Somewhere over the course of the last ten years, I found myself interested in systems and the way things work (or don’t work).  I think part of this is rooted in my last two years in college, when an organization that I was a part of got a major facelift (and some might say heart transplant).  Every now and then I’ll pick up some kind of book made for systems-people, usually a marketing book (a la Seth Godin) or a communications books.  A co-worker recently mentioned Patrick Lencioni to me, particularly his book on team dysfunctions.  I recently bought (and quickly devoured) one of his more recent books: The Advantage.  The premise of the book is that organizational health is more vital to success that organizational smartness.  Check it out:

Even a cursory look at Jesus’ teachings in the four gospels reveals a sense of the significance of health: plants growing, producing fruit, giving shade.  Vines, branches.  Paul jumps in later and talks about a body put together and working well.  I like the idea of health being just as vital as (and more foundational than) smarts.  Smart, it seems, can be easy.  Health? That’s a lot of good work.