Slides from Leith Sharp, Director & Lead Faculty, Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership, Harvard University, presented at the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council’s 2019 Summit in Portland, OR.

1. In collaboration with
Core Concepts in Sustainability Leadership and Idea Flow
Leith Sharp
Director & Lead Faculty, Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership
L.sharp@hsph.harvard.edu

2. For a Deeper Dive into this Content….

3. Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership
Oct 21-25, 2019
Who Should Attend? Senior leaders, sustainability leaders with a senior report,
high potential emerging leaders. All sectors encouraged.
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge campus, MA
Program Cost: $4,300
Class Size: 60 participants www.eesl.hsph.harvard.edu

4. Biomimicry.net | AskNature.org
Earth is 4.5 billion years old

5. Biomimicry 3.8 | Biomimicry.net
By Now There are 30-100 million species

6. Biomimicry 3.8 | Biomimicry.net
EstimatedWorld Human Population 10,000BC to 2018AD
4 million 400 million
7.39 billion
200 million

7. Biomimicry 3.8 | Biomimicry.net

8. In 2017, Oxfam calculated the richest 8 men had more wealth than the poorest
half of the human population, or 3.6 billion women, men and children.
In 2016, Oxfam announced that the richest 1% now have more wealth than the
rest of the world’s population combined.
Huffington
Post/Getty Images

9. Biomimicry.net | AskNature.org
We Are Now In an Evolutionary Hothouse
of Our Own Making

10. Biomimicry 3.8 | Biomimicry.net
Now What?

11. The SDGs, A Strategic Plan for the Survival of Humankind:
Sets the Direction

12. PURPOSE
To Achieve the SDGs….

13. We Need a Radical Increase in the Healthy Flow of Purpose Driven Ideas
PURPOSE
We Need a Radical Increase in the Flow of Purpose Driven Ideas,
at all Scales, Across all Sectors.

14. Harvard Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership Cohort, 2016
What Rate of Change Increase is Needed?

16. How hard is change now?
“How Many People at Harvard Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?” by lsharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

17. • Location: student residence (~300 students)
• Proposed savings
• Annual savings > $20,000
• Payback < 3 years
• Process…
Simple Lighting Upgrade Project:
No progress for many years because no dedicated attention, money or time
“How Many People at Harvard Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?” by lsharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
How hard was change at Harvard?

18. Fin Mgr (capital budget)
Fin Mgr (operating budget)
Facility Director
Building Manager (superintendent)
House Master
House Occupants (students)
REP Coordinator (student)
My Staff
Green
Campus
Loan Fund
Sales Rep
Technician
Vendor
Maintenance
Crew
Simple Lighting Upgrade Project:
3 months of constant facilitation by change management team
TECHNOLOGY + ATTENTION + FUNDING + TIME +
COMMUNICATION/NEGOTIATION, + APPROVALS + AESTHETICS + POLITICS +
TRAINING + PROJECT MANAGEMENT
“How Many People at Harvard Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?” by lsharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
How hard was change at Harvard?

19. Gallop “State of the American Workplace Report 2013”
Disengagement
70 % of workers in the USA are not engaged in their work.
Defined as essentially sleep walking throughout their day.
“Organizational Design Thinking Rationale” by leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

20. Lack of Funding for New Ideas
Business as Usual
Innovation
“Organizational Design Thinking Rationale” by leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

21. Hardwired Separation
“Organizational Design Thinking Rationale” by leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

22. Organizations = Low Levels of Change Capability
“Organizational Design Thinking Rationale” by leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

23. PURPOSE
How Can We Achieve a Radical Increase in the Flow of Purpose Driven Ideas,
at all Scales, Across all Sectors?

24. We Need a Radical Increase in the Healthy Flow of Purpose Driven Ideas
PURPOSE
How Can We Achieve a Radical Increase in the Flow of Purpose Driven Ideas,
at all Scales, Across all Sectors?

