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TRANSFORMING SYSTEMS
By the turn of the millennium, the dominant idea was that not only should the business of
business be only business, but countries, governments and civil society organizations should also
be run on principles of business.
Soon, the realization that, while economies had been growing, systemic problems of social inequality
and environmental unsustainability were becoming intolerable, led to the Sustainable Development
Goals, which all countries signed up to achieve. A new toolkit is required to attain these goals that
go beyond the precepts of good business management and prevalent best practices in government
as well as civil society organizations.
In Transforming Systems, Arun Maira stresses that a new toolkit has to be founded on disciplines
of systems thinking, ethical reasoning and deep listening. It should focus more on concepts of
governance of networks, rather than the management of organizations. Diverse points of view
must be heard and valued, not smothered beneath technology-driven quantitative data analysis.
Maira brings the wealth of his knowledge and experience to highlight the uncertainty of our
future that is bound to change dynamically, and points out how we can cope with the changes.
He insists that the most useful life skill for young people is to learn how to be lifelong learners,
sensitive to their own evolution within an evolving system.
business be only business, but countries, governments and civil society organizations should also
be run on principles of business.
Soon, the realization that, while economies had been growing, systemic problems of social inequality
and environmental unsustainability were becoming intolerable, led to the Sustainable Development
Goals, which all countries signed up to achieve. A new toolkit is required to attain these goals that
go beyond the precepts of good business management and prevalent best practices in government
as well as civil society organizations.
In Transforming Systems, Arun Maira stresses that a new toolkit has to be founded on disciplines
of systems thinking, ethical reasoning and deep listening. It should focus more on concepts of
governance of networks, rather than the management of organizations. Diverse points of view
must be heard and valued, not smothered beneath technology-driven quantitative data analysis.
Maira brings the wealth of his knowledge and experience to highlight the uncertainty of our
future that is bound to change dynamically, and points out how we can cope with the changes.
He insists that the most useful life skill for young people is to learn how to be lifelong learners,
sensitive to their own evolution within an evolving system.
- GenresNonfictionBusiness
248 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2019
9 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 18, 2021
As an MBA student myself, I related with the predicaments the characters like Priya and Sumit faced, in a business school with a rather outdated curriculum. The author talks about the need to view problems not in parts, but as interconnected and interdependent systems and thereby enabling more wholesome changes through systems thinking and leadership. The adage of 'Redesigning an airplane while flying it' summarizes the need for systems thinking in today's ever so more complex world. Combine this read with Peter Senge's The Fifth Discipline :)
March 16, 2025
As a development sector professional, on multiple occasions I have faced numerous experiences which require deep introspection to seek answers, the pursuit of which has developed my intellectual and emotional capabilities.
Transforming Systems as a book has been able to take me over many of these key questions in the course of the short and concise journey Arun Maira has penciled. For someone outside the realms of development, Transforming Systems will serve as a 101 to seek answers to some fundamental questions and build-on their learning journey by identifying areas to explore further which have been given expository treatment in the book.
Two of these fundamental questions that Maira touches upon, which resonated with me were:
1- Why do we need to reimagine the future of education for the society of tomorrow?
2- Why do the youth as Fellows in numerous Fellowship programs working on the front line of fields like healthcare, education and water safety face deep life changing experiences?
Based on one's past experiences there maybe infinite more possible questions that surface as you read the book.
Beyond just the scope for reflection, there were two stand outs of the book for me.
First, the sheer lucidity of the language and quasi-fictional storytelling method employed to set context for the later sections enhances the readability. The parallel tracks running of different characters with similar pursuits is akin to the screenplay of Mani Ratnam's Yuva. The settings, the achievements and hence conundrums of the characters is what one might see in the working professionals of the last decade. This magnified the relatability as I immersed myself further.
Second, like Maira himself advocates for a generalist learning mindset and thinking, this book too serves as a broad introduction to a set of concepts, making a case for why they are needed. The operational mechanics of each and deriving actionable steps to inculcate the same in our lives are not delved upon. However, Maira peppers the pages with references to books and academic work which we can leverage. The connection between the concepts in Transforming Systems and the concepts propounded by other writers seem to form a network of knowledge with key nodes interconnected with each other.
