Living OD
Commemorating Sequoia’s 25th Anniversary:
Launch of "Worthy of Commitment"
A Transformative Force for Human Systems Flourishing
Worthy of Commitment
Worthy of Commitment introduces the concept of Living Organisation Development as a practical pathway for creating workplaces grounded in the wisdom of living systems found in nature — places that are productive and also deeply human and regenerative. Drawing upon the authors’ extensive experience as Leadership and Organisation Development (L&OD) practitioners across the people, public, and private sectors, this book illuminates the principles of Living OD in action to unlock flourishing organisations. It seeks to answer a fundamental question: What does an organisation truly worthy of people’s commitment look like, and how can we create one?
By nurturing higher levels of Awareness, Aspirations, Alignment, Accountability, and Authenticity in leaders and across organisations, Worthy of People’s Commitment serves as your invitation to become an active agent in creating flourishing organisations, nations, and communities. Within these pages, you will discover inspiring ideas and actionable insights on how to apply these principles to enable positive change at any scale.
Note: Pre-orders will be delivered after 24 March 2026 launch
Praises for Worthy of Commitment
"The purpose of this book is clear and compelling: to help us create organizations that are truly worthy of people’s commitment – and to be, for the field and the world, a beacon of Living OD, whose superordinate ideal is a world of full-spectrum flourishing: that is, a world where all economies and organizations can excel, where all people can thrive, and nature can flourish, not just now but also across the generations."
- David L. Cooperrider, PhD
University Distinguished Professor, Case Western Reserve University Faculty
Faculty Founder, Center for Business as an Agent of World Benefit
"This book is not merely a repository of knowledge; it is a testament to the transformative
journey of Sequoia Group and its team over 25 years of working with more than 200 client organisations across the public, private, and people sectors. I admire and commend their dedication to creating systems that are not only effective but also deeply human – life-giving systems that inspire commitment and foster flourishing."
-Lim Siong Guan
Founder & Advisor, Honour Singapore
Award Winning Author of “The Leader, The Teacher & You”
"In a time of accelerating environmental and social collapse, the capacity to regenerate and breathe new life into our societal systems has become the most essential leadership capability of our age. This book outlines the principles and practices for transforming systems toward human and planetary flourishing. A timely and inspiring contribution. Highly recommended."
- Otto Scharmer
Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management; Chair, Presencing Institute
“As the pace of change and level of turbulence has continued to accelerate, we have been in need of a new kind of OD for some time now. With their powerful reframing of Living OD, this book presents us with a coherent, comprehensive and inspiring approach to organisation development that is itself worthy of commitment. This book is a must read for every leader, consultant, and facilitator who aspires to create organizations that can truly flourish.”
— Daniel H. Kim, Ph.D.
Founding Trustee of Society of Organisational Learning, North America
“This book is so timely for organisations facing possibly their greatest challenges. The ideas and practical suggestions it offers are inspiring, innovative, and exactly what is needed in such a disruptive world. The strength and value of its content, comes from the wisdom and experience, combined with the relentless optimism and deep authenticity of its authors. It deserves to become a classic, and maybe it will.”
— Professor Beverly Alimo-Metcalfe
Emeritus Professor of Leadership Studies, Founding Director, Real World Group
“In my work across the globe, I’ve seen the yearning for workplaces that cultivate flourishing rather than depletion. Worthy of Commitment meets that need with wisdom and practicality, offering frameworks that spark imagination while grounding action. A vital read for leaders ready to build organizations worthy of the people within them.”
— Lindsey Godwin, Ph.D.
Robert P. Stiller Endowed Chair of Management & Academic Director, Cooperrider Center for Appreciative Inquiry, Champlain College
“I had the distinct privilege of working with Jacqueline and her team to help companies become more purpose-driven and a force for good in society. Worthy of Commitment distills the essence of Sequoia Group’s transformative work in building purpose-driven and impactful organisations. I commend this book to leaders and changemakers who seek to transform their organisations to be flourishing and life-giving communities that contribute to building a better world.”
— Tony Soh
Chief Executive Officer, National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, Singapore
“An organisation that inspires with its vision, energises with its core values, moves purposefully with its strategies and delivers results consistently, is a blessing for those who have experienced it. This book, with its wealth of insights and examples, shows the path for building such organisations.”
- Teo Eng Cheong
CEO, Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co Ltd
“Growing its people and enriching the legacies of their contributions is the most important investment for any organisation in fulfilling its mission and achieving success. Being a Living and Learning organisation sets the foundation for this. Worthy of Commitment will be an invaluable asset and guide in the journey.”
— Prof Philip Choo
Senior Advisor, National Health Care Group
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What makes Sequoia unique is our Living OD approach. Living OD adopts a fundamental lens that what we are developing is a living, adaptive organisation that is capable of growth, evolution and also faces the threats of decline.
We apply the principles of Living Systems to
Organisation Development (OD)
© Sequoia‘s Living OD Approach
We draw wisdom from Living Systems to build a culture where members of your organisation flourish in their roles. Below are some insights we have distilled.
Insight
1. A living system endures when it is well-connected.
(Principle of Interdependence)
2. A flourishing living system leaves behind a lasting positive impact.
(Principle of Re-generativity)
3. A living system pays attention only to that which is meaningful to it, here and now.
(Principles of Self-organisation and Emergence)
4. Nature seeks diversity. It is not a question of survival of the fittest – to survive, we need to fit together.
(Principle of Interdependence)
5. Nature seeks workable solutions, not perfection.
(Principle of Adaptive Resilience)
Implication
Nurture our connection with self, others and the larger communities we are a part of. We flourish together or not at all.
The mark of leadership is not how long leaders reigned but how long the system they built stand the test of time.
To grow commitment, pay attention and speak to what is purposeful to stakeholders.
Seek diversity because it increases our chance of survival and flourishing.
The answers do not exist ‘out there’. Let go of perfection and experiment.
At the end, your organisation can be one worthy of commitment and achieve the triple outcomes of:
Interested to know how this can be applied to your organisation?