presentations
Keynote at Banff Systems Summit May 2025
I loved this keynote talk, which I gave at Banff Systems Summit in May 2025. I explored the differences between systems and complexity thinking and also discussed the resonances with indigenous wisdom, following the other keynote by Leroy Little Bear.
The Complexity Lounge – a deep dive into process complexity
June 2025 at the Complexity Lounge. In this I focused in some detail on the core of process complexity and how it compares to working more analytically, building on mathematical models and heuristics; so-called general rather than restricted complexity. I spoke without slides to see how that would work. I’m interested to know how accessible it is without back up slides.
Complexity, the global, international development
A talk at the Development Studies Association held at the University of Bath, also June 2025. I really enjoyed this; there are more international development examples than I normally draw on. It was a very engaged audience and led to some good discussion.
Leadership, change, developmental psychology and complexity
Another June 2025 one! Harthill, a management consultancy, organise a frame changers book club. We had a lovely discussion (captured in audio) about strategy, change and leadership in a complex world.
The Dao of Complexity with a slant towards philosophy
July 2025 and this one is at the Bath Royal Scientific and Literary Institute.
A great conversation – complexity, Daoism and organisational work
Chris Nichols of Game Shift has been undertaking a number of interviews with people he regards as game changers. I know Chris well and we had a lovely, relaxed discussion, August 2025, with a slant towards organisational work.
Embracing Complexity meets Monty Python – the film version!
This, by Bernard Tannett, is an animated version of Embracing Complexity. It is rather remarkable – accessible, interesting to watch and also fascinating what he picked out, how he summarised key points, what was his take on it.
Complexity and compliance
These two half hour episodes, for the Compliance Podcast Network, explore the implications of complexity for governance and compliance. Here is the first one and here is second one.
Complexity, empathy and the Inner Development Goals
In this conversation, with Anita Nowak, we talked, amongst other things, about the role of empathy in a complex world and explored ‘complexity awareness’ - one of the Inner Development Goals.
What’s love got to do with it?
I spoke here with Andrea Hiott as part of her series on love and philosophy. I enjoyed exploring, in the words of Tina Turner, ‘what’s love got to do with it’.
Reflections on the mystical through the lens of modern science
In April 2025 I took part in the online Mystics and Scientists conference for the Scientific and Medical Network. In this talk I call on quantum physics as well as complexity and discuss how indeterminism, including the paradoxes of quantum physics, opens the door to the mystical and returns us to natural philosophy.
A presentation of the Dao of Complexity at Pakhuis de Zwijger in Amsterdam in April 2025. This was an event sponsored by Public Health Amsterdam and the University Medical Centre. The topics covered in the talk in Amsterdam were summarised beautifully by Marco Derksen here.
Systems thinking and complexity – incompatible or what?
This is a link to the discussion I had with Mike Jackson about the similarities and differences between complexity and systems thinking.
Innovation Women
Three women authors (including myself) discuss the publishing process. Listen here.
The deep dive – exploring The Dao of Complexity.
An interview with Philip Mackenzie for his podcast The Deep Dive. Philip asked me about the basic tenets in the book but took the conversation into that part of the book looking at the global and in particular on the way power constellates and what we can do about it. If you were in any doubt as to what political views Complexity would have if she were a person, you will not be in doubt when you have listened to this.
An audio of the introduction to The Dao of Complexity
This is a recording of me reading the Introduction to The Dao of Complexity. It was harder to do than I had expected!
The Dao of Complexity; on the personal
The Dao of Complexity: on the personal is a recording of a talk hosted by SI Bristol on January 16th 2025, in which I discuss the implications of process complexity for how we understand personal change and agency.
Complexity in Action
Complexity in Action, hosted by Henley Business School Africa on November 11th 2024, centres on a discussion with Sharon Varney and focuses on implications of complexity for organisations – leadership, strategy and change.
Complexity: on the Global
Complexity: On the Global, hosted by the Schumacher Institute on November 28th 2024, focuses on the implications of complexity thinking for consideration of global issues – of climate change, governance, power and inequality. The sound of the recording is fine, but we got the wrong settings on zoom, so you see me as a tiny animated figure in one square amongst many others!
The Dao of Complexity at the Institute of Physics
Here is a link to the recording of a discussion about The Dao of Complexity, which took place at the Institute of Physics, on October 21st 2024. I started by introducing the first section of the book, The Long Road from the physics of Newton to the ‘Freedom’ of the physics of ‘open systems’ through the lens of Ilya Prigogine. I went on to discuss process complexity and its ontological resonance with other schools of thought, including Daoism. The questions then took us into discussions of the importance of values, and a discussion of the broad ontological stance in which process complexity is situated.
The Dao of Complexity celebratory book launch: This is the recording of the book launch in my hometown in October 2024. As well as describing the key themes of the book, I discussed with the key illustrator the way we worked together and the provenance and background to the images. It was a very heart-warming event.
Adaptive political economy
A talk given by Yuen Yuen Ang at the School of Oriental Studies in London in June 2024, focused on the idea of an adaptive political economy, at which I was a discussant and gave a short contribution. I loved her co-evolutionary approach and the role of government in shaping but not controlling economic goals and intentions, but I wanted to reframe a little her take on complexity.
Complexity theory, philosophy and leadership for modern times: A conversation between myself and Andrey Pavlov at Cranfield in 2022 – over three hours exploring complexity thinking and its implications. Do you have a long train journey coming up? It covers a lot of ground.
Institute of Physics Complex and Nonlinear Physics Group – a complexity retrospective: This online conference took place in 2021, under the auspices of the Institute of Physics, was entitled ‘A Complexity Retrospective’. It celebrated the work of Peter Allen, Ralph Stacey, Paul Cilliers and David Byrne and we also had a guest appearance of renowned complexity economist, Brian Arthur. We followed it up with a series of short interviews with, amongst others, Rika Preiser, Danny Burns, Patricia Shaw, Michael Batty, Mike Jackson and others.
Complexity Science as Relationship, Patterning and Process; a talk I gave at Stellenbosch Institute of Advanced Study in 2019, where I started writing the Dao of Complexity.
Complexity, Spirituality and Transformation
I gave this presentation in 2010 as a public lecture whilst teaching at Schumacher College. Some of my thinking has refined since then, but my engagement with ‘that which is beyond’ the rational is very much in evidence. Still worth watching, I think.