25. Biomimicry.net | Synapse.bio
Break a Spell
Embrace the Squiggle
Create aVibe
Bust the Moves

26. Biomimicry.net | Synapse.bio
Break a Spell

31. participant ceos
EMMANUEL FABER
CEO, DANONE
JOHN FALLON
CEO, PEARSON
PETER AGNEFJÄLL
FORMER CEO, IKEA
SIR MARTIN SORRELL
CEO, WPP
PABLO ISLA
CEO, INDITEX
ZHANG RUIMIN
CEO, HAIER
LORNA DONATONE
CEO, GEOGRAPHIC
REGIONS, SODEXO
TOM LINEBARGER
CEO, CUMMINS
AJAY BANGA
CEO, MASTERCARD
BRIAN DUPERREAULT
CEO, AIG
CARLOS BRITO
CEO, AB INBEV
FEIKE SIJBESMA
CEO, DSM
LARS R. SØRENSEN
FORMER CEO,
NOVO NORDISK
GRANT REID
CEO, MARS
DENIS MACHUEL
CEO, SODEXO
JOE KAESER
CEO, SIEMENS

33. Chuckle…...yes

34. “Trying to get the original plan and the official story more aligned
with actual experience is a potentially very liberating and
empowering thing to do. Hard, though, but it's the right
approach.”
John Fallon, CEO Pearson

36. Breaking the Spell

37. Biomimicry.net | Synapse.bio
Embrace the Squiggle

38. Actual Experience
Actual Experience
Actual Experience

39. Idea
What CanWe Learn from the Journey of a New Idea
Going from Inception to Scale?

40. Mapping the life cycle of past Ideas from inception to full scale implementation (or death) reveals a great deal about
our organizations.
Past Idea
Forensic Idea Flow Mapping
“Forensic Idea Flow Mapping Process” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

41. “Forensic Idea Flow Mapping Process” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting into the Squiggle Using ‘Forensic Idea Flow Mapping’

42. “Idea Flow Mapping” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting into the Squiggle Using ‘Forensic Idea Flow Mapping’

43. “Idea Flow Mapping” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting into the Squiggle Using ‘Forensic Idea Flow Mapping’

44. Slide 2
Patterns and Insights from 2000+ Purpose-driven ideas mapped from
Inception to Scale

45. The Lifecycle of Every New Idea is as Unique as a Fingerprint.
New Idea Approved & Scaled
Each Idea has its Own Unique Stakeholder Ecosystem, Risks, Opportunities, Assets, Context etc.
6
“Every New Idea Life Cycle is Unique” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

46. Many Idea Life Cycles Experience Friction & Some Experience Flow
FLOW
FRICTION
“Friction & Flow in the Life of Ideas” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

47. Complimentary Networks/Operating Systems
Actual Story = Change Processes Require Two Networks or Operating Systems
“Adaptive & Hierarchical Networks are Needed in the Life of Every Idea” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

48. “Building blocks for Agility: Adaptive & Hierarchical Networks” by Leith Sharp is licensed for open sharing & adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Adaptive Networks provide responsiveness to context,
sensing, connecting, ideas, learning and adapting.
Hierarchical Networks provide efficiency, control,
scale, accountability, structure and cohesion.
Each Network/Operating System Has Different Operating Rules, Priorities, Language
etc.

49. • Sensing
• Ideas
• Engagement
• De-risking
TRANSFORMATIONS
EMERGENT MODEL COMMAND / CONTROL MODEL
• Permission/Invitation
• Resourcing
• Business Alignment, Cohesion
• Scaling Strategy & Structure
Friction is Reduced by Leading from the Middle to Unleash Enormous Synergy
Between Adaptive and Hierarchical Networks
“Optimize Synergy Between Both Operating Systems” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

51. Organization
Sustainable
Purchasing
Adaptive emphasis: What can the
organization do for sustainable
purchasing?
Sustainable
Purchasing
Organization
Hierarchical emphasis: What can
sustainable purchasing do for the
organization?
Shared Purpose Must Translate Across the Two Networks
“Adaptive & Hierarchical Lens on ‘Why’ Sustainability” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

52. Organization
Sustainable
Procurement
Adaptive emphasis: What can the
organization do for sustainable
procurement?
Sustainable
Procurement
Organization
Hierarchical emphasis: What can
sustainable procurement do for the
organization?
Know that Both Questions Matter & Each One Can Help the Other
“Adaptive & Hierarchical Lens on ‘Why’ Sustainability” by Leith Sharp, is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

53. They Currently Don’t Automatically Play Well Together
“No shared purpose, no alignment” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

54. A few words to describe the relationship between your organizations
adaptive and hierarchical networks….

55. • Sensing
• Ideas
• Engagement
• De-risking
TRANSFORMATIONS
EMERGENT MODEL COMMAND / CONTROL MODEL
• Permission/Invitation
• Resourcing
• Business Alignment, Cohesion
• Scaling Strategy & Structure
Sustainable Purchasing = Leading from the Middle to Unleash this Synergy
“Optimize Synergy Between Both Networks” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

57. Biomimicry.net | Synapse.bio
Create theVibe

58. “Purpose & Psychological Safety as the Medium & Aligning Force for Network Synergy” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing & adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
A Context of Psychological Safety and Shared Purpose
Is Necessary to Unleash the Network Synergy

59. Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport: Snow Removal
Snow removal problem. Climate change messing with snow dumps patterns, delaying
aircraft.
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

60. Something Changes
New Problem that Needs Solving
Hierarchical Network
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

61. Initial Response
New Problem that Needs Solving
Mandate – Fix it
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

62. We Will Fix it.
How do you Want Us to Fix It?
Initial Response
New Problem
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

63. Mandate – Fix it
Initial Response
New Problem
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

64. Initial Response
New Problem
We Will Fix it.
How do you Want Us to Fix It?
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

65. New Problem
Paul Gets Sick of It – He Cracks
Peter
Paul
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

67. What Paul Did
New Problem
Snow Plough Crew
Mandate Permission
Engages in Shared Purpose
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

68. SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP Amy C. Edmondson | Novartis Professor of Leadership & Management |
Harvard Business School THE POWER OF TEAMING
Psychological Safety

69. SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP Amy C. Edmondson | Novartis Professor of Leadership & Management |
Harvard Business School THE POWER OF TEAMING

70. Shared Purpose will get people to think proactively and to
turn up.
It won’t necessary get people to share their thinking.

71. The VIBE = Shared Purpose + Psychological Safety

72. What Paul Did
New Problem
Psychological SafetyEngages in Shared Purpose
Mandate Permission
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

73. What Paul Did
New Problem
Psychological SafetyEngages in Shared Purpose
Mandate Permission Hierarchical Sponsor
Needed Psychological Safety too!
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

74. What Paul Did
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Mandate
New Problem
Permission
Psychological Safety IdeasEngages in Shared Purpose Piloting
Psychological Safety

75. De-risk for Hierarchy Approval
What Paul Did
Implement
New Problem
Psychological Safety IdeasEngages in Shared Purpose Piloting/De-risk
Mandate Permission Psychological Safety
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

76. De-risk for Hierarchy Approval
Implement
New Problem
Psychological Safety IdeasEngages in Shared Purpose Piloting/De-risk
Mandate Permission Psychological Safety
The Vibe Is Like the Atmosphere or Medium
Within Which You Can Bust the Moves
“Airport Idea Flow Case Story ” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

77. Biomimicry.net | Synapse.bio
Bust the Moves

78. 8 Years to Drive Sustainability into Harvard’s Culture
“Green is the New Crimson”

79. More certified green buildings than any university in the world.
130+ Green Buildings including…..
20+ 60+
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA

80. The Assumption
Attempt to trigger a
Mandate from the
Hierarchical NetworkNew Idea comes in the organization
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA

81. 2000
Running away now…..
Snap.
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA

82. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
• Early Champions
• Pilot Projects – Stories of Success
• Changing Mindsets
• Building Capabilities and Confidence
• Peer to Peer Influence
• Seed Capital
• Diagnose & Remove Barriers
• Streamline Process
• Critical Mass of Champions
• Critical Mass of Projects
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
• Shared Purpose
• Champions
• Piloting & Learning
• Addressing Risks
• Streamlining Processes
• Generating Evidence of Benefits
Next Move: Find some champions to pilot under the radar
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

83. “Adaptive Flow Structures” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
Adaptive Networks Take Different Forms
to Meet Different Needs

84. Adaptive Network Motif for Piloting & Learning
“Adaptive Flow Structures” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

85. Biomimicry.net | AskNature.org
“Adaptive Flow Structure for Piloting & Learning by Doing” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
1
2
3
Adaptive Network: Piloting & Learning

86. What to put in our RFPs?
How to interview our engineers and architects?
How to reduce the $100K+
Charge for submittals?
How to hold project team accountable?
Pilot
1
“Adaptive Flow Structure for Piloting & Learning by Doing” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

87. What new technologies
& design strategies?
What materials to use?
How to streamline the submittals?
How to divert construction waste?
What to put in our construction documents?
What to put in our RFPs?
How to interview our engineers and architects?
How to reduce the $100K+
Charge for submittals?
How to hold project team accountable?
Pilot
1
Pilot
2
“Adaptive Flow Structure for Piloting & Learning by Doing” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

88. What to put in our RFPs?
How to interview our engineers and architects?
How to reduce the $100K+
Charge for submittals?
How to hold project team accountable?
What to put in our construction documents
What new technologies
& design strategies?
What materials to use?
How to streamline the submittals?
How to divert construction waste?
How to improve energy modeling accuracy?
How
to spread
integrated design
How to do life cycle costing?
How to stop losing during value engineering?
How to do continuous commissioning?
Pilot
1
Pilot
2
Pilot
3
“Adaptive Flow Structure for Piloting & Learning by Doing” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

89. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
• Early Champions
• Pilot Projects – Stories of Success
• Changing Mindsets
• Building Capabilities and Confidence
• Peer to Peer Influence
• Seed Capital
• Diagnose & Remove Barriers
• Streamline Process
• Critical Mass of Champions
• Critical Mass of Projects
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
• Shared Purpose
• Champions
• Piloting & Learning
• Addressing Risks
• Streamlining Processes
• Generating Evidence of Benefits
Next Move: Our 5 Innovators Did Deep Early Learning
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

90. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Showcase what Innovators had learned
• Foster peer to peer dialogue
• Streamlined processes to make it easier
Next Move: We Positioned Innovators to Attract Early Adopters
Via Peer to Peer Influence
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
• Early Champions
• Pilot Projects – Stories of Success
• Changing Mindsets
• Building Capabilities and Confidence
• Peer to Peer Influence
• Seed Capital
• Diagnose & Remove Barriers
• Streamline Process
• Critical Mass of Champions
• Critical Mass of Projects
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
• Early Champions
• Pilot Projects – Stories of Success
• Changing Mindsets
• Building Capabilities and Confidence
• Peer to Peer Influence
• Seed Capital
• Diagnose & Remove Barriers
• Streamline Process
• Critical Mass of Champions
• Critical Mass of Projects
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

91. Adaptive Pulse to Activate Peer to Peer & Wider Sensing
“Adaptive Flow Structures for Sensing and Peer to Peer Influence” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

92. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & ControlNext Move: More Piloting with Early Adopters
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
• Early Champions
• Pilot Projects – Stories of Success
• Changing Mindsets
• Building Capabilities and Confidence
• Peer to Peer Influence
• Seed Capital
• Diagnose & Remove Barriers
• Streamline Process
• Critical Mass of Champions
• Critical Mass of Projects
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
• Early Champions
• Pilot Projects – Stories of Success
• Changing Mindsets
• Building Capabilities and Confidence
• Peer to Peer Influence
• Seed Capital
• Diagnose & Remove Barriers
• Streamline Process
• Critical Mass of Champions
• Critical Mass of Projects
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

93. The Innovators and Early Adopters Were Committed and Resilient

94. LEED Platinum for a historic renovation at no added cost.
46 Blackstone Street
LEED-EBOM Platinum January 2012
LEED-NC Platinum April 2007
They Went the Extra Mile…..
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

95. The Innovators and Early Adopters Reached a Threshold of Certainty and Wanted
Scale

96. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
Next Move: They Sent Me Back in to get It.
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0

97. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
I Go to the Decision-Maker
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

98. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & ControlDecision-Maker Needs More Evidence in Particular Format
So we Pilot to Solve
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

99. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
Decision Maker Now on Board…But they Are Not Sure they Are the
Final Decision-Maker....
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

100. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
Next Likely Suspect…Wanted Some More Evidence in Particular Format
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

101. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
More Piloting to Address More Risks and Evidence Requirements
More Piloting to Address More Risks and Evidence Requirements
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

102. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
Decision Maker Now on Board…But they Are Not Sure they Are the
Final Decision-Maker....
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

103. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
And on it Goes….
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

104. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
Iterated In & Out of the Hierarchical Nodes to Surface All Risks,
& Get All Decision-Makers on Board
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

105. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Iterated In & Out of the Hierarchical Nodes to Surface All Risks,
& Get All Decision-Makers on Board

106. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Iterated In & Out of the Hierarchical Nodes to Surface All Risks,
& Get All Decision-Makers on Board

107. For a long time I could not understand this madness

108. “Flow Increases by Bridging Different Hierarchical Nodes” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
Often, Several Hierarchical Nodes Need to Be Involved in Fostering
Shared Purpose & De-risking Before a Decision Threshold is Reached

109. Biomimicry 3.8 | Biomimicry.netBiomimicry 3.8 |
Biomimicry.net
Image: Flickr.com | Mattias Lenke
Matching
Signal to
Antennae

110. “Bridging Different Hierarchical Nodes” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
To Bridge from Adaptive Emergence to Hierarchical Integration
We Must First Sense the Antennae of the Relevant Hierarchical Nodes

111. “Bridging Different Hierarchical Nodes” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
We Must Then Provide the Right Signals to the Relevant Nodes

112. “Iterating Toward a Threshold of Shared Purpose and Certainty” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
This Move Requires Iteration & Sequencing Toward Thresholds of
Shared Purpose & De-risking

