Home - Changing Fast and Slow

CHANGE IS NEVER LINEAR.

IT COMES IN WAVES.

“From Discrete Markets to Dynamic Ecosystems. From Scarcity to Abundance. We’ve entered a new business paradigm. Changing Fast & Slow isn’t just a book — it’s an invitation to rethink how organizations create value, collaborate, and lead in a world disrupted by technology and political turmoil Join the movement toward regenerative, adaptive growth.

“It’s exceedingly rare to find a book that combines systems thinking, human centricity, and deep practical experience into a blueprint for organizational growth and renewal—but that’s what Jeroen Tas and Rob Theunissen have accomplished.”

“Transforming businesses successfully requires the leadership to act as a finely tuned piano, using all keys, sometimes playing fast and at other times slow, with an incredible sense of the different nuances required, this book helps leaders move beyond intuition to structured, theoretically founded, strong models of how so-to-speak tune that piano, such that success will follow. It requires luck, but fortune favors the well-prepared.”

“The advancements in technology and business models are forcing every business leader to holistically rethink the business, mindset, and architecture of their companies. Besides presenting a compelling narrative on the urgent need for change, this book serves as a practical and comprehensive guide, replete with excellent examples on how to re-engineer your business in the new paradigm for a successful transformation. A must-read for every leader of business.”

“The number of books regarding management and companies’ successes is many. This book, however, tries with the successful entrepreneurial experience of the author together with interviews from business leaders, to capture how the complex organism, ie, a company, really works.”

“Jeroen Tas writes with the rare clarity of someone who’s been at the helm during real, messy change. This book resists the seduction of easy frameworks, offering instead a kind of cartography for those navigating the asymmetries of real-world transformation. It moves fluently between insight and expansively rich experience, asking not just how we change, but when, and at what cost. An incisive companion for times when certainty is certainly no longer on offer.”

“Combining thoughtful conceptual frameworks and deep empirical knowledge from decades of innovative work, Jeroen was able to pragmatically synthesize what every executive dealing with a business transformation should know. This book gives both the direction of a desired transformation and useful tools on how to implement it in phases in order to derisk the process. We have worked together in my company, and I have seen firsthand how the content of this book makes all the difference. I highly recommend it to all business leaders.“

"I was thrilled to get an early copy of ‘Changing Fast & Slow’ last spring, and it is definitely a page-turner for every CEO who is looking to navigate through three phases: an awareness of the new paradigm, curiosity about the possibilities, and finally, an imaginative perspective on what an organization could evolve into. Decades of Jeroen’s entrepreneurial and innovation expertise combined with Rob’s consultative approach makes this a practical guide to becoming an ‘ecosystem system leader’. The deep-rooted lesson from Mphasis —“Reality rarely unfolds as we expect. To succeed, you must understand the true challenges of systemic change. This still holds true for me today. My best always to Jeroen and Rob.”

“Changing Fast and Slow” reveals the paradoxical challenge for leaders: holding on to the stability of the organizational core while constantly (needing to) experiment and (having to) adapt their deepest beliefs to remain relevant. Jeroen Tas and Rob Theunissen present a new paradigm for business success. They argue that companies must shift “from scarcity to abundance, from value chains to value networks, and from linear plans to transformational waves” in order to thrive in today’s era of disruption, driven by technologies such as AI.”

“Jeroen Tas's Changing Fast & Slow brilliantly reframes business transformation for the digital age. His concept of aligning pace layers—where 'fast learns, slow remembers'—offers a powerful framework for navigating change. By shifting from scarcity to abundance thinking and embracing ecosystems over linear value chains, Tas provides a roadmap for organizations to ride the waves of transformation with succes. This book is the essential blueprint for building a company that is not just resilient, but perpetually regenerative.”

“I don’t like management books but if you are like me read it; if you are unlike me read it twice!"

“As we navigate a complex and uncertain world, Jeroen leverages his vast experience to provide a path forward with clarity and purpose.”

"The exponential pace of technology innovation, along with turbulent economic forces, is creating unprecedented disruption and opportunity for industries and companies. "Changing Fast & Slow" offers valuable insights to inform leaders about this rapidly evolving landscape, as well as a playbook to help them chart their course."

