Today’s world is ever more complex, and the increase in complexity continues to accelerate. We have a growing appreciation of the interactions, interdependencies, and complexity in the world around us: the living organisms, ecosystems, the environment, and society. In the man‐made world, we see unprecedented opportunities fueled by digitalization, the ever‐increasing rate of technology infusion, and the opportunity to connect existing systems in new and novel ways. We demand capabilities that are faster, smarter, more efficient, and more convenient, and technology allows us to deliver – end‐to‐end connected transportation enabled by autonomous vehicles; new efficiencies in energy generation, storage, and distribution unlocked by new sensor technologies and insights from big data; and innovations in personal healthcare through wearables and other technologies. But the price – and the reality – is complexity.

Complex is different than complicated. Whether they be problems we face or solutions we deliver, complicated things can be broken down neatly into separable parts with simple connections and few interdependencies. A building, a bridge, or a classic jet engine may have tens of thousands of parts, but those parts come together in simple ways and deliver predictable, linear results. Complexity is defined by linkages, interdependencies, interactions, and nonlinear effects. As we tackle highly interconnected problems leveraging diverse, connected technologies, we can no longer break problems or solutions down into clean, separable parts. Interactions ultimately drive the characterization of the problem and the performance of the solution. We may not be able to control complexity, but we must accept and embrace it.

In this age of complexity, the reductionist approaches of the Industrial Age are no longer enough. These approaches have enabled us to create advanced technologies and gain deep understanding in highly specialized disciplines. As we address complexity, it is not a matter of rejecting reductionist approaches and all that has enabled us to successfully address complicated problems. Instead, we must complement those reductionist approaches in order to better appreciate, understand, and address the interconnections and interactions defining modern problems and solutions. Doing so requires the systems perspective to see the big picture, systems thinking to understand the interactions, and systems engineering to act upon the resulting insights and deliver the right solution.

But applying systems approaches – most specifically systems engineering – is not without challenge. Systems engineering as a practice and a profession is less than 100 years old, quite young compared with formal engineering disciplines. It emerged in parallel – and largely independently – in multiple industries as we grappled with complex interactions in rockets, spacecraft, and communication networks. Today we realize that systems engineering is practiced in many different ways under many different names, all driven by the need to address complexity but often leveraging different techniques. And systems engineering is most definitely a practice rather than a discipline – a blend more art than science with processes, methods, and tools applied by a knowledgeable few but often lacking in fundamental principle and theory.

If we are to progress in a world of complexity, this simply isn’t enough. If we are to integrate technologies to deliver the capabilities we demand, we must leverage the emergence borne of relationships and interactions. If we are to avoid unintended consequences – overheating batteries and cellphone fires, software upgrades grounding airlines, or unanticipated cascading effects taking the electric grid offline – we must move from art and practice to science and discipline. To make this leap requires a defined body of knowledge, a solid foundation of theory, and a workforce educated in fundamentals and principles.

While we must advance on all three fronts, the systems‐educated workforce is perhaps our most pressing demand. Irrespective of industry or location, every organization grappling with complexity and systems today expresses a common need. Whether they call their practice product realization, capability delivery, systems engineering, or something else, they need more qualified systems engineers working alongside engineers and subject matter experts to better understand the problems they address and better deliver the corresponding solutions.

This growing demand to develop more systems engineers was the genesis of the Helix research conducted for the US Department of Defense by Art Pyster, Nicole Hutchison, and Deva Henry. Their disciplined research has revealed key insights into the characteristics that define systems engineers, the skills they exhibit, and the career journeys they take. If we are to better develop the next generation of systems engineers and address our key workforce challenges, the Helix research establishes a solid foundation upon which to build. It alone will not transform systems engineering from art and practice to discipline, but it closes a key gap and better positions us to address the challenges we face today.

Since the first Helix results were published, I have consistently referenced the paradoxical mindset and the key findings. With seasoned systems engineers, I discuss the uncommon mind they exhibit so that they can better interact with others and help develop these skills in new practitioners. With others, I highlight what differentiates systems engineers noting that they are neither better nor worse, simply different in the way they see and think. Leveraging those differences and bringing systems thinking together with reductionist thinking is essential to solving complex problems. With managers and executives, I highlight the skills they must look for, the environment they must establish, and paths to increase individual competency and collective organizational proficiency.

Reflecting back on my somewhat accidental path to who I am today, as the son of a great systems engineer, I learned to see the world through the lens of interrelationships and systems. Had I been fortunate enough to have the insights of Helix early in my career, I would have engineered my journey, deliberately pursuing specific projects and creating opportunities – corporate and volunteer – to accelerate my growth as a systems engineer. With this information today, I am now equipped to deliberately craft the journey for team members as we work together to advance our systems engineering proficiency.

Where the insights of Helix have been leveraged, the impact is clear. Comprehensively laid out for the broader audience for the first time in this book, these insights help identify and develop essential systems engineering capabilities. Leveraged by individuals – whether young professionals or experienced practitioners – this information helps identify individual strengths and gaps as well as appropriate paths for those who choose to make systems engineering their career. Leveraged by organizations, this book establishes the foundation for identifying, nurturing, and developing the necessary systems skills – both in dedicated systems engineers and in a systems‐aware workforce – to increase the collective organizational proficiency. If embraced by enough individuals and organizations, perhaps we can address the grand challenges of clean energy, clean water, food, resource allocation, healthcare, effective transport, and more.

Whether we choose to characterize this as the age of complexity or the systems age, the simple truth is clear. Our world is defined by interactions and interdependencies. The interactions have always been there. What has changed is our ability to understand and leverage them. Our challenges have moved from the complicated to the complex. We have greater technical, economic, and social considerations as we address both bounded problems with defined requirements and fuzzy problems characterized by market behaviors and stakeholder concerns. All are complex problems requiring a systems perspective to understand and a systems approach to address efficiently, effectively, and free from unintended consequences. If we are to do so, we must increase our collective systems awareness and better the positive and negative potential of interdependencies, interactions, and emergence. To do that, it is time to understand, unlock, and leverage the paradoxical mindset.