Charles Duhigg's concept that certain habits act as keystones — triggering cascading positive changes in other areas of life — because they produce small wins that create new structures and culture.
Not all habits are equal: certain 'keystone habits' displace other habits and spark 'small wins' that cascade into broader change. Exercise as a classic keystone habit: people who start exercising regularly also start eating better, sleeping more, being more patient, and smoking less — without being told to. In organizations: certain routines restructure how people think and work (the Alcoa safety culture example). The mechanism: small wins create conditions that breed further small wins by establishing new habit loops and institutional cultures.
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