“Your current leadership playbook is obsolete. Jeroen Tas' book is the necessary—yet pragmatic—rewire for the new world of work.”

“Fast & Slow is an essential read for every business leader who is serious about staying relevant. Distinguishing the three pace layers of an organization is crucial to understanding the impact of the most significant technology revolution in history. The book does not describe fiction but today’s reality.”

“Fun and inspiring on first reading, educational on second, and a reference work ever after”

“Jeroen’s fascination with complex systems translates into a comprehensive analysis of why and how certain businesses succeed in the fast-changing environment of today’s world, whilst others fail. He offers both conceptual models and experiences, as well as concrete steps on how to ensure you are in that first group. A great read, well recommended.”

“This is a remarkably insightful book and a must-read for every professional. I recognize the dilemmas and the solutions that are being described. References like Otto Scharmer from the Presencing Institute, LEGO’s journey over the years, and the developments within the Verder Group bring the story to life.”

“Success stories too often center on “heroic” CEOs. Jeroen Tas debunks this myth for the digital era. He posits the notion that collaborative ecosystem approaches will carry the day now and into the future.”

“Jeroen Tas is a truly inspirational and innovative leader. The last decade we discussed many times how to improve the healthcare system. Perhaps the must important first step is reading his new book: “Changing fast & slow”, how organizations can move beyond traditional business models and create value-driven ecosystems enabled by technology. Jeroen defines a clear triade for successful change: The importance of setting clear goals, defining right incentives, and most important to animate the organization with a purpose and a results-oriented mindset. I highly recommend his new book as a mustread for healthcare professionals and executives abroad.”

“Enterprises that thrive in complexity are those that can set the pace and master the pause. They move forward when exploration reveals new possibilities, and slow down to absorb what is unfolding around them. Changing - Fast & Slow shows how this can be done. In this book, Jeroen Tas provides leaders with insights to turn restless change into purposeful momentum and rejig organizational rhythms in pursuit of continued relevance.”

“Anyone who truly wants to innovate must move beyond transactional thinking. In his book Changing Fast & Slow, Jeroen Tas convincingly shows how platform models, collaboration, and smart use of data lead to sustainable value creation. His vision on ecosystems—supported by practical examples where companies, consumers, and technology partners create impact together—is both inspiring and immediately applicable.”

"Jeroen Tas has laid out a roadmap for exponential growth for companies, detailing the approach needed in terms of mindset, business model & interaction with the ecosystem. He has managed to dig deep into his vast business and technology experience to come up with simple frameworks that could serve as a playbook for companies seeking disruptive innovations."

“This is not just another business book. It’s an authentic, empathetic, and bold framework to navigate seismic paradigm shifts in leadership and strategy. You’ve captured the ‘hard and soft stuff’ of transformation with surgical precision—never preachy, always actionable.”

"An essential companion for today’s change-makers. This book combines intellectual depth with practical application, providing frameworks grounded in abundance, ecosystems, and platform thinking. It should evolve beyond pages—into a playbook, a community, and a movement for transformation.”

“Changing Fast and Slow compellingly argues that technological innovation must be accompanied by innovation in management and leadership. Tas challenges conventional assumptions, introducing original concepts such as “abundance” as a guiding principle for decision-making, and emphasizes the need to adapt the pace of change across different organizational layers. The notion of the ‘existential layer’ is particularly insightful. Drawing on case studies, nature, Eastern philosophy, and personal experience, this book offers valuable guidance for leaders navigating complex transformations.”

"Jeroen combines visionary insights with practical experience in this essential compass for organizational transformation. A must-read for any future-oriented leader in turbulent times!"

"Jeroen has written a compelling book that resonates strongly in these turbulent times. As transformation sweeps across every corner of our world—including the business landscape—he draws on his extensive experience to show how to reach “where the value migrates: a platform business model in an ecosystem where you play the orchestrator’s role.” I read it in one go. Highly recommended!”

“In today’s fast-paced and fast-evolving business world, finding the right path is key to thriving. This book shows how platform models can be applied across industries, helping organizations unlock their full potential and stay ahead."

