27 first reflections summarized as cliffhangers: Must-Read

Kalle reflects on a library of the 27 first reflections summarized as cliffhangers for more reading

Takeaway for leaders at all levels everywhere

If you’re looking for rapid insight and reasons to read on, these 27 first reflections are herein presented as cliffhangers—each a doorway into a deeper case, principle, or provocation. They’re listed with the latest first to make it easy to find what’s new. The throughline is the FSSD: a scientifically grounded operative system for systemic, systematic, and strategic development that consistently improves bottom lines while moving toward a sustainable future. Consider this your map—and your nudge—to explore further.

Polymers, supply chains, and scaling solutions
A masterclass in multi-year, multi-company collaboration shows polymers turning destruction into solutions—with FSSD as the spine. What does the world’s most advanced supply chain learning lab teach us about real scale?

Flawed arguments about FSSD—why they persist
FSSD is a backbone, not a rival to your favorite tools. It improves their use by design. So why do “better than” and “more scientific than” myths keep circulating—and how do they hold teams back from progress?

Tax shift without the trap; good for all.
A green tax shift can hurt—or help—depending on design. Aligned with FSSD, it strengthens competitiveness from day one. What does good design actually look like for bottom-line gains?

Polarbröd: crisis as catalyst
A devastating bakery fire could have destroyed the company. Instead, by using FSSD, Polarbröd navigated the chaos and came back stronger. When threat met opportunity, what choices made all the difference?

Wallenius Shipping and the OceanBird vision
Strategic steps that pay early, midterm, and long term—culminating in wind-propelled cargo by computer-trimmed solid sails. How does a bold long-term goal align with rigorous boundary conditions and still make money now?

Beyond the Prisoner’s Dilemma
The analogy is compelling—and often counterproductive. In sustainability planning, it can misframe incentives and choices. What’s a better mental model when you need collaborative momentum?

FSSD Global Membership: no fuss, high value
No exams, no certificates, just a platform to learn, share, and operationalize systemic, systematic, and strategic development. How can a community accelerate your ROI and reduce complexity?

From pitch to first ABCD workshop
Leaders rarely show up for clichés or jargon. They do show up for clarity, control, effectiveness and improved bottom lines. What pitch gets them into the room—and why does the first ABCD workshop tend to make FSSD “stick”?

Shoals of “Opinion Molder Fish”
Media, think tanks, and politics often frame climate versus money as a zero-sum game. FSSD reframes it: strengthen climate and finance together. How do you steer clear of the shoals?

Debating deniers—or outpacing them?
Kjell Vowles’ work on reactionary petro-nostalgia raises a question: should we argue—or demonstrate results? What happens when evidence is performance, not persuasion?

Symptoms vs. causes
Biodiversity loss, plus increasing toxicity, poverty, and conflict—symptoms of deeper system design flaws. FSSD’s redesign principles target root causes while improving bottom lines. Why is this simpler and more fun than drowning in downstream metrics?

A reflection on the reflections
Once you “see” the FSSD mental model, you can’t unsee it. It works in boardrooms, coffee breaks alike. What happens when an absolute code becomes your everyday lens?

CO2e, CCS, and operational clarity
Climatology details are useful; operational decisions need simplicity. FSSD cuts through smoke screens and resets focus on mechanisms of destruction and redesign. What do you do first—and why now?

The Naturalistic Fallacy vs. Basic Rules of the Game increasing the Freedom to act. How science guides action. Keep laws of nature on the one hand, and values on the other connected but distinct, and your strategy strengthens. How can humble language improve both learning and collaboration?

Low consumption isn’t a plan
Personal modesty is admirable—but system redesign is essential. Industrialized nations must co-create scalable, shareable solutions. Where does individual choice meet institutional change?

Good data in, bad data out—also for AI
Relative “better than” claims mask trade-offs and lost opportunities. FSSD filters for absolute progress within sustainability boundary conditions. How do you train AI—and your own decisions—on that code?

