These articles draw on research and theory from across disciplines that inform Strategic Doing practice. They provide insight into complexity, networks, inquiry, leadership, and collective intelligence—helping explain why Strategic Doing works as it does. Rather than presenting a single theoretical framework, this collection reflects the interdisciplinary foundations of the discipline.
- Filter by category
- Inquiry, framing, and powerful questions
- Complexity, emergence, and limits of planning
- Leadership, facilitation, and distributed action
- Collaboration, trust, and psychological safety
- Design, visuals, and sensemaking
- Networks, systems, and collective intelligence
The Complexity Era in Economics
The paper shows current research that underpins the Strategic Doing methodology in dealing with complex problems and why old models of approaching issues are no longer relevant to current attitudes and needs
Network dynamics of social influence in the wisdom of crowds
Examines when and why groups outperform individuals, highlighting the role of equity and interaction design.
Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks
Explores how social networks shape behaviour, influence, and outcomes.
Facilitation for Cross-Disciplinary Teams
Outlines facilitation practices that support boundary-spanning collaboration.
Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else
An accessible exploration of network theory and systemic interdependence.
Peer Feedback Loops: Why Meetings and Metrics Are Not Enough
Describes how structured peer feedback and reflective space enable learning and alignment beyond traditional performance mechanisms.
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century
Explores global interconnectedness and the rise of networked, cross-boundary collaboration.
Corporate Languages and Strategic Agility
Shows how informal language and everyday conversations shape an organisation’s ability to adapt.
Your Organization Is a Network of Conversations
Argues that strategy and coordination emerge through conversations rather than formal structures.
Distributed Leadership as a Sustainable and Inclusive Leadership Approach
Provides a framework for understanding leadership as a shared, relational practice.
Understanding Culture Through Pictures and a Thousand Words
Demonstrates how visual methods support sensemaking and shared understanding in complex cultural settings.
How do I implement complex change at scale?
Addresses the challenges of scaling change in complex systems, aligning closely with Strategic Doing’s iterative approach.
Got a wicked problem? First, tell me how you make toast
Illustrates how hidden assumptions undermine collaboration and why shared framing is essential in complex problem-solving.
Positioning Wicked Problems Along Two Dimensions
A visual framework helping distinguish problem complexity and collaboration intensity.
Where Good Ideas Come From
Explains how innovation emerges from loosely connected interactions over time, reinforcing Strategic Doing’s emphasis on networks.
Psychological Safety
Explains why trust and inquiry are essential for effective teamwork and learning.
Why good leaders make you feel safe
Explores how trust, care, and psychological safety enable learning, performance, and long-term organisational resilience.
Psychological Safety: A Meta-Analytic Review and Extension
A comprehensive review showing how psychological safety affects learning, performance, and collaboration.
Levels of Appreciative Inquiry
Uses experiences from COVID-era collaboration to illustrate how inquiry operates across multiple system levels.
Simple Rules, Complex Behavior
Explains how simple guiding rules enable complex, adaptive behaviour.
The Essentials of Appreciative Inquiry
Examines how carefully crafted questions shape attention, behaviour, and outcomes in organisations and communities.
Teams Solve Problems Faster When They’re More Cognitively Diverse
Demonstrates the performance benefits of cognitive diversity when collaboration is intentionally designed.
Appreciative Inquiry Is Not (Just) About The Positive
Explores the research foundations of Appreciative Inquiry, clarifying misconceptions and demonstrating why inquiry quality matters more than positivity.
The Agility Advantage – A Survival Guide
Highlights why adaptability and learning outperform rigid planning in uncertain environments.
Collaborative Networks: a mechanism for enterprise agility and resilience
A scholarly paper explaining why collaborative networks outperform hierarchical structures in volatile environments, providing theoretical grounding for Strategic Doing’s network-based approach.
A visual example of the problem with vision statements
A TED talk that uses humour and design failures to show why poorly framed vision statements confuse rather than align, reinforcing the importance of clarity and shared meaning.
An Effectual Model of Collective Action for Addressing Sustainability Challenges
Presents a model for collective action under uncertainty, integrating effectuation theory with Strategic Doing.
Allowing Change Through “Letting It Happen”
Explores how enabling conditions and restraint often lead to more durable change.
Key themes: Emergence, complexity, indirect actionBuilding a Culture that Stimulates “Collective Genius”
Explains how diverse perspectives and disciplined collaboration enable innovation rather than reliance on individual brilliance.