“A great book that should be on the table for every innovator and probably every innovation master. Jeroen has been around, front and center. Able to address complex systemic problems at their core, he leverages his broad experience to explain what’s needed, including oversight, executable steps, and a clear, visible passion, resulting in a great book that should be on every innovator's and innovation master's table.”

“Really inspiring thinking from someone who has actually been in the trenches and built these businesses - hugely relevant for what must be done in healthcare. We are taking our cues from Jeroen in designing our platform-based ecosystems for a future of abundance in healthcare”

“Changing Fast & Slow was a real eye-opener. It helped me see how deeply the logic of pace layers runs—not just through our fourth-generation family business, but through my thinking as a former CEO and shareholder. It clarified why some of our transformation efforts struggled to gain traction, even when they made perfect sense, while others took off. Shifting from pipeline thinking to a platform mindset isn’t just hard—it’s a wave you have to catch with your whole ecosystem. I wish I had read this book sooner. It’s a must-read for our teams, our board, and even our customers and partners.”

“A fantastic book. I’m deeply impressed. I wish I had read this 15 years earlier—it would have helped me immensely with the roadblocks I encountered in my career. The existential layer and your approach to mobilizing it really resonated with me. It would have been incredibly helpful in overcoming organizational obstacles.”

Time has published the article “How to Transform Your Business With Ecosystem Thinking,” which draws on insights from our book Changing Fast & Slow. It highlights how ecosystem thinking can help organizations achieve lasting transformation.

>> Read the full article

The Book

The Roadmap

We are living through a new era of disruption. Technological breakthroughs, particularly in artificial intelligence, are converging with geopolitical and economic volatility to reshape the foundations of business and society. This is not just acceleration but reinvention—of how value is defined, created, and captured.

Traditional organizations, built for predictability and control, are giving way to a different model: the platform. Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Lego succeed by placing themselves at the center of dynamic ecosystems, enabling millions of participants to create value together. These organizations behave less like machines and more like adaptive, living systems.

This transformation represents a paradigm shift. The industrial logic of efficiency and scarcity is being replaced by abundance, orchestration, and networks of value creation. To thrive, leaders must move beyond rigid planning and embrace faster learning cycles, experimentation, and resilience.

In this book, we explore how organizations can balance the fast edge—where innovation happens—with the slow core, which holds purpose, identity, and enduring relationships. The roadmap outlines how to understand complex systems, design for ecosystems, and ride the waves of transformation.

Ultimately, it challenges leaders to see their role differently: not as controllers of scarce resources, but as orchestrators of platforms that generate sustainable value.

Complex Systems and Pace Layers

We often think of organizations as predictable and manageable machines. But in today’s world, they behave more like living systems—interconnected, fast-moving, and unpredictable. Small shifts can have enormous impact, and stability can disappear overnight. In such an environment, leadership is less about control and more about navigating complexity.

This chapter introduces a powerful way to make sense of that complexity: pace layers. Every organization operates on different time horizons—day-to-day operations, long-term strategy, and the deep cultural truths that shape identity. Real transformation only happens when these layers align.

Understanding pace layers reveals why change is so hard—and why most initiatives stall before they take root. But it also offers a path forward: discovering the leverage points that make disproportionate impact, and learning to orchestrate change as an ongoing rhythm rather than a one-time project.

In the book, we show how leaders can unlock this hidden structure of organizations, and why mastering it is essential to thrive in an era of constant disruption.

The Five Shifts toward the Ecosystem Paradigm

A new paradigm is reshaping business. As platform-based ecosystems expand and converging technologies accelerate disruption, organizations are no longer defined by rigid pipelines but by adaptive, living infrastructures. Platforms are not just digital tools; they are systems that learn, evolve, and scale—fast at the edge, steady at the core.

This ecosystem paradigm is built on five major shifts. Together, they redefine how companies create value, organize themselves, and lead. They demand not only new strategies and structures but also a profound change in mindset — challenging the deepest assumptions about competition, control, and growth.

