Harnessing System Archetypes for Effective Nonprofit Leadership
Happy Friday!
Did you know you’re an icon expert? If I showed you a triangle, a square, a circle, and some lines, you would know exactly what they mean and what to do.
These simple shapes are immediately recognizable, and they (along with dozens of other instantly recognizable icons) help us navigate our world.
What if there were some instantly recognizable shapes that could help you solve complex problems at work?
In my PS last week, I linked to a summary of “system archetypes.” You responded positively to that, so I thought I’d surface it more directly this week.
There’s no time to provide a full overview, but a rundown of some of the most common archetypes:
Limits To Growth (when rapid growth leads to a reversal or a plateau)
Addiction (when solutions are effective in the short term, but make the problem worse in the long term)
Eroding Goals (when underperformance leads to lowering goals rather than increasing performance)
Fixes That Fail (when quick fixes cause new problems)
Accidental Adversaries (when the healthy pursuit of sub-goals creates conflict among people who share the same ultimate goal)
Chances are, you’ve witnessed one or more of these archetypes. And there are several more out there!
Here’s a deep dive for those who want that. And here’s a “pocket guide” if you want something simpler.
Hopefully becoming familiar with these universal icons of system behavior will help you respond more efficiently and effectively in the future.
Have a great weekend!
Drew
