What is a Good Life?

In this episode of What is a Good Life?, Mark McCartney sits down with Dave Snowden - Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of The Cynefin Co., creator of the Cynefin Framework, and one of the most original thinkers working at the intersection of complexity science, organisational design, and human decision-making.

The conversation moves through substrate theory, complexity science, psychological safety, the dangers of homogenisation, coherent heterogeneity, Celtic identity, indigenous rights, conflict resolution in Northern Ireland, and what a good life really comes down to.

It is a beautiful mixture of thought provoking ideas and powerful lived experiences.

For more from Dave Snowden:
Website: https://thecynefin.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-snowden-2a93b/

For more from Mark McCartney:
Newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
Website: https://www.mmcleadership.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ ⁨@whatisagoodlife3875⁩  

00:00  Substrate and What Emerges
02:37  Fed Up With Management Fads
05:54  When Ideas Come Together
07:25  Celtic Presence and Attention
10:20  The Reformation's Long Shadow
13:28  The Problem With Safety
16:38  Phase Shifts and Flipping
21:17  Changing the Granularity
24:48  Witnessing Violence
29:12  Identity as Flow
37:43  Metaphor as Intelligence
51:57  What Is a Good Life?


What is What is a Good Life??

What is a Good Life? is a podcast about the questions that shape our lives: how we live, who we become, and what truly matters. For the past five years, I've asked more than 300 people one deceptively simple question: What is a good life?
There isn't a single answer. Instead, each conversation offers a different way of seeing the world—through stories, ideas, struggles, joys, and moments of hard-earned wisdom. Together, they form a richer picture of what it means to be human.
Whether you're searching for clarity, purpose, or simply a thoughtful conversation, this podcast is an invitation to reflect on your own answer.
New episodes every Tuesday.