Introduction:

“First and foremost, thank you for opening this book. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed living, learning, and gathering it.

Principles of Emergent Strategy

“In the study and practice of emergent strategy, there are core principles that have emerged and that guide me in learning and using this idea and method in the world. I gather them here with the expectation that they will grow.

Small is good, small is all. (The large is a reflection of the small.)

Change is constant. (Be like water).

There is always enough time for the right work.

There is a conversation in the room that only these people at this moment can have. Find it.

Never a failure, always a lesson.

Trust the People. (If you trust the people, they become trustworthy).

Move at the speed of trust. Focus on critical connections more than critical mass—build the resilience by building the relationships.

Less prep, more presence.

What you pay attention to grows

To read more about Gar Alperovitz’s exploration of the space between capitalism and socialism, visit http://garalperovitz.com/ifyoudontlike/.

To read more about Gopal Dayaneni’s work with the other brilliant members of the Movement Generation team, visit http://movementgeneration.org/.

(Rumelt, ‘Good Strategy / Bad Strategy’, p.20)