See the whole system.
Understand the connections.
Explore systems, mental models, feedback loops, delays, and habits for seeing the bigger picture.
Study sections
Follow the order or choose a sectionIntroduction to Systems Thinking — What is a System?
Kill all the snakes in a forest because “snakes are bad”. Soon there are too many rats, the rats eat all the grass, and the forest suff…
02Examples of a System and the Systems View
Your masala dosa arrives 20 minutes late, and you’re annoyed. But behind that one dosa are a delivery rider, petrol pumps, a restaurant…
03Becoming a Systems Thinker — The Big Picture and Consequences
You failed an exam and feel your life is over. Your friend takes you up in a helicopter . From 2,000 feet, you see your whole life: gra…
04Mental Models, and How Structure Generates Behaviour
You want to eat fewer snacks. But your snack jars are transparent and sit right where you walk past ten times a day. You keep eating. I…
05Don't Rush, Find the Leverage, Make Connections
In the middle of a seminar, the projector suddenly dies, but the fans and lights still work. Everyone waits for an electrician. One pro…
06Loops, Time Delays, Accumulations and Change Over Time
You’re hungry, so you eat. A few hours later you’re hungry again. Cause and effect often run in circles , not straight lines. And somet…
07Guidelines for Systems Thinking Practice — the 14 Habits
Systems thinking isn’t a subject you finish. It’s a way of seeing that you build one habit at a time. Prof. Shiva’s challenge: master o…