Abstract
Transdisciplinarity has become a defining feature of contemporary systems engineering, yet it remains conceptually underdeveloped and inconsistently applied. This paper advances transdisciplinarity (TD) from an concept to a guide for its practical application within systems engineering (SE). Drawing from systems science, general systemology and current SE practice, we 1) propose a guide that provides an epistemological and methodological bridge necessary to address the growing complexity of socio‐technical systems, 2) examine the foundations of SE as an inherently transdisciplinary endeavor, 3) explore how General Systems Transdisciplinarity (GSTD) unifies systemic theories and methodologies, and 4) propose a framework that links the purpose, values and techniques of SE to transdisciplinary knowledge production. Finally, we discuss how adopting a “transdisciplinary attitude” — characterized by collaboration and purposeful learning — can transform SE education, workforce development, and leadership growth. By embracing our proposed framework and identifying the nature of the complex problem and the needed solution, we expect SEs to achieve elegant, sustainable solutions to complex problems while advancing the scientific foundation of SE practice and research.