Success is designed
When structure works against intent, effort increases and results don’t
When Failure Becomes Rational
Decision Authority, Incentives, and Organisational Behaviour
Most organisations do not fail because people are incompetent, unethical, or unmotivated.
This short book provides a diagnostic lens for understanding why failure persists even when capable people act in good faith.
It explains:
why replacing people rarely fixes recurring problems,
how decision authority — not titles — determines outcomes,
how incentives silently program behaviour,
why organisations stop learning when authority becomes indeterminate,
and why design always has an owner, whether acknowledged or not.
This is not a playbook.
It does not provide steps, frameworks, or prescriptions.
It does not promise improvement.
It sharpens judgment.
If you finish this document understanding why outcomes persist but remain uncertain how to redesign, the book has done its job.
