Do you see the system(s)?

The first time I have started to "see" systems everywhere was after reading the book "The Leaders Handbook" by Peter Scholtes. Seeing systems is like having night vision goggles, you turn them on and you start to see things, that you would not be able normally with your senses. I did know about embedded systems, but I did not know that it is possible to view everything as a system.
So, what is a system:
    - is a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole. Every system is delineated by its spatial and temporal boundaries, surrounded and influenced by its environment, described by its structure and purpose and expressed in its functioning.

This definition might sound like system is used to describe (mechanical) machines, and in the age of the machines, it was, since the term itself originates from thermodynamics. ( there was even a theory
later about the human brain being a machine.) And somehow humans tend to be limited to have only  mechanical theories.. 

But this definition above will not help you see systems, because there can be millions of items, multiple purposes. The trick is to consider the significant parts, the main purpose,  and organize all of them into separate views.
Now we just switch to Systems Modeling In simple terms you create a system type model of  everything you want and study it. Because it is a model ( everything is a model! even what you call reality is a mental model based on your senses ) the conclusions/results will depend on the accuracy of the model...
As a simple example example let's take the human body.
 - Digestive system ( Purpose: transform energy for the body ; Parts: you know them.. )
 - Nervous system (  Purpose: transmit signals ; Parts: you know them )
 - etc . ( the entire list is here )
 
So we might say that the body is a system of systems.. What is its purpose ?   (The whole should be  greater than the sum of its parts.. ;)
Go to the mirror and try to see yourself as a system. What can you say about the state of your subsystems ?  What is your purpose ? And what is your fuel?
Do it!

If you consider the greater you, then you can look at your life as a system. And even the whole world.

But there is a better model : the network !

If you want you can still reduce a network model to a system model, but you have to be careful not to eliminate some significant relationships, or items.
If  we go back to the small exercise above: How would you model your body as a network ? ( maybe you need a database ? )
An interesting experience that I had was acupuncture. I was able to feel how it worked, but wanted to know how it worked. After some extensive searching I was able to understand enough...
As I understood the traditional chinese medicine created a model of the human body ( with the qi, meridians,  points, and the balance between them ). I think  the chinese masters created/used a network model of the human body, even before network thinking existed...

A few years ago I saw an article about sequel to "The Leader's Handbook". I was interested because it was recommended by Ed Yourdon :
 - Management 3.0
I think it is an iteration over "The Leader's Handbook" ( Management 1.0 ) because it introduces the "views". Still it does not have the network thinking in it...
These books tend to reduce the complex human world to systems...
Because systems can be managed!  Did not find much on managing a human enterprise network...
Actually as Simon Sinek puts it:
"Manage systems, not people. Nobody wants to be managed.. People have to be led"

Are you powerful ?

A few years ago I was visiting the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit. I was struck by message of the following picture above a huge steam engine:

The sentence is true even today, we have a different, more precise word for power : Energy ( especially cheap energy.. ).
Once you have enough energy, you might still desire power. In this case the power is defined as the ability to influence or outright control the behavior of people. In case of control that is also called manipulation. This is present in many forms of today's private or other type of organizations.
I do not want to go into the full details of the types of power , just list a short definition and the weaknesses of them:

Legitimate power  - Also called "positional power," it is the power of an individual because of the relative position and duties of the holder of the position within an organization. Legitimate power is formal authority delegated to the holder of the position. It is usually accompanied by various attributes of power such as an uniform, a title, or an imposing physical office.
 - once the individual is not the holder of the position he is powerless.  A good example: ex-managers

Reward power - This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance. (giving out raises, rewards, etc )
 - if the rewards/raises are not perceived as value then the power weakens.

Coercive power - application of negative influences. (withholding rewards,  punishments )
 - it builds resentment and resistance from the people who experience it. Are judges powerful?

Informational power - having access / control over information.
 - once the scarce information is widely available and widely known this power weakens as well

And now the individual powers:  ( all the above ones are positional type )

Expert power -  deriving from the skills or expertise of the person and the organization's needs for those skills and expertise.  "Knowledge is power.", but knowledge in itself is not powerful. It is the use of knowledge and expertise that confers power .
 - it is specific, limited to a field - but it does not depend on position !

Referent power - is the power or ability of individuals to attract others and build loyalty. It is based on the charisma and interpersonal skills of the power holder.
 -  it is linked to reputation. Once the reputation is bad....

Also related to this topic are the "rules" of power. These are important because power (just like a knife ) is dangerous, you might hurt others or yourself. Here is a nice video ( an animated book review ) about how to apply the rules of power:

I remember taking part in a project management training where the trainer had a lot of quotes from the Art of War. I felt a strangeness in the parallel of project and war. ( one common thing is survival.. ). "If your only tool is hammer everything looks like a nail.." Here is an enlightening TED-Talk about the warrior's mindset:

So I think a better question to ask is: Do you need to be powerful ?  A better way is to have your ideas be powerful..
And to close the circle, here is a book about The Most Powerful Idea in the World.