Brave New Work by Aaron Dignan Summary
Overview of Brave New Work
Brave New Work dismantles outdated management systems that stifle innovation. Founder of The Ready, Aaron Dignan's "OS Canvas" has revolutionized how leaders view workplace autonomy. What if your organization's bureaucracy is the very thing killing its potential?
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Key takeaways
The Organizational Operating System: Why Work Feels Like Sabotage
Imagine walking into your office Monday morning to discover your company wastes $3 million annually on ineffective meetings. This shocking revelation sparked one leadership team's journey to reimagine their organization completely. The most unsettling truth about modern work? Many common workplace behaviors-insisting on channels, making lengthy speeches, referring matters to committees, haggling over precise wording-mirror instructions from a 1944 CIA predecessor manual designed to help citizens sabotage enemy organizations during World War II. Somehow, modern work has become indistinguishable from deliberate sabotage. While technology has transformed nearly every aspect of our lives, organizational structures remain virtually unchanged from a century ago. Show anyone a railroad org chart from 1910, and they'll recognize the same hierarchical model used today: information flows up, decisions flow down. This disconnect stems from hidden assumptions running silently in the background of our organizations-an operating system we rarely notice. The cost is staggering: roughly half of America's 23.8 million management roles are unnecessary, workers spend 710 million hours weekly on internal compliance activities (about half adding no value), and the U.S. economy loses approximately $3 trillion annually from untapped human potential.
People Positive, Complexity Conscious: The New Paradigm
The Operating System Canvas: Twelve Domains of Transformation
Purpose and Authority: The Foundation of Evolutionary Organizations
Structure and Resources: Networks, Not Hierarchies
Meetings and Information: Reimagining Collaboration
Continuous Participatory Change: The Path Forward
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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