Most people continue to deal with issues as single, isolated events. Systems Thinking allows us to see the world as an interrelated whole.

This discipline also allows us to understand and articulate why people and organisations behave in the way they do. It allows us to see the "big picture" and all the variables interacting within that picture.

A systems view ensures that the interrelationships of all the forces impacting on the problem are taken into consideration. This provides a vehicle for describing complex, dynamic systems that did not exist before with our linear focused language.

As Holden's sales grow, their prices go up and their profits increase (Feedback Loop R1). If Ford wasn't in competition with Holden, their sales would rise, prices and profits would increase as well (Feedback Loop R2). However, because they compete, any rise in Holden's sales reduces Ford's sales. As a result Ford reduces prices to stimulate sales, resulting in a lower profit. With Ford sales increasing, Holden sales reduce, etc,etc (Feedback Loop B). Through competition the two Positive Feedback Loops (R1 & R2) are held in control by the creation of a Negative Feedback Loop (B) that joins them. It would be dangerous if one Positive Loop was able to completely "Win" to the detriment of the other. Competition would collapse.

In nature this would mean that a preditor completely killed out its prey, and would eventually die itself. This method of controlling multiple Positive Feedback Loops through competition can be see throughout nature.

The principles of Systems Thinking provide us with a deeper understanding of the interactions of the variables making up a complex system. They can be applied to any complex problem since the multiple feedback loops that make up the systemic structures within natural and human-created systems are similar.