If you are a reader looking for depth, you may not particularly have a great takeaway from this book as a standalone, but I can assure that the breadth will provide some food for thought for new explorations.
I would recommend this book to almost everyone irrespective of their working background. Traditional corporates should definitely read this book to get a flavor of the complex challenges we face in the development space while development sector workers will be able to see the forest by exiting their trees as they read the book. I would in fact go a step further and urge even college students both undergraduate and graduate to read the book with the hope that the concepts proposed trigger some thinking which leads to a shift in the next generation in the way we do our work towards a more inclusive and coexisting society.
Transforming Systems as a book has been able to take me over many of these key questions in the course of the short and concise journey Arun Maira has penciled. For someone outside the realms of development, Transforming Systems will serve as a 101 to seek answers to some fundamental questions and build-on their learning journey by identifying areas to explore further which have been given expository treatment in the book.
Two of these fundamental questions that Maira touches upon, which resonated with me were:
1- Why do we need to reimagine the future of education for the society of tomorrow?
2- Why do the youth as Fellows in numerous Fellowship programs working on the front line of fields like healthcare, education and water safety face deep life changing experiences?
Based on one's past experiences there maybe infinite more possible questions that surface as you read the book.
Beyond just the scope for reflection, there were two stand outs of the book for me.
First, the sheer lucidity of the language and quasi-fictional storytelling method employed to set context for the later sections enhances the readability. The parallel tracks running of different characters with similar pursuits is akin to the screenplay of Mani Ratnam's Yuva. The settings, the achievements and hence conundrums of the characters is what one might see in the working professionals of the last decade. This magnified the relatability as I immersed myself further.
Second, like Maira himself advocates for a generalist learning mindset and thinking, this book too serves as a broad introduction to a set of concepts, making a case for why they are needed. The operational mechanics of each and deriving actionable steps to inculcate the same in our lives are not delved upon. However, Maira peppers the pages with references to books and academic work which we can leverage. The connection between the concepts in Transforming Systems and the concepts propounded by other writers seem to form a network of knowledge with key nodes interconnected with each other.
If you are a reader looking for depth, you may not particularly have a great takeaway from this book as a standalone, but I can assure that the breadth will provide some food for thought for new explorations.
I would recommend this book to almost everyone irrespective of their working background. Traditional corporates should definitely read this book to get a flavor of the complex challenges we face in the development space while development sector workers will be able to see the forest by exiting their trees as they read the book. I would in fact go a step further and urge even college students both undergraduate and graduate to read the book with the hope that the concepts proposed trigger some thinking which leads to a shift in the next generation in the way we do our work towards a more inclusive and coexisting society.
January 9, 2020
Paraphrasing Robert Frost who existentially suggested that the capacity to question the purpose of one’s own existence, for which there is no easy answer, is the big joke that god has played on humans, management consultant and former member of Planning Commission of India, Arun Maira lays the groundwork for articulation in his book, “TRANSFORMING SYSTEMS; Why the World Needs a New Ethical Toolkit.” Divided into four parts, the book discusses a new ethical framework to be adopted that would veer away from the ‘business as usual’ approach thereby not only furthering stakeholder ambitions but also fulfilling societal and social aspirations.
Part A titled ‘Aspirations to improve the world’, draws on Mr. Maira’s extensive professional experience that saw him execute challenge roles, first at the Tata Group of Companies and subsequently as India Chairman of Boston Consulting Group. Using fictitious names, but pertaining to real life examples, Mr. Maira leads the reader into the lives and minds of affluent and highly successful entrepreneurs, who undergo a life-altering transformation as they begin to introspect the real nature and purpose characterising their living.
Part B titled ‘Searching for a new Paradigm’ demonstrates a paradigmatic shift that facilitates a refreshingly new medium of thought and action on the part of the various protagonists identified in Part A;
Parts C and D named, Reorienting our minds and Becoming a leader respectively, conclude by instituting the measures to be adopted and principles to be instilled for consummating the ethical transformation.