113. “Iterating Toward a Threshold of Shared Purpose and Certainty” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
This Move Requires Iteration & Sequencing Toward Thresholds of
Shared Purpose & De-risking

114. “Iterating Toward a Threshold of Shared Purpose and Certainty” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
This Move Requires Iteration & Sequencing Toward Thresholds of
Shared Purpose & De-risking

115. “Iterating Toward a Threshold of Shared Purpose and Certainty” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
This Move Requires Iteration & Sequencing Toward Thresholds of
Shared Purpose & De-risking

116. “Iterating Toward a Threshold of Shared Purpose and Certainty” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
Often, Not Always, Upper Middle Managers are Best Sequenced Last

117. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
23
Number'of'LEED'Projects'At'Harvard'''
• Prove the Business Case
• Prove Capabilities
• Prove Performance
• Prove Reputation Benefit
• Align request with risk tolerance
• Create a New Decision Making Process
for a New Kind of Decision
• Gain Approval to Scale
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
A Story of the Adaptive Operating System, Integration, Command & Control
• Locate the decision making
process
• Address the needs of all decision-
makers
Until there is no else left to ask…..
A Decision-Making Threshold is Reached and Approval Happens
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

118. 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2011
12
4
50+23
Number of LEED®
Projects At Harvard
5 12 163 4 50+23 80+
A story of Emergence, Integration,
Command Control and Transformation
• Make green building commitment public
• Embed into capital planning and approvals
• Embed into RFPs, contracts and position descriptions
• Provide ongoing training and support
• Adopt formal policy and financial approvals requirements
• Integrate into all formal systems
Next Move: Harvard Approves and Immediately Scales
“Case Story: 100 Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

119. “Idea Flow” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Time
The Actual Story: Green Buildings @ Harvard

120. Idea Champion Piloting P2P Influence Early Adopters
Failed Attempt at Mandate
Find Innovators
Hierarchical Sponsors
“Actual Story of Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
The Actual Story: Green Buildings @ Harvard
The vibe
Scale
More Piloting to De-risk Shared Ownership
Iterate to Decision Threshold Mandate

121. New Idea comes in the organization
Committee establish in 2009 -
green building guidelines created
& adopted
WTF?
Official Story Adopted in 2009
“Official Story of Green Buildings at Harvard” by leith sharp is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

122. This Brings Us back to the Importance of Breaking the Spell

123. What is the Impact of Official Story Dominating?
“Impact on Agility of the Official Story Dominating” by Leith Sharp, adapted for Leaders of Purpose is licensed for open sharing & adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

124. What is the Impact of the Official Story Dominating?
Enforces top down exclusively
Makes adaptive networks invisible
People try to repeat the 'success' of official story & it doesn't work
Making things look too easy, demotivates people when they run into obstacles
Doesn't recognize real change makers/Credit given to wrong people
Discourages broader community engagement
Discourages ideas, creativity... makes people fear making mistakes, and failing
Doesn't acknowledge that failure was part of getting to the solution
Can't learn from our mistakes
Hard to replicate
Wastes money
People don't trust the company
“Impact on Agility of the Official Story Dominating” by Leith Sharp, adapted for Leaders of Purpose is licensed for open sharing & adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

125. Many of Us Have Unconscious Competence

126. Time
“A Visual Design Language to reduce friction, increase mutualism, flow & Purpose-Driven Leadership” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
The flow vibe
What will happen when we have Collective Conscious Competence?

127. Time
“A Visual Design Language to reduce friction, increase mutualism, flow & Purpose-Driven Leadership” by Leith sharp is licensed for sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY SA 4.0
The flow vibe
What will happen when we have Collective Conscious Competence?

128. Start One Idea Life Cycle at a Time.
FRICTION
“Forensic Idea Flow Mapping” by Leith Sharp, and Joe.Hsueh is licensed for open sharing and adapting under Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
7
FLOW
Break the Spell
Embrace the Squiggle
Create the Vibe
Bust the Moves

129. Biomimicry.net | Synapse.bio
IDEA FLOW
Break the Spell
Embrace the Squiggle
Create the Vibe
Bust the Moves

130. For a Deeper Dive

131. Executive Education for Sustainability Leadership
Oct 21-25, 2019
Who Should Attend? Senior leaders, sustainability leaders with a senior report,
high potential emerging leaders. All sectors encouraged.
Location: Harvard University, Cambridge campus, MA
Program Cost: $4,300
Class Size: 60 participants www.eesl.hsph.harvard.edu