Content

PART I: Rise of a cargo cult

21 | Chapter 1
The Illusion of Improvement
Learn to uncover Cargo Cults by ripping the mask off fake progress: rituals dressed as success but delivering only noise, costumes, and zero change.

38 | Chapter 2
The Cult of Belief
Recognizing the difference between true cargo cults and superficial mimicry is critical for leaders to avoid wasting effort on empty practices and to target real problems instead of performing for show.

49 | Chapter 3
The Comfort of Self-Deception
Explore why we so easily fall into cargo cult behaviors, not just by copying others blindly, but by creating rituals ourselves out of ignorance, showing how sincere self-deception keeps us busy with the illusion of progress while missing the real lessons.

54 | Chapter 4
Coconuts
Through examples it proofs how Individual “cargo cult” behaviors breed company wide chaos. But with the right nudge, you can turn people and teams around, swapping hollow rituals for real, lasting ways of working.

74 | Chapter 5
Afterthought
The author shows that not all weird or ritualistic behaviors are cargo cults. You need to discern purpose before intervening. Because sometimes the seemingly ridiculous is exactly what works.

PART II: FALL OF A CARGO CULT

82 | Chapter 1
Espresso Yourself – The Caffeine-Fueled Guide to Leading Change
Espresso Yourself introduces the messy, often hilarious reality of trying to lead change, showing through personal stories that brilliant ideas alone aren’t enough.

95 | Chapter 2
The Coffee Culture
This chapter strips away all the nonsense of employees returning from courses with trinkets, quotes, or superficial ‘enlightenment,’ assuming they’ve cracked the meaning of life, and shows how to easily build a culture ready to dismantle the Cargo Cults surrounding you.

135 | Chapter 3
Brewing Change
The “Three Cups of Coffee” method helps you to take a deliberate pause, assessing the situation, and thinking critically before acting. A deceptively simple but highly effective way to make better decisions and lead meaningful change.

155 | Chapter 4
What’s the problem anyway?
Learn to uncover the true root of problems, and question assumptions rather than jumping to quick fixes, emphasizing thoughtful, deliberate steps that lead to meaningful transformation instead of superficial change.

175 | Chapter 5
Problem? Prove it! 
Cults don’t get solved just because you say they exist. This chapter shows you how to gather proof, real stories, and consequences to make people pay attention, and frame it in a way humans actually get: simple, sharp, and undeniable.

207 | Chapter 6
Sure, what’s the big deal?
Want to solve your problems? Don’t chase noise. Follow the pain. It will lead you straight to the person who actually cares—because if they don’t, it’s not a problem worth solving today.

231 | Chapter 7
The Coffee Talk 
This chapter shows how to turn a problem into a ten-minute coffee story that grabs attention without triggering defensiveness.

275 | Chapter 8
Transfer Ownership
People don’t care because you said so. This chapter shows why stepping back might be the most powerful move you never saw coming.

296 | Chapter 9
Afterthought
Change is messy, invisible, and usually uncredited. People shift, grow, and fix impossible problems—and then pretend it happened on its own. The payoff isn’t applause; it’s in the quiet victories, the subtle transformations, and the chaos that finally settles. Let it be. Enjoy the fruit. Forget the fame.