Harry reads a passage from a book by Robert Pirsig that raises questions about what authentic effort looks like — and the traps inherent in its trappings.

• On Quality by Robert Pirsig
• Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
• Lila by Robert Pirsig
• Traction Heroes Ep. 11: Gall’s Law
• Atomic Habits by James Clear

Harry gives Jorge advice on how to focus on strategically important things.

Show notes:

• The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
• unfinishe_ – Jorge's new consultancy with Greg Petroff
• The Power of a Positive No by William Ury
• The Harry Max Boot-up Protocol (How to get going in the morning) by Christina Wodtke
• Essentialism by Greg McKeown
• Impro by Keith Johnstone

Harry explains a framework for learning and change that originated in the field of NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) — just in time for the launch of Jorge's new consultancy.

Show notes:

• unfinishe_ – Jorge Arango and Greg Petroff’s strategic AI consultancy
• Sam and Jony introduce io
• Tools for Dreamers by Robert B. Dilts, Todd Epstein, and Robert W. Dilts
• Neuro-linguistic programming
• Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins
• General semantics

On the folly of designing complex systems in one go, from the top down.

Show notes:

• Traction Heroes ep. 6: Chesterton's Fence
• Traction Heroes ep. 2: Unprecedented
• The Design Squiggle
• Systemantics by John Gall
• A New Kind of Science by Stephen Wolfram
• Wardley map

It's important to plan ahead when working on large, complex projects. Alas, some people's bias for action keeps them from undertaking what they perceive as wasteful exercise. In this episode, Harry shares an exercise that can help.

Show notes:

• Planning for Everything by Peter Morville
• How Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner
• On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis
• Hofstadter's law
• Performing a Project Premortem by Gary Klein 

What keeps you from doing the things you know you need to do, when you need to do them? The answers go deeper than you think.

Show notes:

• Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
• Innovation Games by Luke Hohmann
• Nonviolent Communication Marshall Rosenberg

A discussion about the deep underlying causes of the turbulence we're experiencing, and how to think about our agency in the situation.

Show notes:

• Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows
• Harry’s TEDx San Antonio presentation
• Cynefin framework
• Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me) by Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson
• Rich Diviney
• Jocko Willink
• Leif Babin
• Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

How do you act effectively in times of uncertainty? One way is by asking yourself better questions. In this conversation, Harry shares a framework to do just that.

Show notes:

- Masters of Uncertainty by Rich Diviney
- 8 1/2
- Cascading Choices Framework by Roger Martin

Implementing changes – especially irreversible and potentially catastrophic changes – requires humility and understanding. In this conversation, we discuss Chesterton's fence and the art of mindful change-making.

Show notes:

• The Thing by GK Chesterton
• Chesterton’s fence
• Seeing Like a State by James C. Scott
• Systemantics by John Gall
• Gall’s law
• Christopher Alexander
• Drift Into Failure by Sidney Dekker

Acting skillfully entails choosing the right thing to do at any given moment. But these actions must also serve higher-level goals. In this conversation, we explore the relationship between both levels of priorities.

Show notes:

• On Grand Strategy by John Lewis Gaddis
• The New How by Nilofer Merchant
• Playing to Win by A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin
• Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
• Innovation Games by Luke Hohmann