Mr. Maira asserts the requirement and relevance of three orientations for anyone aspiring to make the world better: Systems thinking Ethics of citizenship Deep listening. Mr. Maira brings to the attention of the reader the existence of three types of systems:
One is “engineered” systems. Engineered Systems refer to “systems designed by humans, following scientific disciplines, to produce desired outcomes. Machines are the most common manifestation of this class of systems, so are top down planning systems that try to control inputs and outputs of organizations.
The second class of systems is “chaotic” systems. “These are formed by the interactions of millions of independent particles or free agents. Chaotic systems can produce surprising outcomes. The example of a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil that causes storms in Hong Kong is often cited to illustrate this characteristic of chaotic systems.
The third class of systems are complex “self-adaptive” systems. “Complex self-adaptive systems. Complex self-adaptive systems sit “on the edge” between engineered systems and chaotic systems. They neither sink into stasis like engineered systems nor are they an unformed, potentially chaotic mess.”
Employing Jonathan Haidt’s theory of moral codes, Mr. Maira dwells on the need to balance the interests of shareholders with the embellishment of society. Haidt, propounded that every individual bears within himself/herself both an elephant and a rider. The animal and the rider are perennially at cross purposes in so far as the battle for control and desire for power is concerned. The rider intends to usurp control by bringing the elephant under his command but the elephant is constantly trying to throw or unseat the rider. Hence the only option available for the rider is to keep moving in tandem with the elephant. Haidt uses this parallel to demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between organizations and the global community that is absolutely vital for maintaining cultural, economic, social and civic balance. However, as Mr. Maira illustrates, in a world beset by the rampant reach of capitalism the concept of egalitarianism and altruism is obfuscated by an untrammeled desire to accumulate and prosper. People living at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ are viewed more as an entrenched category that can be ignored rather than as a powerful set of potential customers, who if and when empowered possess an overarching potential to usher in a transformational and positive change.
In “Transforming Systems”, Mr. Maira relies on the works of a number of management experts, a fondness for whose principles he hardly bothers to disguise. Of especial mention are, Chris Argyris, the proponent behind the concepts of ‘espoused theories’ and ‘theories-in-use’; Jim Collins, the management guru of “Built to Last” and “Good To Great” fame; and George Lakoff, the American cognitive linguist, philosopher, and author of Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think. However, one author whose strands of thinking permeate numerous pages of Mr. Maira’s book is Peter Senge, the author of “The Fifth Discipline.”
Mr. Maira acknowledges that ushering in a revolutionary shift in the engrained beliefs that considers profitability and shareholder activism as uncompromising tenets would be a Herculean task. Relying upon the words of Thomas Kuhn, Mr. Maira says, “Kuhn explains how deep-seated beliefs, such as the story of creation and the centrality of Earth in the universe, become embedded into societies’ institutions and power structures. He says that to challenge such ideas can even be life-threatening, as it was for scientists who discovered that the story of creation was a myth and that the earth went around the sun.”
Encouragingly, there can be seen slivers of hope in the form of spectacular confessions and scintillating volte faces that are shaking the very edifice of capitalism. Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, confessed at a conference in Philadelphia that he was ‘something of a conscientious objector’ to social media. Similarly, Chamath Palihapitiya, an early senior executive at Facebook, joining the company in 2007 and leaving in 2011, also jumped on the Parker bandwagon when he declared, ‘The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. This is a global problem. It is eroding the core foundations of how people behave by and between each other. I can control my decision, which is that I do not use that shit. I can control my kids’ decisions, which is that they are not allowed to use that shit.’
In his introduction to the book, Mr. Maira quotes Sumant Moolgaokar, popularly known as the architect of Tata Motors: ‘amongst the resources man needs, those that take the longest to grow are trees and skilled men and women.’ It takes even longer for men and women with a lateral bent of mind to enrich society to grow and be nurtured. But as Mr. Maira tellingly demonstrates in his book, the wheels are already in motion.
Part A titled ‘Aspirations to improve the world’, draws on Mr. Maira’s extensive professional experience that saw him execute challenge roles, first at the Tata Group of Companies and subsequently as India Chairman of Boston Consulting Group. Using fictitious names, but pertaining to real life examples, Mr. Maira leads the reader into the lives and minds of affluent and highly successful entrepreneurs, who undergo a life-altering transformation as they begin to introspect the real nature and purpose characterising their living.
