Financial Whirlpools

Dr. Karen Higgins has a B.S. in Mathematics, M.S. in Electrical Engineering, and an MBA and PhD in Executive Management. She has extensive experience in executive leadership and in leading research and engineering teams. Throughout her 32-year career with the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division at China Lake and Pt. Mugu, California she held technical, functional, project and executive management positions for efforts that integrate state-of-the-art and commonly-used weapons systems onto some of the newest jet fighter aircraft. As a member of the Senior Executive Service, she was one of the most senior civilians within the U.S. Department of Defense. In her Executive Director and Director for Research and Engineering roles, she had responsibility for a $1B budget and over 5,000 employees. She has received the highest civilian awards for her services to the Navy and the Department of Defense. As President of ÉLAN Leadership Concepts, Dr. Higgins serves as a leadership consultant for government and industry. She is an adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University, where she teaches Project Management, Systems Thinking, and Morality & Leadership. She enjoys her grandchildren, practices yoga, does research, and writes. Her recent book, Financial Whirlpools (2013), analyzes the financial crisis of 2008-2009 using a systems perspective. Her second book, Economic Growth and Sustainability (in print, 2014), investigates the relationship among Economy, Environment and Society also using a systems perspective. On a personal note, she enjoys ballroom dancing and "loves, loves, loves" the LA Clippers! Affiliations: Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA, USA (Adjunct Professor) ÉLAN Leadership Concepts, Ridgecrest, CA, USA (President) Effective Edge, Austin TX, USA (Performance Catalyst) Personal website: http://www.systems-sense.com Expertise Executive leadership, project management, systems thinking, sustainability, ethics, interpersonal communication, culture shaping

PART I FOUNDATIONS 1. LINES OR CIRCLES: The Basics of Systems Thinking

2. AS THE GEARS TURN: Policies, Practices, Markets, and Risk

PART II YIN: HUMAN BEHAVIORS

3. WHERE CAN I BUY ONE? Humans and the economy

4. WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY? Values, beliefs, and behaviors

5. VISIONS OF GRANDEUR: Expectations and behaviors

6. A CRISIS OF HUMAN PROPORTIONS: Ethics and behaviors

7. SELF SPEAKS LOUDLY AND CARRIES A BIG STICK: Sources of unethical behavior

PART III YANG: ECONOMIC MECHANICS

8. WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN: The Housing Bubble

9. ON TOP OF DEBT MOUNTAIN: High Risk Loans and Credit

10. THE RISK TIGER POUNCES: Financial Market, Risk, and Securitization

PART IV YIN AND YANG: INTEGRATION

11. HUMAN ROOTS ARE DEEP: Yin meets Yang

12. CONCLUSIONS

Appendix A

Appendix B