Population growth myths
The human population will level off sooner with institutional care for elders, children, and educated girls. Counterintuitive? Yes. Proven? Also yes. What policies accelerate the shift?

Finance and sustainability: still underperforming
Ethical screens and clean tech bets miss the point without FSSD. How else can investors assess systemic, scalable futures and platform flexibility? No wonder ROI lags when strategy lags.

Spatial planning: the overlooked imperative
When linear fossil and nuclear flows are gone, free flows (sun, wind, water, geothermal) dominate—and compete for space. Spatial planning becomes decisive. Who convenes the resource theorists, engineers, and political scientists?

Ethics and animals—voice and boundaries
Humans are the only advocates future generations and other species have. FSSD boundary conditions keep the ethics conversation anchored. What’s the minimum we must never forget?

Systems thinking—with one vital condition
“Holistic” sounds good—until you drown in data. Boundary conditions for purpose are the lifeline. Without them, systematic strategy is impossible. What boundaries do you need to choose well?

Nuclear fusion: the perennial mirage
Fuel requirements, economics, timelines, centralization risks—the hurdles stack up. Even if breakthroughs arrive, can fusion compete with free flows? What kind of society does it assume—and is that desirable or resilient?

Nuclear fission: an idea past its sell-by date
Linear fuel dependencies, escalating costs, and non-scalable “new” designs signal an industry in retreat. Two narrow exceptions aside, decommissioning is inevitable. Do we step away with dignity—or under duress?

Leaders, missing in action?
Trust requires benevolence, competence, integrity. Today’s wars and plunder betray those basics. Yet history shows reasons for hope and courses of action. How do we choose leadership that earns trust now?

A four-headed elephant in economics
Four confusions drive the debate into a ditch: growth is a means, economics is one tool among many, infinite value growth is possible, and GNP needs amendments—not abolition. How does FSSD clarify all four at once?

EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting: opportunity or burden?
Strong administration without strong content structure leads to box-ticking. Make it Systemic, Systematic, and Strategic, and reporting becomes a training ground for performance. What if compliance also built competitive advantage?

The world’s situation: Titanic or not, act strategically
Whether or not we’re “doomed” is the wrong question. Systemic, systematic, strategic leadership pays off immediately—for organizations, regions, and society. How much longer will we leave value on the table?

Why these 27 first reflections, summarized as cliffhangers for more reading, matter
This collection is not a lecture series—it’s a toolset. Each reflection asks you to step beyond debate into design, to swap piecemeal fixes for principled strategy, and to cash in on early and midterm wins while building a resilient long-term position. The FSSD is your operative system: improve the use of every other tool, align with absolute boundary conditions, and move faster with less waste. Read them all, or start where your urgency is loudest.

Conclusion: turn curiosity into motion
You now have 27 first reflections summarized as cliffhangers for more reading—and for action. Use them to brief your team, challenge your assumptions, and schedule your first ABCD workshop. The focus isn’t to win arguments; it’s to redesign success. With FSSD as your operative system, you reduce noise, avoid costly detours, and upgrade performance from the beginning. Start with the reflection that stings—or the one that excites—and keep going. The momentum you build today compounds into tomorrow’s advantage.

All hot topic Reflections above and in the future are direct consequences of our Operative System.

For a deeper dive into the science behind the Operative System that informs all Reflections, see the peer-reviewed Open-Source paper with all its references: doi.org/10.1002/sd.3357. For the full title, see footnote below.

Or, for concluding reflections, practical insights and training, click on “Kalle Reflects” to see all reflections.

If you need any further advice, perhaps getting some further references, please send a question to us from the homepage.

Footnote: Broman, G. I., & Robèrt, K.-H. (2025). Operative System for Strategic Sustainable Development―Coordinating Analysis, Planning, Action, and Use of Supports Such as the Sustainable Development Goals, Planetary Boundaries, Circular Economy, and ScienceBased Targets. Sustainable Development, 1C16.