🌱 A Conversation Only We Could Have
Nerding out about "Emergent Strategy" by adrienne maree brown
Systems Design Lab helps social sector organizations use systems thinking and human-centered design to collaborate, innovate, and amplify their community impact. We work with technical tools, but we focus most on people. We are really good at bringing together diverse perspectives to make radical changes that lead to radical social change.
We’re having a campfire conversation about motivation and conflict. Join us on May 21 at 12 pm ET for Why They Do That (and Why You Do, Too): A Real-Talk Session on Relationship Intelligence.
TL;DR // We read adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy, a poetic guide to navigating change by embracing nature-inspired principles like moving at the speed of trust, focusing on critical connections, and staying present. It validates intentional, relational work and challenges linear thinking. We recommend reading it as a team to better manage transitions and complexity. Prepare for inspiring conversations!
Ever feel like the strategies we rely on are just too linear for the beautifully messy reality of our world? When we started NOTES by Systems Design Lab, we wanted a space to learn in public. We are a team of curious analysts who like to dive deep, question boldly, and (occasionally) reinvent how we show up professionally. We recently revisited a read that a lot of our partners love: adrienne maree brown's book, Emergent Strategy. We have been working on putting lessons from this book into practice this year, so we thought we’d share some things that we’re thinking about.
📖 The Book + Author
Emergent Strategy isn’t your typical strategy guide. It's a poetic invitation to embrace change by thinking like nature: organically, iteratively, and interconnectedly. The author, adrienne maree brown, is part facilitator, part revolutionary poet. She has rich experience in community organizing and advocacy, where she learned to navigate complexity with grace, humor, and wisdom. Her approach is unmistakably emergent: she doesn’t just facilitate meetings, she crafts transformative experiences that shape communities and systems.
adrienne encourages us to lean into the “messy middle” of transformation, trusting the magic that unfolds through relationships, experimentation, and adaptation. The core principles of Emergent Strategy are profound yet beautifully simple:
Change is constant. (Be like water.)
Small is good, small is all. (The large is a reflection of the small.)
There is always enough time for the right work.
Less Prep, More Presence.
There is a conversation in the room that only these people at this moment can have. Find it.
Never a failure, always a lesson.
Trust the people. (If you trust the people, they become trustworthy.)
What you pay attention to grows.
Move at the speed of trust. (Focus on critical connections more than critical mass; build resilience by building relationships.)
Emergent Strategy advocates for a shift that our team is passionate about: from traditional, linear methodologies to more fluid, trust-based, and relational approaches. Three principles stand out strongly in our own work navigating complex systemic challenges:
Trust the People: We center human-driven solutions to create authentic social impact.
What You Pay Attention to Grows: We co-produce, co-create, and co-learn with clients, cultivating trust-based, relationship-centered environments.
Change is Constant: We embrace complexity and remain adaptable, much like "being like water." We prioritize flexibility and responsiveness over rigid structures, tailoring solutions uniquely for each community.
So, basically, we’re all in on emergence.
🍝 We’re Noodling On…
One challenge we noted is that practical application of emergent strategy isn't clear-cut. The book is not a cut-and-dry “how to” (which is probably why there’s a follow-up piece we’re digging into next!). Instead, this book leans on personal and collective reflection, which, while empowering, sometimes feels vague when you’re in need of immediate answers. Here are some of the questions we’re grappling with in our practice:
Subversion vs. Stealth: If you’re bringing emergent strategy into your work, do you tell people? It’s a heady concept, so how do you get people on board? Is openly embracing "emergence" more effective, or should it subtly guide our actions behind the scenes?
Fragility of Transitions: Transitions aren't just change; they're delicate moments requiring thoughtful, intentional design. How might we design for the human experience of transition?
Systems + Design Thinking in Practice: We use technical tools for these methods, but when we think about our recent projects, we realize that what we really do is hold people through uncertainty. How should we adapt our tried-and-true tools to make sure we attend to the vulnerability of uncertainty?
Holding Space vs. Direct Intervention: Balancing clients’ urgent needs with gently guiding them toward deeper, reflective change. Most of our clients very much want the latter but are under a lot of pressure to make a change fast. How might we help navigate both?
🎁 Wrapping It Up
We absolutely recommended Emergent Strategy, but definitely read it with others! It's more than a book; it's a practice ideal for teams managing transitions or those seeking alternatives to conventional strategic thinking. Prepare yourself for lunchtime conversations about fractals and “moving at the speed of trust.”
We're committing to intentionally incorporating emergent strategy into our projects and openly sharing our journey here. In particular, we’re working on designing tests that help us learn about some of the questions above. Join the conversation:
What transitions are you currently navigating?
How are you intentionally designing for these moments?
Hit reply or drop us a comment. We'd love to hear and learn from your experiences. Until next time, let's keep emerging together!
» Join us on May 21 at 12 pm ET for a conversation about motivation and conflict: Why They Do That (and Why You Do, Too): A Real-Talk Session on Relationship Intelligence
» On the topic of natural systems and emergence…check out this amazing portrayal of persistence.
» This quick summary of common misconceptions about psychological safety.
» Try this grounding practice before you dive into the agenda at your next meeting: 5-4-3-2-1
Find us elsewhere:
You’ve certainly got me curious about Emergent Strategy and the core principles, and how these concepts could inform the strategy work I do with clients. Looks like I have a book to read 😊.