The Challenge of Complexity |
A Way Forward |
| A 2010 study of global CEOs conducted by IBM lists complexity as their primary concern. | “The world we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems that we cannot solve at the same level at which we created them.” Albert Einstein. |
| • Disruptive change and complexity is the new normal | • Deepening, broadening and integrating leader intelligences is the new imperative |
| • Understanding and translating the meaning of complexity into effective action is the new leadership challenge | • Upgrading the way leaders perceive, interpret and respond to the rapidly shifting dynamics of their world is the new leadership competency |
| We are living in a time where accelerated change is the new normal. Globalization, disruptive technologies, reactive governmental action, structural societal shifts and stressed cultural values have created an increasingly complex operating environment. We see this in global politics with uprisings fueled by Twitter and Facebook. We see this with greater divisiveness in national and international politics. We see this in labor forces with chronic unemployed while skilled jobs go unfilled or shift globally to new regions. All with continued pressure to maximize shareholder returns. | We need a higher order of intelligence to think, feel and act differently in challenging situations. Accumulating more skills and knowledge is not the answer. What is required is upgrading leaders’ internal operating system to see the world through new eyes. Advancement of an individual’s “worldview” enables a shift in interpretations of experience to effectively embrace and manage complexity. This is the quantum rather than incremental change that enables leaders to better understand the dynamics of their world. From this perspective business issues can be more effectively addressed, the organizations culture can be evolved and advanced human capital built. |
| The challenge for business leaders is to quickly make meaning of the complexity affecting their business and translate that into effective action. The ability to do so is limited by the current way a leader perceives, analyzes, relates and responds to business opportunities and problems. As the leadership author Marshall Goldsmith wrote, “What got you here, won’t get you there”. | To support this, we need a leader and organizational development map that integrates the key development perspectives rather than excluding many in favor of one. This approach must have the power to capture the whole of complexity and make sense of it so that leader actions are agile as well as clear, focused and direct. |
Four Leadership Dimensions
INSIGHT: Individual Awareness
| • Mindsets, values and beliefs determine interpretations and responses. |
| • Awareness and expansion of mindsets increases the range of thinking, engagement and action that is possible. |
[slider title="Read More" bstyle="font-style:italic"]Our behaviors are the result of our mindsets which are composed of our values, attitudes and beliefs. Nature and nurture interact to create the mindsets that form our unique identity and the way we make meaning of the world around us. Just as the way we see the world changes as we grow from child to adolescent to young adult, there can be further progression as adults. Our meaning-making translations often occur without our conscious thought. This leads to automatic good-bad and right-wrong assessments that drive our behavior. There is an opportunity for leaders to become more conscious of their own values, biases, assumptions and interpretations. By understanding the determinants of their meaning making, they can expand the perspective they bring to any situation. This enables leaders to increase their range of thinking, engagement and action that would otherwise not be possible.[/slider]
INTERACTIONS: Relationship Behaviors
| • Culture, behavioral expectations and relationship skills affect performance. |
| • Alignment to principles and best practice behaviors that support engagement, adaptability and achievement creates opportunity. |
[slider title="Read More" bstyle="font-style:italic"]The collective understanding of what principles are important and what behaviors are expected is what we call “culture”. This shared worldview sets the context for the interactions between individuals in a community or organization. The character and effectiveness of relationships, teams and the organization as a whole is determined by the culture. A particular cultural world view and interactions may be a barrier to responding to complex challenges or the need to change. The opportunity is to cultivate alignment to principles and behaviors that support greater leadership agility, adaptability and achievement.[/slider]
INFRASTRUCTURE: Systems Awareness
| • Organizational structure, practices and processes determine the effectiveness of human and capital resources. |
| • Strategic planning and design increases efficiency. |
[slider title="Read More" bstyle="font-style:italic"]Just as our mindsets and culture are an intelligence that makes meaning of the world, so the organizational infrastructure with its design, practices and processes creates an intelligent system that channels and coordinates engagement and execution. The design of the distribution, control and accounting of power and influence through roles, reporting lines and governance determines the effectiveness of human and other capital resources. The opportunity is to consciously design strategic and tactical structures and processes that enhance the performance of the culture, relationships and individuals.[/slider]
IMPACT: Individual Behavior
| • Stimulating motivation, building execution skills and establishing learning loops drives meaningful, sustainable results. |
[slider title="Read More" bstyle="font-style:italic"]The action of individuals engaging, performing and executing to achieve their goals is what enables business to succeed. It is the visible actions and measurable results of individual and organizational efforts by which we assess value creation and reward. The foundation of that effectiveness is the technical knowledge, motivation and execution skills to do so. In this age of complexity, “Just Do It” is not enough. The integration of multiple perspectives as well as committed action is what is required. There is an opportunity is to help leaders to better translate their breadth of perspective, engagement and technical competency into action for results.[/slider]