EPISODE 204
Think Like an Architect:
Systems Thinking for Warfighters & Cops
In complex environments, effort alone doesn’t equal results. Whether you’re in uniform or behind a badge, you face the same reality: limited resources, adaptive adversaries, and problems that refuse to stay solved. The difference between activity and impact often comes down to how you see the fight.
Mike and Jim break down systems thinking for tacticians — a practical way to understand how outcomes actually emerge inside military and law enforcement environments. Using real-world examples, they explore how feedback loops, incentives, and hidden dependencies shape everything from crime trends to operational tempo.
Links:
https://sdm.mit.edu/a-systems-analysis-of-tactical-intelligence-in-the-us-army/
The Enemy as a System by John Warden
https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Volume-09_Issue-1-Se/1995_Vol9_No1.pdf
The Air Campaign: Planning For Combat by John Warden
Winning in FastTime: Harness the Competitive Advantage of Prometheus in Business and Life – by John Warden
John Boyd and John Warden: Air Power’s Quest for Strategic Paralysis
The Five-Ring Circus: How Airpower Enthusiasts Forgot About Interdiction by Mike Pietrucha
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