With Adam Kahane 5 June 2025.
Adam led the session in an exploration of what individuals can do in their daily lives and spheres of influence to contribute to system-wide change. The talk was based on his latest book of the same title (link here) and this summary was created with the help of AI.
Summary
The book addresses a central question Adam often hears: “What can I do, both to be safe within the situation as it is, and what can I do to contribute to making the situation better and to transforming systems?”.
He used the (incomplete but historic) shift in South Africa from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s as an example of effective transformation – saying change is not by “one thing, one time, one person, doing one thing one time” but “many people doing many things over many years”.
The book doesn’t offer a recipe for what to do, but a way for individuals to discover what they can do to contribute to this collective work. Its insights are drawn from decades of work by Rios Partners and conversations with over 300 people involved in system transformation, including leaders like Christiana Figueres (Paris Accord) and Juan Manuel Santos (Colombian peace agreement).
Key Learning Points
The Meta-Habit: Radical Engagement
The overarching idea that underlies the seven habits is radical engagement. Adam defines it in contrast to passive or hierarchical participation:
- Radical engagement means participating alertly, with open curiosity, horizontally, leaning forward, digging deep, persisting, and above all, reciprocally and relationally.
- It is the opposite of participating distractedly, resignedly, hierarchically, at arm’s length, or superficially with impatience.
Key Action Points
The Seven Everyday Habits
The seven habits are different aspects of this radical engagement:
- Act Responsibly: Focus on understanding and owning your role and responsibility in what’s going on. Kahane suggests that “if you’re not part of the problem you can’t be part of the solution”.
- Relate in Three Dimensions: Engage with others in three distinct, legitimate, and necessary ways simultaneously:
- As parts of a larger whole (related to love).
- As holes in themselves or distinct parties with their own interests and agendas (related to power).
- As relatives or kin (related to the concept of justice as the structure that allows everybody to employ their love and power).
- Look for What’s Unseen: Strive to see more of what is happening—including what is under the surface, what is difficult to see, or what is inconvenient to see—usually by engaging with people who have a different position or perspective.
- Work with Cracks: Because systems are fluid and moving, transformation actors should move towards and work with the “cracks” rather than ignoring them or shying away.
- Experiment a Way Forward: Actively try new approaches, not just sticking to what is familiar or safe.
- Collaborate with Unlike Others: This involves working with people you may not agree with, like, or trust, but whose participation is necessary to get where you’re trying to go. Kahane stresses this is a choice, and the bar for collaboration doesn’t need to be perfection—it’s possible with many more people than is commonly believed.
- Persevere and Rest: Both persistence over time and adequate rest are required for the long process of system transformation.
Adam ended by encouraging Weavers to embrace the messiness – systems don’t transform along straight and clear pathways – they adapt to multitudes of people starting anywhere, and going everywhere – so the best way to stay with the process is to constantly sit with the seven habits.
You can contact Adam on Linkedin here, or via his website here
Knowledge Base Categories: 1) Inner Work 2) Weaving Methods
