world.
Scale: The Universal Laws of Life, Growth, and Death in Organisms, Cities, and Companies
Geoffrey Wests book “Scale” is an amazing exploration of the science of complexity, network theory, and how scaling relationships amongst all kinds of systems permeate our world. With enough technical detail to be a useful reference in future applications and research but accompanied by a highly readable literary style, West explores scaling fundamentals in organisms, organizations, and cities. These sets of mathematical relationships underpin not only the growth rates of these varying systems but also resource consumption, energy production, maximum and minimum size limitations, and eventual death and decay. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the science of complexity and networks, systems theory, and industrial and systems engineering, but also for futurists and strategic thinkers grasping for fundamental principles of nature that can help guide their visions, strategies, and predictions for the future.