Complexity Made Simple: Science, Systems and Social Innovation

Learning from complex adaptive systems is arguably the hottest area of organizational strategy today.

In a nutshell, a complex system is one in which simple interactions work together to produce a greater whole.  In the natural sciences, complexity is essential for understanding the dynamics of environmental sustainability.  Applying principles derived from complex systems in nature has also become a primary source of inspiration for sustainable social design, from green buildings patterned after termite mounds to ecosystemic models of health care reform.  Complexity science is also emerging as the cutting-edge of social enterpreneurship research--in fact, Routledge's new Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, edited by Skoll professor Alex Nicholls, includes an excellent article presenting a complexity science model of social enterprise.

However, for many people new to the field, the very word complexity--not to mention such concepts as dynamical networks and attractor basins--can make the field seem somewhat daunting.  Fortunately, a new book has appeared to help social entrepreneurs apply the core insights of complexity science without the math and academic jargon.

Adjacent Opportunities: Sparking Emergent Social Action provides a crisp, compelling introduction to what author Ron Schultz aptly describes as the "ordinary magic" of social innovation.  Through a series of engaging anecdotes and fun observations, Schultz explains how social systems work, underscoring in particular the importance of small differences and quiet voices in creating a cultural shift.

As Schultz observes, focusing on rigorous efficiency and system-changing solutions can actually lead us to devalue the small but significant actions from which systemic change will emerge.  Instead, we need to learn how to find opportunities in the unexpected--and to develop the courage, or "Applied Chutzpah," to take "audacious action" without knowing where it will lead.

There's much more I could say about Adjacent Opportunities, from its insights on cultivating a constituency to its fresh perspectives on CSR, microfinance and practical decision-making, but the best way to learn its lessons is to read it yourself.  Just as Schultz celebrates how recognizing our deep interconnectedness within a complex adaptive system is an "exhilarating and joyful" experience, the same is also true of his book.

Photo credit: Anacin Extero