Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown

This isn’t a traditional strategy book. adrienne maree brown invites us into something more alive — a way of noticing, adapting, and moving through the world that feels deeply human and deeply hopeful.

Emergent Strategy asks us to pay attention to the small — the conversations, the choices, the patterns we live by every day — because that’s where real change begins. It’s rooted in nature, relationship, and imagination.

Emergent Strategy asks us to pay attention to the small — the conversations, the choices, the patterns we live by every day — because that’s where real change begins. It’s rooted in nature, relationship, and imagination. And it challenges the idea that we need a perfect plan before we act. Instead, it reminds us that change is constant, and that what we practice at the small scale sets the pattern for the whole.

brown weaves together personal stories, social movement wisdom, and lessons from the natural world to offer a way of organizing, building, and belonging that feels both ancient and necessary.

Why We’re Holding This Close at The Change Lab

A Living Invitation to Grow the Future in Real Time

This book is one of our touchstones. It reminds us to stay in right relationship — with ourselves, each other, and the moment we’re in.

When we talk about building civic connection, about creating a culture where everyone feels they belong and can contribute — Emergent Strategy helps us imagine what that really looks like in practice. It tells us it’s okay to move at the speed of trust. To adapt. To listen deeply. To let go of control in service of alignment.

If you’re building something — especially something that doesn’t exist yet — this book will feel like a deep breath. It meets you where you are and reminds you that the work is not just out there. It’s right here. With the people you gather, the care you extend, and the stories you choose to lift.

This is one stays open on the desk.