Kubernesis (Greek) is a nautical term for a helmsman, one who handles the tiller and is able to keep a ship on course. Cybernetics, an interdisciplinary study of systems, stems from kubernesis, and is characterized by a related focus on wise rule and governance.

The embrace of the systems approach to problem solving emerged alongside of the technological and industrial advances of the post-WWII era. Disruptive social changes and new economic complexities led to increasing applications of Operations Research, Cybernetics, and the Design Methods Movement. These disciplines ultimately paved the way for what we now embrace as Design Thinking.

“I don’t predict. I just look out the window and see what’s visible but not yet seen.”
--- Peter F. Drucker

The design thinking process leverages capacities that are intuitive yet often overlooked by traditional problem-solving approaches. Merging design methods and management skills, this emerging paradigm breaks from bottleneck leadership models to embrace a fluid, collaborative process. As living organisms, today’s human enterprises require much more than the conventional command-and-control mechanisms to thrive. The helmsman of the 21st century must be prepared to affirm and integrate the disciplines of interdependent crewmates in order to make on-course clearings for the organization. When the mindsets and methods of design, innovation, and management are effectively and elegantly harmonized, simple solutions to formidable complexities will resonate.