Part B titled ‘Searching for a new Paradigm’ demonstrates a paradigmatic shift that facilitates a refreshingly new medium of thought and action on the part of the various protagonists identified in Part A;
Parts C and D named, Reorienting our minds and Becoming a leader respectively, conclude by instituting the measures to be adopted and principles to be instilled for consummating the ethical transformation.
Mr. Maira asserts the requirement and relevance of three orientations for anyone aspiring to make the world better: Systems thinking Ethics of citizenship Deep listening. Mr. Maira brings to the attention of the reader the existence of three types of systems:
One is “engineered” systems. Engineered Systems refer to “systems designed by humans, following scientific disciplines, to produce desired outcomes. Machines are the most common manifestation of this class of systems, so are top down planning systems that try to control inputs and outputs of organizations.
The second class of systems is “chaotic” systems. “These are formed by the interactions of millions of independent particles or free agents. Chaotic systems can produce surprising outcomes. The example of a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil that causes storms in Hong Kong is often cited to illustrate this characteristic of chaotic systems.
The third class of systems are complex “self-adaptive” systems. “Complex self-adaptive systems. Complex self-adaptive systems sit “on the edge” between engineered systems and chaotic systems. They neither sink into stasis like engineered systems nor are they an unformed, potentially chaotic mess.”
Employing Jonathan Haidt’s theory of moral codes, Mr. Maira dwells on the need to balance the interests of shareholders with the embellishment of society. Haidt, propounded that every individual bears within himself/herself both an elephant and a rider. The animal and the rider are perennially at cross purposes in so far as the battle for control and desire for power is concerned. The rider intends to usurp control by bringing the elephant under his command but the elephant is constantly trying to throw or unseat the rider. Hence the only option available for the rider is to keep moving in tandem with the elephant. Haidt uses this parallel to demonstrate the symbiotic relationship between organizations and the global community that is absolutely vital for maintaining cultural, economic, social and civic balance. However, as Mr. Maira illustrates, in a world beset by the rampant reach of capitalism the concept of egalitarianism and altruism is obfuscated by an untrammeled desire to accumulate and prosper. People living at the ‘bottom of the pyramid’ are viewed more as an entrenched category that can be ignored rather than as a powerful set of potential customers, who if and when empowered possess an overarching potential to usher in a transformational and positive change.
In “Transforming Systems”, Mr. Maira relies on the works of a number of management experts, a fondness for whose principles he hardly bothers to disguise. Of especial mention are, Chris Argyris, the proponent behind the concepts of ‘espoused theories’ and ‘theories-in-use’; Jim Collins, the management guru of “Built to Last” and “Good To Great” fame; and George Lakoff, the American cognitive linguist, philosopher, and author of Moral Politics: How Liberals and Conservatives Think. However, one author whose strands of thinking permeate numerous pages of Mr. Maira’s book is Peter Senge, the author of “The Fifth Discipline.”
Mr. Maira acknowledges that ushering in a revolutionary shift in the engrained beliefs that considers profitability and shareholder activism as uncompromising tenets would be a Herculean task. Relying upon the words of Thomas Kuhn, Mr. Maira says, “Kuhn explains how deep-seated beliefs, such as the story of creation and the centrality of Earth in the universe, become embedded into societies’ institutions and power structures. He says that to challenge such ideas can even be life-threatening, as it was for scientists who discovered that the story of creation was a myth and that the earth went around the sun.”
Encouragingly, there can be seen slivers of hope in the form of spectacular confessions and scintillating volte faces that are shaking the very edifice of capitalism. Sean Parker, the founding president of Facebook, confessed at a conference in Philadelphia that he was ‘something of a conscientious objector’ to social media. Similarly, Chamath Palihapitiya, an early senior executive at Facebook, joining the company in 2007 and leaving in 2011, also jumped on the Parker bandwagon when he declared, ‘The short-term, dopamine-driven feedback loops that we have created are destroying how society works. No civil discourse, no cooperation; misinformation, mistruth. This is a global problem. It is eroding the core foundations of how people behave by and between each other. I can control my decision, which is that I do not use that shit. I can control my kids’ decisions, which is that they are not allowed to use that shit.’
