A633.5.3.RB - Reflections on Chaos _RutbellGreg

• Play the chaos game with a group of people (see Complex Adaptive Leadership (Obolensky, 2010) Chapter 6, or watch the above video. • Create a reflection blog on what this exercise meant to you and how it impacts your understanding of chaos theory, include the implications that this has on strategy. Complexity is a big leadership issue among organizations. It impacts a challenge (and opportunity) for most decision makers who execute the organizational mission and vision in highly complex conditions. As the global economy changes and extends its scope, more groups of people are carrying out different kinds of tasks, activities and responsibilities in organizations. With the degree of complexity in the workplace, many decision makers are finding it difficult to reach a successful degree of leadership in such a way to achieve organizational goals and objectives. Nick Obolensky, researcher and author of Complex Adaptive Leadership believes that leadership should not be something only practiced by nominated leaders but instead have leaders at all levels. (Obolensky, 2010) Although most decision makers know that leadership has changed, they still use old assumptions (paradigms) that are outdated in rapidly changing times. According to Obolensky and his research, there are several reasons that hinder leaders from managing complexity: 1. fear and fear based on the assumption that that "you have to be doing something" because it leaves the perception that if you are not doing something, then what are you doing? This actually gives the opposite result because decision makers tend to manage (and sometimes try to control) everything and everyone. It is based on a wrong assumption but it's still there. 2. Most business schools and philosophies follow the "cause and effect principle" and provides decision makers with the inability to understand and handle deal with complexity. Business students learn if you do this, you get that. This goes back to our mindset and mental models ways of thinking (paradigms) which is based on the foundation of deterministic science and models. Sometimes this is the way to go but we need a different approach including "letting go" of old outdated ways of thinking. 3. Lack of education and application in the new complexity science that is applicable in the world and global economy. If managers and decision makers have this tool they will be able to let go a lot more and apply new knowledge in complexity science. (Obolensky, 2010) What is needed in place of traditional leadership? The question is "What are the enablers to complete a highly complex task?" The tools and processes are: 1. clear individual objective 2. a few simple rules 3. continuous feedback 4. discretion and freedom of action 5. skill/will of participants 6. underlying purpose 7. clear boundary 8. a tolerance of the players for certainty and ambiguity (Obolensky, 2010) The conclusion and learning point is: the more complex things are, the less traditional leadership one needs. Too much control can be interference especially in an organization that can lead itself. Obolensky states that leaders should not underestimate the power of their colleagues including creativity and innovation when taking a different role to leadership. The next generation of leaders must be able to listen and promote two-way communication, ask questions and have the courage to say they don't know. This type of thinking should be the foundation in business education and requires a paradigm shift from traditional ways. (Obolensky, 2010) In the video, they all laughed when they were asked "What would have happened if we had put one of you in charge?" They laughed because they knew they would never have achieved the task if someone had tried to lead or manage the process. Unfortunately, many leaders try to just do that - over control and micromanage their organizations and get frustrated, because complexity does not work like that! It was a highly complex exercise which was done quickly without a leader. If there was a leader, it probably would not succeed. The 8 principles and effective facilitation enabled the team to succeed. The principles can be applied to organizations. I saw coordinated behaviors without control. Too much directed thinking with decision makers and organizations as machines and robots causes us all to be blind to our own abilities with creativity and innovation. The people demonstrated teamwork, working together and synergy. Managers egos are also part of the problem too which blocks creativity. Sometimes we need to forget the rules, processes and standard operating procedures. Free your mind from restrictions and paradigms and allow free thought with others. The results are ideas and synergy. A facilitator is needed to set the direction, instructions, goals and create harmony. (Obolensky, 2008) Additional research and application including Daniel H. Pink documented in his New York Times bestseller "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" provides a paradigm-busting look at what truly motivates us and how we can use that knowledge to work smarter and live better. The secret to high performance and satisfaction - at work, at school, at home - is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and do better by ourselves, our organization in which we work and our world. Drawing on four decades of research, Pink identifies the mismatch between what science knows and what business does - and how that affects every aspect of life. He identifies three elements of true motivation for 21st century business and leadership success: autonomy, mastery and purpose. (Pink, 2009) The conclusion and learning point is: the more complex things are, the less traditional leadership one needs. Too much control can be interference especially in an organization that can lead itself. Facilitation is needed to set direction, instructions and create harmony. People and teams are a wealth of knowledge of creativity with ideas and need autonomy, mastery and purpose. References Obolensky, Nick (2010). Complex Adaptive Leadership: Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty. Farnham (Surrey), England: Gower Publishing Limited. Obolensky, Nick (2008). Who needs leaders? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41QKeKQ2O3E Pink, Daniel H. (2009). Drive: The Surprising Truth About what Motivates Us. New York, New York: Penguin Group.