Everyday Habits for Radical System Transformation with Adam Kahane S9E6 (126)
The Learning Future Podcast with Louka ParryShow Notes
What if peaceful system transformation isn’t led from the top, but from within — through the everyday choices of those embedded in the system?
In a world craving certainty, how might we learn to embrace dissonance and cracks as the starting points of meaningful change?
Episode Summary In this episode of The Learning Future Podcast, Louka Parry speaks with renowned systems thinker and facilitator Adam Kahane, author of Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems. Drawing on more than 30 years of global experience—including his involvement in South Africa’s democratic transition—Adam explores how radical engagement and individual agency contribute to peaceful system transformation. Together, Louka and Adam unpack the hidden grammars of schooling, the pitfalls of top-down reform, and the power of everyday habits to drive sustainable change. From Leonard Cohen to the Bhagavad Gita, this conversation is a deep and practical exploration of how we might lead with love and power in a time of profound flux. About Adam Kahane
Adam Kahane has more than 30 years of experience in more than 50 countries working with thousands of leaders to transform social systems at all scales (organization, city, country, globe). His work has addressed many of the most important challenges of our time, including racial oppression, violent conflict among warring groups in countries, insecurity and inequity, drug problems, social unrest, unsustainable food systems, and climate change. Kahane is a bestselling author whose five previous books each have sold between 20,000 and 100,000 copies: Solving Tough Problems, Power and Love, Transformative Scenario Planning, Collaborating with the Enemy, and Facilitating Breakthrough. He is the director of Reos Partners, an international social enterprise that helps people move forward together on their most important and intractable issues.
More from The Learning Future Podcast with Louka Parry
In this episode of The Learning Future Podcast, Louka Parry is joined by educator, entrepreneur and Future Anything founder Nicole Dyson to explore what learning needs to become in a world being rapidly reshaped by AI. Together, they challenge the false divide between knowledge and capabilities, arguing instead for capability rich learning, where young people build strong foundations of knowledge and then learn how to apply what they know in complex, unpredictable and unfamiliar contexts. Nicole discusses why engagement matters, how AI is changing the skills young people will need beyond school, and why capabilities such as agility, communication, collaboration and agency cannot be developed through linear learning experiences alone. The conversation also turns the lens back on educators. If we want young people to become explorers, risk-takers and adaptive thinkers, teachers and schools need the confidence to experiment too, loosening control, staying intellectually curious and creating learning environments where both educators and students can operate at their growth edge.
In a world increasingly driven by technology, Isabelle Hau emphasizes a shift back to what makes us truly human: our relational abilities. During her conversation with Louka Parry on the Learning Future Podcast, Isabelle champions the idea of relational intelligence, arguing that the future of education and work will hinge on our capacity to connect, collaborate, and navigate complex social landscapes.
In this episode of the Learning Future Podcast, Louka Parry connects with Guy Claxton and Emily Poel, authors of Bodies of Learning: How Embodiment Science Transforms Education. Their conversation dives deep into the relationship between our physical selves and the learning process, shedding light on how embodiment can reshape our understanding of intelligence and education.
In this episode, Louka Parry speaks with architect, urban designer and author Danish Kurani about the powerful but often overlooked role of physical space in shaping how we think, feel and learn. From classrooms and homes to supermarkets and cities, Danish argues that design is never neutral. It influences behaviour, wellbeing, creativity and connection in ways we rarely notice until we learn to see it. Together, they explore what great learning environments require, why flexible furniture alone is not enough, and how educators, leaders and parents can become more intentional designers of the spaces that shape human flourishing.
In this episode of The Learning Future Podcast, Louka Parry speaks with Andreas Schleicher, Director for Education and Skills at the OECD, about the changing purpose of education in an age of AI, uncertainty and rapid technological change.