In his introduction to the book, Mr. Maira quotes Sumant Moolgaokar, popularly known as the architect of Tata Motors: ‘amongst the resources man needs, those that take the longest to grow are trees and skilled men and women.’ It takes even longer for men and women with a lateral bent of mind to enrich society to grow and be nurtured. But as Mr. Maira tellingly demonstrates in his book, the wheels are already in motion.
November 1, 2019
With the economic growth sky-rocketing, the adverse impact on environmental sustainability and social inequality has become the last straw. At this point, if a viable solution is not sought, the future of our people and our assets will be bleak, very bleak.
‘Transforming Systems’ offers a radical approach to understand and decode the working of the business models and thereby, implement some of the principles in real life too. The author emphasizes on the need to incorporate three values that will enable each one of us to work collaboratively. He stresses the importance of being a good listener and adopting ethical reasoning and following the disciplines of systems thinking.
Using Haidt’s theory of moral codes, the author explains the need to be more concerned about society at the same time. According to Haidt, each one of us has an elephant and a rider within ourselves. There is a constant battle between the elephant and the rider for power and control. The rider desires that the elephant should obey his orders but he must also accept moving with the elephant or else he would be thrown off. Similarly, the current system of organizations is such that all the people belonging to the global community have good relations with each other; all of them are riders and all of them are loyal to each other. However, we all, as consumers, are the elephants. Unless the riders understand our requirements and develop a harmonious relationship, neither of us will thrive for long. Therefore, one must understand the importance of mutual respect and acceptance.
REad the complete review here: https://aliveshadow.com/category-book...
‘Transforming Systems’ offers a radical approach to understand and decode the working of the business models and thereby, implement some of the principles in real life too. The author emphasizes on the need to incorporate three values that will enable each one of us to work collaboratively. He stresses the importance of being a good listener and adopting ethical reasoning and following the disciplines of systems thinking.
Using Haidt’s theory of moral codes, the author explains the need to be more concerned about society at the same time. According to Haidt, each one of us has an elephant and a rider within ourselves. There is a constant battle between the elephant and the rider for power and control. The rider desires that the elephant should obey his orders but he must also accept moving with the elephant or else he would be thrown off. Similarly, the current system of organizations is such that all the people belonging to the global community have good relations with each other; all of them are riders and all of them are loyal to each other. However, we all, as consumers, are the elephants. Unless the riders understand our requirements and develop a harmonious relationship, neither of us will thrive for long. Therefore, one must understand the importance of mutual respect and acceptance.
REad the complete review here: https://aliveshadow.com/category-book...
April 16, 2020
This is a superb and concise book for anyone looking to reorient their thinking to approach systemic problems better.
January 8, 2021
I enjoyed reading this book for the following reasons:
1) Arun Maira is not an academician. His incisiveness as a practitioner would put a lot of academicians to shame.
2) He is extremely well read. The book is sprinkled throughout with generous citations of scholarly work across disciplines. He moves across disciplines with ease, which many academicians cannot, will not, and do not.
3) This book served as a good, generic introduction to systems thinking from me, especially as applied to public policy problems, which is my area of specialisation.
4) The bold way in which he calls out capitalism as the reason for most of the environmental destruction and rising inequality is commendable.
5) The way he plugs the logical loopholes in urging us to learn to think systemically to solve the most pressing problems that the world today is plagued with, the felicity with which he articulates his well informed and well formed arguments, I recommend everyone, irrespective of their occupation/vocation, to read this book.
1) Arun Maira is not an academician. His incisiveness as a practitioner would put a lot of academicians to shame.
2) He is extremely well read. The book is sprinkled throughout with generous citations of scholarly work across disciplines. He moves across disciplines with ease, which many academicians cannot, will not, and do not.
3) This book served as a good, generic introduction to systems thinking from me, especially as applied to public policy problems, which is my area of specialisation.
4) The bold way in which he calls out capitalism as the reason for most of the environmental destruction and rising inequality is commendable.
