The Dao of Complexity

Shortlisted in the Smart Thinking category at the Business Book Awards in partnership with Pathway Group 2025

Finalist in the Leadership - Think Differently category of the Goody Business Book Awards 2024

The pandemic, climate change, rising populism, geo-political unrest – just a few of the issues causing turbulence in today’s world. We are living and working in times that are complex and fast changing.

The Dao of Complexity is a book about challenging and deepening worldviews. It explores the remarkable resonance between complexity and Daoism, engaging with the processual, contextual and emergent nature both of ourselves and of the world of which we are a part. It connects to ideas from such diverse fields as quantum physics, brain science, political theory and economics.

Jean asks what ‘making sense’ of the world means in these turbulent times and how that can galvanise action for those of us trying to make a difference, trying to ‘make waves’ in a world of increasing connectivity, polarisation and fragility.

Taking its lead from Daoist texts, the design encourages readers to open at any page and use the short, stand-alone, yet networked pieces as reflective starting points.

This book will be of interest to scholars and those striving for social change, as well as managers and policy makers looking for inspiration. The general reader interested in science, philosophy and ancient wisdom will find relatable material to explore how to engage effectively in this complex world.

"In the West we are shifting from seeing the world as ordered, inherently perfect, mechanical, and in equilibrium, to seeing it as alive, messy, organic, and ever in process. Jean Boulton captures this shift in thinking beautifully, with insight and precision." --W. Brian Arthur, author of Complexity and the Economy

"This is my book of the year. Some books fill your head, some your heart, some educate, some set you alight; Jean's book does all of these. Her sparkling irrepressible scholarship takes us on a journey from the profound to the practical and incites us to cultivate ourselves and face the future. Essential fare for any progressive business school, and I'd also recommend it as a refreshing holiday brain reboot." --Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and Director, Henley Business School, Africa

"Wonderfully wide-ranging and thoughtful, Jean Boulton doesn't explain complexity, she inhabits it. Through musings, stories, and a breath-taking range of ideas, Boulton is an inspiring companion who teases out the connections to Daoist cosmology with deceptive ease. An essential read for anyone wanting to make a difference." --Margaret Gearty, Associate Professor, Hult International Business School (Ashridge)

"Drawing together her deep understanding of the complexity sciences, and a voracious appetite for ideas from other disciplines, Jean Boulton writes with wit and wisdom to argue that the contemporary dilemmas we face on our planet today demand new, processual ways of thinking. Wide-ranging and compelling, this is an absorbing and fascinating read." --Chris Mowles, Professor of Complexity and Management, Hertfordshire Business School

"A tour de force, fascinating and enticing in equal measure. Jean has gathered a lifetime of thought and reflection and draws on sources that are eclectic yet pertinent and lead to practical insights that anybody can appreciate. Knowing Jean, I see her behind every word and her authenticity is emboldening. A must for academics, practitioners and leaders looking for fresh perspectives and humane answers to the critical challenges of today's world." --Jonathan Davies, Head of International School, Mumbai, India

"Dialogues between so-called natural scientists, social scientists and practitioners matter more than ever. But they often start badly. Sharing our struggles with complexity can help, and those willing to reflect on their most basic assumptions will gain much from Jean Boulton's account of how great thinking about complexity converges." --James Copestake, Professor of International Development, University of Bath

"The very accessible tone in which Jean writes feels like a personal conversation, making challenging topics like process complexity, Daoism, and quantum physics remarkably easy to connect with. Jean invites us into a great conversation, providing profound insights and practical strategies, of benefit to anyone seeking to understand and address the complexities of our ever-changing world." --Rika Preiser, UNESCO Chair in Complexity and Transformative African Futures, Stellenbosch University

"Success in the social world lies not in meticulous planning and control, but in the quality of our engagement with the present moment, as life emerges one step at a time. Jean Boulton shows how the roots of process complexity lie in ancient philosophy as well as in modern science and explores its application to all facets of life, from developing ourselves as individuals to leading organisations and large-scale social change." --Andrey Pavlov, Professor of Strategy and Performance, Cranfield University

Jean Boulton, PhD, MBA, FInstP, is a visiting academic at the universities of Cranfield and Bath. She is a former research fellow with Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study. She has held executive management positions in large corporates and has consulted to global organisations in the private and not-for-profit sectors. She studied physics at the universities of Oxford and then Cambridge before eventually turning to the social sciences. Jean has an international reputation for scholarship in the development of complexity theory and consults, writes, researches and lectures about its application to strategy, change, sustainability and leadership. She is keenly interested in global change and global governance and also engages in local politics and place-based initiatives. She teaches worldwide in a wide range of institutions offering postgraduate study. She is the lead author of Embracing Complexity (Oxford University Press) and author of several book chapters on complexity and strategy.

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