1.4 Leverage Points: Why Most Change Efforts Fail

Have you ever noticed how some tiny changes create massive ripple effects while enormous efforts barely move the needle? In this episode, I explore Donella Meadows' framework of leverage points - those hidden places in systems where small shifts create massive change. As a Senior UX Researcher and service designer, I keep seeing this pattern: we pour resources into visible improvements (new processes, dashboards, tools) while the real drivers of change - paradigms and mental models - remain untouched. I'll share real examples of transformations that worked (and failed), from startups that changed their culture with one simple shift to Barcelona's superblocks that are redefining what streets are for. We'll explore why we instinctively intervene at the least effective points in systems and how to find those invisible levers that everyone else is missing.