Global events may slow or accelerate these shifts, but the direction is clear. Understanding them is essential for any leader seeking to navigate the turbulence of our time. They reveal why the old rules of efficiency and hierarchy no longer suffice, and what it takes to thrive in networks of abundance and continuous adaptation.

The book explores these five shifts in depth:

Mindset: From scarcity to abundance
Ecosystem: From value chain to value network
Business Model: From pipeline to platform
Operating Model: From control to orchestration
Transformation: From projects to waves

Mindset: From Scarcity to Abundance

We live in a time of unprecedented abundance. Energy is becoming cheaper and cleaner, connectivity is spreading across the globe, agriculture is more productive than ever, and artificial intelligence is opening doors to entirely new ways of creating value. Yet most organizations still operate as if resources are scarce, competing for every inch of market share in a zero-sum battle.

This scarcity mindset limits creativity, stifles experimentation, and frames disruption as a threat. In reality, disruption can be a catalyst for growth. The companies that thrive today—Amazon, Google, Apple—are those that recognized abundance not as an illusion but as an opportunity to reimagine business models and industries.

An abundance mindset invites leaders to see human needs as limitless and the opportunities to meet them as endless. It shifts focus from defending a fixed pie to growing and reshaping it through collaboration, innovation, and shared resources. When leaders embrace abundance, they change not only their strategies and operations, but also the very core of their organizations.

This chapter explores what it means to lead with abundance, why scarcity often persists despite plenty, and how the future belongs to those who unlock and orchestrate abundance within platforms and ecosystems.

Ecosystems: From Value Chains to Value Networks

For decades, business was organized as a chain: a linear flow of materials and information, with each player controlling its piece of the process. Power rested with those who owned critical assets—technology, suppliers, or distribution—and success was measured by control and efficiency. But in today’s world of platforms and ecosystems, this model is no longer enough.

Ecosystems operate as value networks: dynamic webs of partners, competitors, and customers who shift roles, co-create, and adapt as new opportunities emerge. In these networks, collaboration matters as much as competition. Influence lies not in control, but in becoming a hub that orchestrates flows of goods, services, data, and experiences across boundaries.

This transformation unleashes new forces such as network effects and the “value vortex”—self-reinforcing cycles where participation fuels growth, innovation, and deeper engagement. The companies that master this shift—like Amazon with its seamless integration of commerce, streaming, and logistics—create exponential value not by optimizing chains, but by designing networks.

This chapter explores how to see your organization as part of an ecosystem, why mapping connections and flows reveals hidden opportunities, and how leaders can begin shifting from transactional control to co-creative orchestration. It closes with practical steps to move from value chains to value networks.

Business model: From Pipelines to Platforms

For over a century, businesses were designed as pipelines: linear processes that move materials and information step by step until a final product reaches the customer. This model, perfected in the industrial age, delivered efficiency, predictability, and control. But in a world of fast-moving ecosystems, pipelines are no longer enough.

Platforms represent a new logic. Instead of owning every part of the chain, they orchestrate networks of users, partners, and producers. Their value lies not in what they make themselves, but in the interactions they enable. Platforms thrive on engagement, experimentation, and scale. They grow by connecting, not by controlling.

The paradox is that platforms must move both fast and slow: fast in sensing signals, enabling interactions, and experimenting with new ideas—slow in building the architecture of trust, governance, and resilient infrastructure. The most successful platforms, from smartphones to farming equipment, combine agility at the edge with stability at the core.

This chapter explores how to shift from pipelines to platforms, why the world’s most valuable companies now follow this model, and what it means to design for abundance, interaction, and long-term adaptability. It closes with practical steps to help leaders start making the transition.

Operating model: From Control to Contribution

The platform era requires a different way of running organizations. Where pipelines thrived on control—command structures, rigid processes, and narrowly defined outcomes—platforms depend on contribution. They succeed by aligning direction, value creation, power, motivation, and culture with the well-being of users, partners, employees, and the wider ecosystem.

This shift changes how organizations set purpose, design strategies, and allocate authority. Power moves away from top-down hierarchies toward decentralized teams closer to the edge, where speed and innovation are greatest. Motivation evolves from compliance and targets to shared purpose and intrinsic drive. Culture, once an afterthought, becomes a living system that enables collaboration, resilience, and continuous learning.

