Peeling away complexity – a visionary look at agility, simplicity, and more.

Hi, I’m Neil Walker — welcome.
This is my space to explore the real work of transformation: leading with agility, thinking in systems, and building better ways of working.
For over 30 years, I’ve helped organizations—from financial services to frontline social care—navigate complexity, adopt agile and product mindsets, and drive meaningful change that lasts. I’ve worked across the board: from coaching teams to advising execs, from recovering failing programmes to shaping new operating models.
Since the early 2000s, I’ve been writing and speaking about agile, business agility, and transformation—long before they were hashtags. I’ve shared ideas, sparked conversations, and built communities (even before Twitter became “X”).
What ties it all together? A deep belief in the power of simplicity, adaptability, and human-centered change.
Whether you’re here to learn, rethink, or just get unstuck—you’re in good company.
Latest insights
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Beyond Cynefin: How CIRCA Helps Leaders Make Sense of Today’s Complexity
In 2007, David Snowden and Mary Boone published a groundbreaking article in Harvard Business Review titled “A Leader’s Framework for Decision Making.” It introduced the Cynefin framework to a wider audience—offering a way to categorise different types of problems and…
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Executive Reality Check: From Fear to Flow
“From fear to flow: Rethinking the system that governs your speed” In my last post, I wrote about how fear of Agile, especially in a world shaped by AI and accelerating complexity, doesn’t protect the organization. It quietly makes it…
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Executive Reality Check: Fear of Agile Is Quietly Making You Obsolete
“CIRCA isn’t about weathering the storm. It’s about learning to navigate in any weather the future throws at you.” In leadership circles, there’s often an unspoken belief:That resisting Agile, avoiding decentralisation, and clinging to control somehow keeps the business safe.…
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From Disruption to Direction: Why CIRCA Matters for the Future of Work
“CIRCA isn’t about weathering the storm. It’s about learning to navigate in any weather the future throws at you.” The future of work isn’t a distant horizon. It’s already here—just unevenly distributed. We’re no longer facing isolated shifts. We’re in…
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From Reacting to Reframing: How CIRCA Helps Organizations Partner With Complexity
“In complexity, the goal is not to predict and control the future – it’s to become increasingly fit for it.” That statement has never been truer than it is today. We’ve spent the last few decades building organizations for efficiency,…
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CIRCA vs. VUCA: Meeting the Unique Challenges of Modern Disruption
For decades, the VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) framework has helped leaders make sense of a turbulent world. But as disruption becomes more relentless and the human impact of change more pronounced, organizations need more than just a way to…
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Unlocking Leadership Resilience: Sharing CIRCA Under a Creative Commons License
For years, the belief that shared knowledge can be a powerful catalyst for progress has been a driving force in my work. Whether through volunteer efforts or simply sharing insights, I’ve witnessed firsthand how open access empowers individuals and communities…
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