Network Transformation

We often talk about personal or organizational transformation. We use strategies, techniques, and tools to change or modify ourselves or our businesses in some way. Most personal and professional coaching or mentoring revolves around supporting our transformations and helping us through the metamorphosis of who we are or what we do.

The basics of transformation are simple. You have something (e.g., object A), and you want to create something else out of it (e.g., object B). You need a process to do this—what we call the transformation process. The 'object' could be anything. It could even be you. For instance, imagine you are object A, lacking confidence, and you wish to become object B—someone who is appropriately self-confident. You need a process to transform that part of yourself. You need some strategy or technique to turn non-confidence into confidence in order to succeed.

To transform anything, you need at least three things: a system to transform, a clear intention, and a transformation process. This simple model is something we use all the time, both in our personal lives and in business. We transform things daily, whether it’s a project, an organization, or ourselves.

Where it gets more complex is when we attempt to change larger, more macro systems. Transforming an entire network, industry, region, or community is far more challenging and intriguing.

Transforming an entire community or open network with decentralized power dynamics is different from changing personal habits or organizational beliefs. Despite our progress as a global society, we still repeat the same mistakes at the macro level, unable to transform the deeper structures that perpetuate war, hunger, sickness, and environmental destruction. We are more educated and less savage, but we still don't know how to create coherence and meaning in our shared co-existence.

We’ve learned how to transform individuals (when they desire it), but how do we transform entire networks or macro systems? Is it even possible? What makes such transformations unique, and how do we approach them wisely?

We often complain about the inability of governments or large corporations to change meaningfully and quickly. But have you ever wondered why it’s so difficult? Do you think the people at the top of those systems are doing this on purpose? Do you believe they’re intentionally creating a system for us to suffer in?

No, they’re not. They too are doing their best.

Changing a macro system is a very different game from changing a small policy or breaking personal habits. Their reality is wider, the momentum for change slower, the risks greater, and the complexity of the systems they deal with is beyond what most of us can even imagine—let alone feel.

They are playing a different game, engaged in entirely different transformational processes.

They grapple with transforming complex, sovereign, and unpredictable masses or even entire cultures. They’re not focused on individuals or businesses; they’re focused on entire networks, macro systems, and communities.

Network transformation is exciting and impactful but also far more complex, challenging, and sometimes even dangerous.

The system isn’t stuck because some people want to benefit from its dysfunctions. It’s stuck because we don’t know how to change it. As a society, we haven’t mastered the art of transforming macro systems. We’ve never done this before. We’ve never had a globally interconnected economy or geopolitics on this scale, so we’ve never transformed something so globally interdependent either.

Well, we have, but it’s always been through war or crises. We know how to use fear and violence to transform macro systems, but we don’t yet know how to do it in a peaceful, meaningful, and joyful way. We are all aware of the social, economic, and environmental challenges we face. We all want a reality where we feel safer and happier. We just don’t know how to fix it anymore. We’re all stuck in a macro system we don’t know how to transform into something that aligns with what we truly want and need as a collective.

It’s not a lack of will, wisdom, or courage keeping us stuck in loops of nonsense and systemic abuse. It’s simply that we don’t know how to efficiently and coherently transform something so vast and complex. We’re all co-creating a collective transformation process as we go. We’re learning along the way, and we’ll make mistakes. It’s uncharted territory for all of us.

As a humanity, we are collectively trying to figure out how to transform the system we have into something more resilient, coherent, and aligned with who we are and what we want to experience.

The main issue is that, at the level of collective consciousness, many are still waiting for a savior to appear—be it a new leader, president, Jesus, AI, or something else. People seem to unconsciously hope that one day everything will magically change. They expect change to come from above, dictated by leaders. Many rely on external authority to guide the process, believing something big needs to happen for real change to occur.

But no one actually knows how this should happen. No one can ever know. Transformation at this level is an emergent process, with all its beauty and challenges. When we talk about real macro-system transformation, we are confined to emergence. You can’t centrally plan or control such a process. No one has that kind of power, and no one ever will. It’s a collective game with shared power, not a personal or individual one.

The reason it takes an entire network to transform a macro system is simple—it’s because of the unbreakable rule of the universe: free will.

When you try to transform a macro system that includes many people or sub-systems, you must consider that each person in that system has free will, and you cannot control them. You cannot manage an open network or decentralized community of beings the way you manage a conventional business or organization.

A decentralized network, where beings have unconditional access to their free will, cannot be managed hierarchically or centrally. Doing so would mean imposing the will and judgment of a few onto the masses during the collective transformation. That would be a dictatorship, not a free and democratic process.

When an entire population delegates the transformation process to their leaders or government, they lose their free will. They are at the mercy of the macro network, which ensures their survival and future.

If you think the prime minister or president has real power over our collective macro system, it probably means you’ve already delegated too much of your personal power to the system. You’ve unconsciously viewed your leaders as potential saviors. You’ve given up your own authentic participation in the collective transformation process and handed over responsibility to your ‘bosses’ to change the shared reality you’re part of too.

Network or system transformation requires a community-driven approach. If we want to change a macro system that involves many people, all those involved need to actively and consciously participate in the transformation. They must use their free will, inner power, and wisdom to contribute meaningfully and coherently. They must be co-creators, not just followers.

Co-creating a new culture or society must involve open, decentralized networks with shared power dynamics. It cannot be imposed or manipulated by questionable leaders or self-proclaimed authorities.

But co-leading deep systemic transformation with shared power isn’t something we know how to do—yet. We’re still mentally stuck in a model where someone else is responsible for the collective change. We rarely include ourselves as active, sovereign co-creators of our shared reality.

We fail at most systemic changes because we use outdated strategies based on centralized leadership and incoherent power delegation. We still believe in a collective future imagined and managed by only a few. Why?

Our collective field—our society, culture, and system—is co-created by all of us, not by our leaders. We are the ones who must make it happen. We are the ones living in this reality, and we should be responsible for building a system and social network that makes sense to us.

Our shared reality is an unfolding movie of our collective co-existence and evolution. You can choose to be a simple observer, or you can be an actor in that movie—a co-writer, co-director, co-producer, and more.

Being a conscious, responsible co-creator of our shared reality is exciting and empowering, but it’s also challenging. It requires courage and practice to use our free will wisely while honoring the free will of others.

A true co-creator knows how to surrender to their own power without overpowering others. They understand they are the boss only of their inner reality and body. Nothing else in our shared field is under their control. This is why true co-creators must follow the process of pure, unknown emergence and honor shared power dynamics to transform systems or networks in a meaningful and coherent way.

A real leader doesn’t try to figure out the best strategy to transform a macro system because they know it’s not their role to decide for the future of the masses. They know people must co-create and take responsibility for their own actions and future to live in a shared reality that works for all. They understand that they are co-creators, not creators.

The creator might feel entitled, controlling, and arrogant. But our shared system is not one person’s creation; it’s a sophisticated, collective co-creation. We’ve all played a part in creating it, and we’re all responsible for it.

If we want real systemic transformation, we must learn how to live and do business as authentic co-creators, not just leaders and followers. Mastering free will, personal responsibility, and deep inner integrity are the skills each of us must develop if we want to transform our macro system peacefully, meaningfully, and coherently for everyone.