Getting to Grips with Chaos and Complexity

• Published in: Complex Adaptive Leadership pp. 111 - 118
• Main Author: Obolensky, Nick
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 2010
• Subjects: A; Complex Adaptive Leadership; Simple Complexity; Strong; WAY; Royal; Commandos; Follow; Debrief Question; Intriguing Conclusion; Oligarchic Assumption; Tape; Holding; Equal Distance; Exercise Area; Maintenance; Ceo; Can; Big Urge; Royal Marine Commandos; Isosceles Triangle; Unambiguous Feedback; Up; Ok; Underlying Order
• ISBN: 0566089327; 1138256285; 9781138256286; 9780566089329
• DOI: 10.4324/9781315264929-16

AN EXERCISE TO OPEN UP YOUR MIND AND GET A VIEW OF HOW COMPLEXITY CAN WORK This exercise/game has been around for some time. I wish I knew who invented it so I could give credit. It has changed many people’s attitudes. It is used by a variety of places to help develop leadership – for example, it has been used in the past on the first day of officer training for the Royal Marine Commandos to show there is more to leadership than meets the eye. The exercise is also a great way to show how chaos and complexity has an underlying order and simplicity which is a rather counter-intuitive notion. The first time one organises this exercise is terrifying because it seems impossible. But one soon realises that the impossible is very possible. You will need at least eight people and it can be played by over 0. The ideal number is around 2. I am not sure if you have access to 2 people willing to undertake what will seem an impossible task – but this is well worth the experience! It is a working experiment that shows how simple complexity can be, and it leads to a very counter-intuitive and intriguing conclusion about leadership within complex tasks.