Diagnose the pattern. Apply the right lever. Build capability that lasts.
Hi, I’m Neil Walker — welcome.
This is where transformation leaders come when the frameworks aren’t working.
For over 30 years, I’ve been the strategic troubleshooter organisations call when escalations multiply and established approaches fail. From the Bank of England to UBS, from Barclays to UK Government — I’ve recovered failing programmes, coached executives through complexity, and built operating models that actually deliver.
That pattern recognition is now documented in Thriving in Turbulence — a diagnostic framework (CIRCA-CLEAR) born from 200+ real-world interventions across banking, government, technology, and professional services.
The core insight: Most transformation failures aren’t execution problems — they’re misdiagnosis. Teams apply the wrong intervention because they haven’t accurately read the conditions. CIRCA-CLEAR fixes that gap.
Whether you’re navigating turbulence, building adaptive capability, or simply trying to work out why progress has stalled — you’re in the right place.
Thriving in Turbulence
Diagnose conditions. Apply the right lever. Build capability.
Published November 2025 | Available on Leanpub and Amazon
The book organisations need when transformation stalls despite everyone working harder than ever. CIRCA-CLEAR provides:
- Pattern recognition that diagnoses conditions in 2-3 days
- Matched interventions with 2-4 week testing cycles
- Leading indicators (ThroughFlow, Human Pulse) that predict problems before they escalate
- Framework integration that makes your OKRs, SAFe, and Team Topologies work better
Foreword by Giles Lindsay, author of Clearly Agile and The Adaptive Leader.
👉 Get the book → Available on Leanpub and Amazon
CIRCA-CLEAR Framework
CIRCA diagnoses five turbulence conditions: Complex, Insecure, Rapid, Contradictory, Anxious.
CLEAR provides five matched responses: Clarity, Learning, Empathy, Agility, Resilience.
Most frameworks tell you what to do. CIRCA-CLEAR tells you why it’s not working — so you apply the right intervention at the right time.
👉 Learn about CIRCA → 👉 Explore CIRCA-CLEAR →
Latest insights
-
5 Signs That a Product-Led Approach is No Longer Optional for Your Organization
A few weeks ago, I shared a post titled “How Adopting a Product Mindset Enables Organizational Agility.” That article stemmed from observations with my current client, where I’m leading a $10 million product development program focused on digital identity—one of…
-
How Adopting a Product Mindset Enables Organizational Agility
In today’s fast-paced business landscape, agility has become more than a buzzword—it’s a critical capability for organizations aiming to stay competitive. However, many companies struggle with how to truly embed agility into their culture and operations. One powerful enabler of…
-
Curiosity and Systems Thinking: A Powerful Duo
Last week I covered two critical capabilities that stand out in our fast-paced and ever-evolving world, and the increasing complexity of systems. The two capabilities that stand out for me: curiosity and systems thinking. When combined, these two mindsets form…
-
Curiosity and Systems Thinking: A Powerful Duo for Continuous Improvement
In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving world, organizations are under constant pressure to innovate, adapt, and improve. As the complexity of systems—whether technological, organizational, or social—increases, two critical capabilities stand out: curiosity and systems thinking. When combined, these two mindsets form…
-
How Crucial is Curiosity
A curious article appeared in the September–October 2018 issue of Harvard Business Review, “The Business Case for Curiosity”, being the lead article in HBR’s Spotlight package on Curiousity. “Curiosity, we all know, is the spark that can lead to breakthrough…
-
Enterprises Stop Copying the Spotify Model
Following on from last week’s post Why Enterprises and Legacy Organizations Struggle with the Spotify Model. Over the years, Spotify’s approach to agility has captured the imagination of organizations worldwide. The promise of empowered, autonomous teams delivering value quickly and…
-
Why Enterprises and Legacy Organizations Struggle with the Spotify Model
Over the years, Spotify’s approach to agility has captured the imagination of organizations worldwide. The promise of empowered, autonomous teams delivering value quickly and consistently is irresistible. Yet, many enterprises, particularly those with long histories (like a 300-year-old UK-based bank…
Categories
Adaptability (16) Agile (49) Agility (110) Change (20) Coaching (5) Complexity (21) Culture (15) Curiosity (6) Design Thinking (4) Enterprise Social (3) Events (9) Future of Work (22) Futures Thinking (13) Leadership (51) Lean (5) Methods and Approaches (22) Patterns (4) People (11) People-Centric (8) Product (18) Simplicity (12) Strategy (23) Systems Thinking (8) Thriving in Turbulence (4) Workshops (5)
Tags
Adaptability (14) Agile (15) Agile Coaching (4) Agile Culture (16) Agile Leadership (39) Agile Mindset (6) Agile Transformation (7) Agility (105) Americas Cup (6) Book Launch (4) Business Agility (64) Change (6) Change Management (4) CIRCA-CLEAR (8) CIRCA model (18) Co-creation (4) Collaboration (8) Collaboration Tools (4) Complexity (10) Continuous Improvement (62) Continuous Learning (45) Crystal Clear (5) Cultural Catalyst (4) Culture (8) Culture Change (5) Curiosity (22) Customer centricity (4) Design Thinking (4) Digital Transformation (6) DSDM (4) Employee Engagement (4) Enterprise Social Networks (5) Future of Work (21) Ingenious Agility (5) Innovation (24) Leadership (104) Leadership Development (4) Lean (6) Lean Change (9) Lean Product (4) Methods (6) Organizational Agility (61) Organizational Change (7) People-Centric (4) Product (21) Product Mindset (8) Product Mode (4) Product thinking (4) Project Management (6) Scrum (4) Simplicity (8) Status quo (4) Strategy (4) Systemic Thinking (7) Systems Thinking (7) Value Delivery (5) VUCA (7) Workshops (4) XP (4) Yacht Racing (3)