Sneak peek! Power literacy WIP

Happy Friday! I hope you're getting some of what you want out of your life this week, and you're being nice to yourself about everything else.

I'm in a period of creative incubation, with a calendar largely clear of delivery commitments until Not An MBA starts in July. This is marvellous but has taken some adjustment. It's a ridiculous thing to complain about, but now I've finally got time for the deep work I craved, I have to... fill it? (Cue tiny violins.)

Creative incubation isn’t restful in the way I might have imagined. Decoupling time/output from work/worth is counterintuitive and frustrating. Sometimes hours of wrangling produces bugger all. Sometimes a two-hour burst leaves me knackered for the afternoon. Brains, eh?

Sticking to a disciplined writing routine (and a less disciplined walk and gym routine) helps. I write fiction in the morning and, if there's juice left in the tank, non-fiction in the afternoon. I continue to underestimate how mentally and emotionally demanding fiction is and I'm hoping to get more match-fit with time.

I continue my transition to a writing-centric model. I'm still booking client workshops and speaking gigs for late 2026-early 2027 on, and expect to continue doing so. I love the connection of IRL events, and I know how much value comes from the training and interaction - for all of us. Besides, the writing needs fuel.

What I'm writing

In case you missed anything, here's what I've published on lately:

• Navigating irreconcilable tensions in life and work
  • Wednesday Wisdom: The tension is the engine
  • LinkedIn post: 5 tensions of public leadership
• Your role in systems / power as a relational force
  • Wednesday Wisdom: You are the system
  • Ask A Strategist AMA on systems thinking
• How we apportion blame: narrative awareness and systems analysis
  • Friday Flurry: In defence of furious women
  • Wednesday Wisdom: Shifting into systems thinking

Creative progress

I'm finally making decent progress on my novel. I produced over 8,000 new words this week and my brain is deep-fried but delighted. I've fought through a fog of structural uncertainty - and discovered my protagonist isn't the person I thought she was.

My dinky little Freewrite word processor arrived this week and I've only given it a couple of good spins so far, but I can see it playing an ongoing role in my creative process. The lack of editing (and internet) capabilities forces a forward-motion that is fantastic for punching out the raw clay good drafts are made of.

What I'm thinking about

My body of work on power literacy is shaping up - and I'm increasingly convinced power literacy is an urgent skill for people and professionals both.

I am so excited about where this thinking is going. It deepens my work on decisions, strategy, systems, change and leadership with a rich social, cultural, and philosophical backbone. I'm nerding out hard.

(I'm theoretically banned from working on this book while I put the novel first. But because I have raging oppositional defiance disorder, I file it all under 'research and IP development' rather than 'the second book.' Cheeky.)

Your behind-the-scenes sneak peek

I'm pleased to present you with a sneak peek at my thinking - with a disclaimer about this being confidential IP in progress. Enjoy a 10-bullet summary of my draft thesis and two explanatory diagrams. I'd love your thoughts.

If you read this draft white paper on agents of humanity a couple of months ago, you'll see how these ideas have matured and evolved. I will publish a guide at some point for all subscribers.

Power literacy in a nutshell

If I had to sum up this idea in 10 bullets, here's how I'd do it: