The Seven Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems
Release Date: 08/25/2025
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Marcy Syms is a pioneering businesswoman and advocate for respect in leadership. She’s seen leadership fads come and go. She was a CEO when people still thought “women shouldn’t do that sort of thing” And she’s done something many folks have never had to endure - shuttering her family’s business while making her key creditors whole - an act deeply in line with her core value of respect. Marcy shares insights from her journey in the retail industry, her experiences with leadership dynamics and her advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment - something she hopes to see made...
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The Seven Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems
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Download free chapters from : Listen now 👇 🎙️ Spotify: 🍎 Apple: And please or Also! support the podcast with or a : Full show notes: SUMMARY In this conversation, Adam Kahane discusses the complexities of transforming systems, emphasizing the importance of understanding systems thinking, collaboration, and the role of individual contributions. He shares insights from urban transformation examples, the significance of culture, and the necessity of engaging with systems responsibly. Kahane introduces seven habits for transforming systems,...
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Download free chapters from Please support the podcast by or , making , or making . Check out for the full transcript and video highlights. Dr. Anjan Chatterjee is a renowned professor and the founding Director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. He's a leading expert on how our brains perceive beauty and art, and author of an engaging book on this topic: “The Aesthetic Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty and Enjoy Art" In this beautiful conversation, we explore: the intersection of beauty, conversation, and the human brain how our biological evolution has...
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Warning - this episode uses a specific curse word - a lot. And once we started using one, we started using more of them. So…if f-bombs, sprinkled like salt are not your cup of tea, this is a good episode to skip! My guest today is Rebecca R Block, PhD, who is an expert in helping organizations build programs, services and products that equip young people to develop the confidence and skills they need to enter adulthood as thriving and adaptable lifelong learners. She has spent the last 14 years leading the design, improvement, and evaluation of educational programs and services to make them...
info_outlineDownload free chapters from Good Talk and master the art of conversations big and small: https://www.danielstillman.com/good-talk
Listen now 👇
🎙️ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3QzcPAW
🍎 Apple: https://apple.co/4ifh6pb
And please subscribe on Spotify or iTunes!
Also! support the podcast with
a monthly contribution here: https://theconversationfactory.com/conversation-factory-insider
or a one-time donation here: https://dastillman.gumroad.com/l/dscoffee
Full show notes: https://theconversationfactory.com/listen
SUMMARY
In this conversation, Adam Kahane discusses the complexities of transforming systems, emphasizing the importance of understanding systems thinking, collaboration, and the role of individual contributions. He shares insights from urban transformation examples, the significance of culture, and the necessity of engaging with systems responsibly. Kahane introduces seven habits for transforming systems, highlighting the importance of finding cracks as opportunities for change and the balance between closeness and distance in understanding systems.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Systems can't be transformed without understanding them.
Transformation requires many people to do many things.
You can't just change a system by force.
Look for what's unseen in a system.
Forget your perfect offering; there's a crack in everything.
Acting responsibly is crucial for transformation.
We all have bells we still can ring.
Engaging with the system is a collective activity.
You can make wiser decisions by understanding others.
Change how you think, change how you are.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Understanding Systems for Transformation
02:29 The Role of Collaboration in System Change
05:05 Insights from Global Examples
07:46 The Importance of Proximity in System Change
10:10 Cracks and Leverage Points in Systems
12:46 The Journey of Transformation in South Africa
24:31 The Journey of Collective Engagement
24:55 Radical Engagement: Understanding System Transformation
26:13 The Role of Outsiders vs. Insiders
27:41 Spotting Cracks: Micro Interactions in Systems
28:46 The Art of Persuasion vs. Convincing
30:29 Granular Habits for System Transformation
31:41 Relating in Three Dimensions
33:43 Understanding the Seven Habits
39:32 Acting Responsibly in Systems
43:21 Finding Light in the Cracks
LINKS
Learn more about Adam’s work at www.reospartners.com , www.reospartners.com/adamkahane and find him on twitter/X at @adamkahane