Writing
Making sense of people, culture and change in systems
My writing explores how individuals, organizations, and communities navigate complexity, especially in moments of transition, uncertainty, and transformation.
Across essays, reflections, and longer-form pieces, I focus on the human dimensions of change: meaning, identity, culture, and the often-invisible forces shaping how we work and live together.
Some of this writing is reflective. Some of it is analytical. All of it is rooted in lived experience, systems thinking, and a deep interest in how people make sense of the world around them.
Featured themes
Rather than offering quick takes or tactical advice, my writing tends to circle a few enduring questions:
Culture as a driver of change: How shared meaning, norms, and identity shape what’s possible in organizations and communities.
Mental models and hidden assumptions: The often-unexamined beliefs that quietly limit leadership, innovation, and impact.
The human side of systems: Why systems don’t change without attention to people, relationships, and power.
Meaningful work and vocation: Reflections on purpose, identity, and what it means to do work that actually matters
The Human Equation (Newsletter)
The Human Equation is where my current thinking lives.
This Substack newsletter is a space for ongoing reflection on leadership, culture, systems, and the lived experience of change. Essays are conversational but rigorous, and designed to help readers pause, reflect, and see familiar challenges in new ways.
Selected essays and articles
Over the years, I’ve written essays and articles that have appeared outside this site, particularly on topics related to nonprofit leadership, organizational change, and social impact.
These pieces tend to explore:
Why change efforts stall, even when intentions are good
How culture quietly undermines strategy
What leaders miss when they focus only on structure and outcomes
The archive (reflections over time)
I’ve been writing online for more than two decades. That archive includes personal reflections, early thinking, and essays written at different stages of my professional life.
While not everything reflects my current perspective, many pieces still surface questions and tensions that remain relevant today.
Where to go next
If you’re here because you’re trying to make sense of change, in your organization, your work, or yourself, you might also explore:
Speaking & conversations: How these ideas show up on stage and in facilitated dialogue
Research & scholarship: Academic and applied work on culture, systems, and social change
Connect: Ways to continue the conversation
Meaningful, sustained change begins not with answers, but with better questions. Writing is how I try to find them.
Non-academic published articles
I also have published a few articles in trade publications, journals, and other places online. Those are listed is below.
If you’re looking for my academic or scholarly publishing, those are located here: Scholarship
| Article Title | Publication | Publisher | Author(s) | Date | Type | Topic(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COVID-19: The accelerator of nonprofit transformational change | ODC Factor | Medium.com | Harkins, D. L. | 2021, June 26 | Online | Nonprofit, Leadership |
| Nonprofit leadership: Mental models that will limit post-pandemic social impact | ODC Factor | Medium.com | Harkins, D. L. | 2021, May 17 | Online | Nonprofit, Leadership |
| Beyond short-term royalty potential | Bottomline Newsletter | Licensing International (Formerly LIMA) | Harkins, D. L. | 2014, April | Industry Association Publication | Intellectual Property Licensing |
| How to find and qualify new licensees | Bottomline Newsletter | Licensing International (Formerly LIMA) | Harkins, D. L. | 2012, December | Industry Association Publication | Intellectual Property Licensing |
| Managing BSA Marks for Future Generations | ProSpeak | Boy Scouts of America (National) | Harkins, D. L. & Mathews, R. J. | 2007, April | Corporate Publication | Intellectual Property Licensing |
| Successful Programs Begin with a Plan | ProSpeak | Boy Scouts of America (National) | Harkins, D. L. | 2006, January | Corporate Publication | Nonprofit, Planning |
| Recruiting for a Strong Committee | ProSpeak | Boy Scouts of America (National) | Harkins, D. L. | 2005, August | Corporate Publication | Nonprofit, Committee Development |
| Customers are channel neutral: The truth about multi-channel marketing | The Jackson Group | Harkins, D. L. | 2003, July | Corporate Whitepaper | Marketing, CRM | |
| Building for CRM Success | Direct Magazine (Now Chief Marketer) | Harkins, D. L. | 2000, March | Trade Publication | CRM |