The Next Next Common Sense
that enables further purposive action—has only grown more acute in our fragmented digital landscape. Our original framework identified ten principles that have stood the test of time:
1. Using simple guiding principles 2. Respecting diverse mental models 3. Employing landscape metaphors 4. Combining and recombining building blocks 5. Embracing multiple roles 6. Creating canyons, not canals 7. Telling powerful stories 8. Sending out scouting parties 9. Posting and attending to road signs 10. Fueling coherence with aligned words
These principles have proven remarkably prescient. Organizations that have embraced simple guiding principles rather than rigid rules have demonstrated greater adaptability in changing conditions. Those that have respected diverse mental models have made better decisions in com- plex environments. Companies that have used landscape metaphors to navigate complexity have maintained direction amid uncertainty. The principles we identified weren’t just interesting ideas—they were founda- tional capabilities for thriving in complexity. What has changed is the context within which these principles must be applied. When we wrote about mental models, we couldn’t have antici- pated how artificial intelligence would extend and challenge our cognitive capacities. When we discussed landscape metaphors, we weren’t imagin- ing the digital territories and virtual worlds that now constitute significant portions of our economy. When we advocated for sending out scouting parties, we hadn’t experienced the overwhelming data deluge that now makes attention our scarcest resource.
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