The challenge is that these five levers do not operate in isolation. They interconnect across different layers of the organization—operational, strategic, and existential. Lasting transformation depends on aligning all three, synchronizing short-term actions with long-term purpose, and building trust that enables contribution to flourish.

This chapter explores how leaders can reframe their operating models around contribution, and offers practical steps to replace rigid control with shared frameworks, empowered teams, and a culture designed for the ecosystem age.

Transformation: From Plans to Waves

Most leaders still imagine transformation as a carefully sequenced plan—one step after another, executed with precision. But in an era of disruption, rigid roadmaps collapse under uncertainty. Real transformation is not about controlling every move; it is about learning, experimenting, and adapting in motion.

This chapter reframes transformation as a series of waves. Like a surfer navigating the ocean, leaders must anticipate rhythms, build momentum, and ride uncertainty rather than resist it. Each wave has a purpose: strengthening the core, embracing agility, and ultimately orchestrating the ecosystem. Together, they create the flow of lasting change.

Not every experiment will succeed—but every attempt generates insight. The companies that thrive are those that treat failure as fuel, turning golden learnings into future advantage. Transformation is less a linear project than a continuous capability, blending resilience at the core with experimentation at the edge.

This chapter shows how to approach transformation in waves, why timing is everything, and offers practical steps for leaders to build agility and confidence as they ride the currents of change.

Becoming an Ecosystem Leader

Ecosystems are changing the rules of business—not just through technology or strategy, but through culture and mindset. What makes them difficult to imitate is not their platforms alone, but the deep shift in perspective they demand. The hardest part of transformation is not implementing new plans; it is letting go of old mental models.

For leaders, this shift is deeply personal. Becoming an ecosystem leader means rethinking how you see yourself, your role, and the system around you. It requires courage to leave behind the comfort of control, and curiosity to embrace uncertainty as a creative force. Once that perspective changes, constraints fade and new possibilities emerge.

True transformation does not happen without cultural change—and cultural change begins with leaders. Balancing fast innovation with slow reflection allows organizations to evolve continuously, turning disruption into a source of energy and growth.

This chapter explores what it takes to become an ecosystem leader, why legacy success can be an obstacle, and offers practical steps to help leaders let go, open up, and step into the new paradigm of orchestration.

About the Authors

Jeroen Tas

Jeroen Tas is an innovation leader and tech investor who applies his entrepreneurship, experience in large-scale digital transformation, and expertise in the application of technology to grow organizations. At Citi in the mid-1990s, he delivered the world’s first Internet banking and payment network solutions. He co-founded and built Mphasis, a leading provider of IT solutions. As Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Philips, he developed solutions to touch the lives of billions and improve health outcomes at lower costs. Jeroen holds various board seats, advises private equity firms, and invests in technology and healthcare ventures through his firm FastSlow (www.fastslow.com).

Rob Theunissen

Rob Theunissen is a transformation leader with over 25 years of experience in large scale business transformations across many sectors. Driven by a passion for maximizing business and human potential, he has been at the core of mostly global, business transformations both as executive transformation leader at Philips and as a partner and trusted CEO counselor at McKinsey & Company. He used to lead the Firm’s global Culture & Change service line and has been a core leader in its Global Organization Practice for many years. Today, Rob’s work focuses on CEO and Board counseling on strategy, culture change, transformation and top team effectiveness. Rob holds Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering as well as Business Administration, and is trained as an ontological coach.

Resources

Podcasts

Sessie Jeroen Tas – Trends 25

Thoughtleader Talk – Jeroen Tas: snel en langzaam veranderen

Interview BusinessWise

Article and blogs

Time.com

The Only Way That Companies Can Build Lasting Transformation

Community Powered

The Who – What is the first community you felt a sense of belonging to and why? How has this community influenced your personal and professional life?

BusinessWise

‘In plaats van te strijden om marktaandeel, moeten managers leren denken in ecosystemen’

Get In Touch

For speaking engagements, collaboration, or questions, reach out directly or follow Jeroen on LinkedIn.

E-mail: info@changingfastslow.com