Just before the holiday break, I broached the subject of systems. Given the current management rage focusing on the power of distinctive corporate culture as the key enabler of constant innovation, it’s worthwhile to think about how systems and culture intertwine.

My friend Michael Shrage likes to talk about “innovation ecosystems,” and in a recent talk he made the point that “culture trumps strategy.” So let’s think through this a bit.

The best and most consistent innovators have the ability to think through all the conditions and connections required to allow a given solution to fit seamlessly into the everyday beat of those who will use it. That kind of thinking is systems thinking.

It’s the ability to provide solutions within the current context, or providing a new one along with the solution.

I happen to believe that systems thinking isn’t natural, intuitive, or easy. Nowhere in our formative years do we get schooled in systems thinking, but it can be learned.

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