Solving the most urgent societal issues collectively: An invitation to approach our world differently The Synergist Manifesto
Our world, our societies, and our lives as we know them face critical and escalating challenges. Many of these are complex, deeply entrenched, and urgent.
To tackle these with the impact and durability needed will require a bigger approach. It will require coherent bridging between strong efforts of the past and next-generation strategies; bridging between a broad range of sectors and stakeholders; and bridging towards a movement of synergies between people, minds, and strategies, to:
Keep scrolling to discover the 5 laws of synergism.
Synergy is the collaborative energy that generates something much bigger than the sum of its parts
Embracing complexity
In the face of complexity everyone tries to simplify. Yet fragmented efforts equal fragmented solutions.
Adopt a systems perspective
to consider the bigger picture to gain bigger and better insights.
Challenge ineffective systems
because rethinking the ecosystems that complex problems nest in can help us zoom out & gain perspective
Open up to non-linear thinking
to explore what’s beyond our current and usual fields of vision.
Unlearn mental models
to consider the bigger picture to gain bigger and better insights.
Adopt a systems perspective
to (re-)learn creativity and gain new ways of unlocking solutions.
The more complex the problem, the more fragmented the proposed solution.
Leaning into collective intelligence
Complex problems cannot be solved by any one actor on their own. Their interconnected and dynamic nature requires us to:
Embrace stakeholder diversity
because the more perspectives are heard, the richer the outcomes will be.
Step out of our comfort zones
to truly break what limits us, we must be comfortable being uncomfortable.
Practice active listening
as true insights emerge from having more questions than answers.
Engage in co-creating innovation
through a process of openly sharing ideas, testing solutions & implementing in iterations
The most significant gift our species brings to the world, is our capacity to think. The most significant danger … is our inability to think with those who think differently.
Leading collaboratively
Collaborative leadership is not about being in charge; it is about creating and sustaining the right conditions to nurture true collaboration, in which we:
Excel through non-competition
as genuine trust is needed to enable positive collaboration.
Carve out shared purpose
finding where agendas co-exist to drive synergies.
Enable continuous synergy
working together to overcome complex challenges through genuine teamwork
Mobilize collaborative leaders
to mobilize collective intelligence and navigate it towards impact.
Collaboration is vital to sustain deep change because without it, organizations are overwhelmed by forces of the status quo.
Investing to make it happen
Synergy doesn’t happen by magic
it requires building the right skills, infrastructures and conditions to deliver it.
Synergy is not self-sustaining
it requires the right curation and nourishment to maintain it.
Disruptive thinking needs fuel
it requires us to harness the creative energy of synergistic teams for results.
To solve complex problems,
we must be socially enterprising, aligning business strengths with social goals.
The best way to measure investment success is by putting in place a plan and a behavioral discipline that will get you where you want to go.
Embarking on an infinite course
Tackling complex problems requires long-term commitment
System change is infinite
it has no set deadlines, winners, losers - just constant improvements.
There is acceleration in restraint
holding the space for broader early thinking opens opportunities for deeper impact.
Achieving and maintaining triple-wins
(public, private, societal) requires constant agility.
Many wicked problems are never completely solved; the best one can hope for is continual improvement in addressing the issue.