A Little Book

C. S. Lewis said we don’t need “more little books about Christianity, but more little books with their Christianity latent.” Here’s a little book that you can help us refine.

If there’s one thing the pandemic has laid bare, it’s how few organizations have the infrastructure to adapt to a world that’s rapidly changing.[1] For years I’ve studied research on what this infrastructure looks like. At times I’ve felt like I’m tumbling down the rabbit hole.

At the top of the hole, it looks like ambidextrous organizations. Further down, neuroimaging on how the left and right hemispheres interact (or don’t) in ambidextrous organizations. Further still, how cautionary tales like King Arthur’s Round Table align with ambidextrous organizations.

At the bottom of the rabbit hole, it’s discovering how spherical images (ambidextrous organizations, King Arthur’s Round Table, neuroscience) align with the ancient image for God and the gospel. We live in a universe of circles and spheres depicting the triune God.

For years, I’ve run proof of concept trials to discover how these findings might best be presented. Lots of trials, many errors, a few successes, many failures. In 2010, we published a book on this subject. We sold a few copies but the book was not ready for Prime Time.

This past year, we rewrote the book, jettisoning much, reducing the content, centering it around hand-drawn images, and began field testing it. It’s a little book with Christianity latent.

Latent means hidden, or concealed. These are the kinds of books C. S. Lewis urged us to write. In God In the Dock, he wrote, “I believe that any Christian who is qualified to write a good popular book on any science may do much more by that than by any direct apologetic work.”

Lewis recognized we live in a post-Christian world. People are unlikely to be swayed by apologetics books. For post-Christians, they’re been there done that. “What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects—with their Christianity latent.” Lewis’ hope was that whenever a reader “wanted a cheap popular introduction to some science, the best work on the market was always by a Christian.”

That’s what we aim to do. Our little book is titled “Widen The Lens.” Its sub-title: “The 60 percent that most businesses overlook… but sustains innovation.” Our book pulls from Clapham’s foundational thinking but is written for business owners and professionals. They discover the most effective organizational infrastructure for adapting to a world that’s rapidly changing.

You can help us refine this book. Churchill said never waste a good crisis. We’re in a crisis, stuck at home. Let’s not waste it. We’re launching a worldwide pilot group. Starts right after Memorial Day. It’ll run one month. We send you the book (PDF format). You read it. You give us feedback—either in our weekly zoom call or by email. Tell us the unvarnished truth.

“Widen The Lens” is based on Lewis’ belief that we have to find ways to “steal past those watchful dragons” that are always on alert for religion.[2] We’ve seen “Widen The Lens” get past these dragons. It’s been effective for start-ups and innovative organizations.

But it can be improved. One month. Pilot group. Email us this week if you’re in.

[1] Charles I. Stubbart and Michael B. Knight, “The Case of the Disappearing Firms: Empirical Evidence and Implications,” Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27/1 (February 2006): 79-100.

[2] C. S. Lewis, Of Other Worlds: Essays and Stories (Abebooks, 1966), 37.