5) The way he plugs the logical loopholes in urging us to learn to think systemically to solve the most pressing problems that the world today is plagued with, the felicity with which he articulates his well informed and well formed arguments, I recommend everyone, irrespective of their occupation/vocation, to read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2020
Good book. Offers several educative concepts for the reader to learn and put to practice in discharging our duties, both personal & societal. Also noteworthy is his framework of what makes a good leader :
1. Bias for Action
2. Submarine Leader - someone who has the ability to see the rest of the iceberg and not just the tip.
3. Helicopter Leader - someone who can take a bird view and form a 'systems thinking' view of the issues that prevail.
1. Bias for Action
2. Submarine Leader - someone who has the ability to see the rest of the iceberg and not just the tip.
3. Helicopter Leader - someone who can take a bird view and form a 'systems thinking' view of the issues that prevail.
January 1, 2024
Arun Maira explains systems thinking in simple terms. He uses fictional characters and their story to explain complex principles.
3 types of systems: Engineered system, chaotic system and self adaptive system
Notes from the book:
Systems thinking is the art of keeping many things in mind at the same time so that the patterns of relationships amongst them can be seen. It is the relationship amongst the parts of the system that give the system its systems’ level abilities.
Book and Essay recommendation:
The righteous mind: why good people are divided by politics and religion, by Johnathan Haidt
Review of above book as an essay: Who will robots and elephants vote for: Donald trump or Xi Jinping?
Prediction machines: the simple economics of artificial intelligence
How not to be wrong: the power of mathematical thinking by Jordan Ellenberg
Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism’s greatest thinker, by Pawan k Varma - read the epilogue of this book
Michael Sandro’s books - Democracy’s discontent: America in search of a public philosophy, What money can’t buy: the moral limits of markets
Elephant and rider metaphor:
Within every person is an elephant and a rider who tries to tame the elephant. The rider represents individualistic values and the elephant represents the societal values. It is difficult to have conversations between people whose elephants are not aligned.
4 principles of a self adaptive system:
Purpose: Aligned aspirations
Organization: permeable boundaries
Processes: minimal critical rules
Resources: diversity and flexibility
“The geography of thought: how Asians and westerners think differently and why” by Richard E Nisbett. Asians think that the world is a complex place understandable in terms of the whole rather than in terms of the parts and subject to more collective than personal control. Whereas to the westerner, the world is a relatively simple place composed of discrete objects that can be understood without undue attention to context and is highly subject to personal control.
I don’t agree to the part about westerners thinking the world as simple but there is some truth to lacking context and subjecting world to personal control.
3 types of systems: Engineered system, chaotic system and self adaptive system
Notes from the book:
Systems thinking is the art of keeping many things in mind at the same time so that the patterns of relationships amongst them can be seen. It is the relationship amongst the parts of the system that give the system its systems’ level abilities.
Book and Essay recommendation:
The righteous mind: why good people are divided by politics and religion, by Johnathan Haidt
Review of above book as an essay: Who will robots and elephants vote for: Donald trump or Xi Jinping?
Prediction machines: the simple economics of artificial intelligence
How not to be wrong: the power of mathematical thinking by Jordan Ellenberg
Adi Shankaracharya: Hinduism’s greatest thinker, by Pawan k Varma - read the epilogue of this book
Michael Sandro’s books - Democracy’s discontent: America in search of a public philosophy, What money can’t buy: the moral limits of markets
Elephant and rider metaphor:
Within every person is an elephant and a rider who tries to tame the elephant. The rider represents individualistic values and the elephant represents the societal values. It is difficult to have conversations between people whose elephants are not aligned.
4 principles of a self adaptive system:
Purpose: Aligned aspirations
Organization: permeable boundaries
Processes: minimal critical rules
Resources: diversity and flexibility
“The geography of thought: how Asians and westerners think differently and why” by Richard E Nisbett. Asians think that the world is a complex place understandable in terms of the whole rather than in terms of the parts and subject to more collective than personal control. Whereas to the westerner, the world is a relatively simple place composed of discrete objects that can be understood without undue attention to context and is highly subject to personal control.
I don’t agree to the part about westerners thinking the world as simple but there is some truth to lacking context and subjecting world to personal control.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews