How to Harness Complexity to Produce Radical Innovation
Book giveaway!!
20 complimentary copies available.
Leave a comment on this guest post by Dr. Sunnie Giles to become eligible to win one of TWENTY complimentary copies of “The New Science of Radical Innovation: The Six Competencies Leaders Need to Win in a Complex World.”
(Deadline: 4/14/2018)
*International winners will receive electronic versions.
VUCA — Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity — is used by the U.S. military to describe extremely unpredictable conditions.
Don’t fear VUCA. Harness it to produce radical innovation.
Three conditions of radical innovation:
- Generates 10x improvements
- Redefines industry dynamics
- Creates platforms other innovations can build on
Processes:
Radical innovation processes are designed for transparency, speed, connection, and generating diverse thoughts.
Actions:
Let others self-organize – don’t give them detailed instructions but broad boundaries and let them do the rest.
Culture:
Radical innovation culture:
- Embraces failure as a necessary input.
- Self-organization is a fundamental practice.
- Diversity of thought is the primordial soup that sparks radical innovation.
In today’s VUCA world, where new things are popping up every day, it’s essential to maximize the pool of diverse thoughts so your solutions can address problems in unconventional ways, such as going outside of your industry to strike a complementary partnership.
Diversity is a strategic opportunity, not a compliance issue.
Leadership:
Radical innovation requires confident leaders who delegate and enable decentralized decision-making.
Why?
Good decisions need three elements:
- Information
- Authority
- Responsibility
The current speed of change in business exceeds the speed with which organizations can send information from the front lines up to the top. Responsibility and authority must be pushed down to where the information is, empowering good decisions at the front lines.
Practical Suggestions:
- Maximize diversity of thoughts by tapping into everyone’s voice – let the shy ones speak first.
- Increase transparency by holding regular all-hands meetings.
- Separate feedback from evaluation to make it safe to try and learn.
How might leaders enhance the innovative potential of their organizations?
Dr. Sunnie Giles is President of Quantum Leadership Group. She catalyzes leaders to produce radical innovation and redefine the game as individuals and organizations. Her new book is “The New Science of Radical Innovation: The Six Competencies Leaders Need to Win in a Complex World.”
She is an advisor at the Stanford Business School Institute of Innovation in Developing Economies. She is a TEDx speaker on radical innovation. Her global leadership research for innovation has been published by Harvard Business Review, and she is a regular contributor at Forbes.com.
“Let others self-organize”. This quote resonates with me. As I am learning to delegate more to my team this is good to remember. I don’t neeed to give them details.
Hi, Melanie, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Yes, I find that as we trust our team more, they rise to the occasion! It’s important to become aware of and work through our resistance and let go of control. 🙂
Excellent, Dan, and a timely reminder. Our organization is facing significant existential complexity this spring. As I contemplate a ‘reboot’ for what we could be our “2.0” as an org the two values of a sense of safety and connection have crystallized as the key to being able to innovate our way to what’s next, without losing anyone or triggering unnecessary fear-based push-back (as opposed to healthy ideas-based critique that demonstrate trust). If all stakeholders can viscerally know their needs will be taken care of and they belong, then they’ll find their ideas valued and their creativity will be released. My challenge is to figure out how to speak each person’s safety & belonging language. And boy do I need everyone to stay connected and creative to be able to solve this without losing anyone! Thanks again for a great post.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Dave! Psychological safety and connection are indeed the foundation for radical innovation because, without safety and connection, we can’t access the learning part of our brain that can unleash innovation.
Authority……something that is lacking in Leadership today. Great article, glad to have been able to read these thoughts!
Thank you for your kind words, Pauline!
I appreciate this post so much and the work Dr. Giles shares…cheers!
Thank you for your kind words, Morgan!
Great post! I have come to understand that allowing yourself to be vulnerable with your team because you have built a foundation of trust, allows you to learn, not only from your mistakes, but also from other team member’s input. You can build not only from your strength, but also from your team’s strengths.
Hi, Mark, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Yes, when we feel safe and connected as a team, we can accomplish a lot more!
VUCA demands adaptive leadership that amplifies the benefits of different perspectives. Not only do we need to “maximize diversity of thoughts by tapping into everyone’s voice.” We need to encourage “cognitive conflict” as a regular practice.
Hi, Ron, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Yes, those skills don’t come naturally to those who are used to traditional leadership. It requires brand new skills!
Excellent thoughts
Our job is to provide and support a culture where basic needs are met.i think of these as LAFFS love achievement fun freedom and safety. We provide this culture to build people up and get things done ( Mark Miller)
Hi John, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Yes, people must come first then results follow!
I like the insight to “manage” through what is fast becoming a complex, dynamic and ever changing environment. I have found in my organization that those that do not like ambiguity and want consistency are struggling more than those that are embracing change and understanding that the status quo is no longer working for most industries, businesses and organizations.
Hi, Elizabeth, your observation is spot on! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Great support and priceless theory that makes sense!!
Hi, Amy, thank you for your feedback!
Reading the article this morning goes in conjunction with a podcast I am listening. FRICTION with Bob Sutton had on one of the podcast Kim Scott, the author of Radical Candor. Being a new leader/manager, the insights and advice from experienced leaders are priceless to me.
Hi, Carla, thank you for sharing your thoughts! I am grateful that it’s helpful to you!
Excellent thoughts, “letting others organize” is great, provided they have organizational skills, some people have them others need to develop them. I have witnessed both sides of organization, just observe how organized someone is and you will get the picture.
Hi, Tim, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Letting others self-organize doesn’t come natural or easy for most leaders because they feel they can’t trust others or feel threatened of their power of authority.
sunnigiles,
We build trust like relationships, one step at a time, feeling threatened does exists, we learn by mistakes and life’s experiences, If your a leader and can’t trust the people your leading, maybe you need to clean house and start over.
Everyone deserves a chance, give them opportunity to shine….
Wow! A lot of syllables in VUCA but a lot of good insight and helpful wisdom! I work in an organization of over 19,000 and talk about diverse. I am a huge proponent of harnessing it to do good. Great tops on how to do it faster. Thank you Dr. Giles.
Hi, Mike, thank you for sharing your thoughts!! Grateful to hear it’s helpful!!
This continues to facinate me.
Hi, Nathaniel, what do you find most fascinating? I am eager to learn more about what you think!
Regular communication and meetings are essential. Change is how we perfect our organization and we need to be able to listen to our team for ways to incorporate and embrace rather than allow resistance to spread through our group.
Hi, Carmen, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
This is my first introduction to Dr. Giles. Great article! Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Miranda, great to connect with you! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Another great topic and article, Dan! I am sharing this with my leadership team.
Hi, Lisa, thank you for sharing your thoughts! What do you find most salient for your company?
Love the breakdown of actions to be taken-great food for thought .
Hi, Barbara, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
My favorite thought for today’s blog “Diversity is a strategic opportunity, not a compliance issue”. It took me some time in my career to understand this is such a true statement. Diversity can be uncomfortable at times but very rewarding spiritually, emotionally, and financially. Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Robert, thank you for sharing your thoughts on a very important topic! We only fear what we don’t understand. I totally echo your conclusion that diversity can be very rewarding!
This really resonated with me as we are simplifying processes, thinking outside the box and removing details to let people make decisions based on the information at hand.
Hi, Amy, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Thought provoking article. Nice explanation about decision elements AIR
Hi, Shankar, thank for sharing your thoughts and catching the key elements important for making decisions!
Delightfully simple summary of a very challenging process!!
Hi, Ben, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Decentralized decision making can be difficult, but it’s a step worthy of continuous effort for improvement.
Hi, I totally agree with your conclusion here! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I would love to read this one!! Diversity is the key to creativity!
Hi, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!! And yes, totally agree!
My take-away; Sports analogy.
– Create a VUCA environment – stir things up
– Action; broad boundaries – but crystal clear boundaries
– Culture; embrace failure and diversity – leads to creativity
Listen to the quiet one – the’re paying attention.
I like the nuts and bolts of your posts.
Ian
Hi, Ian, brilliant application of the concepts to the sports area!
As a leader of a Christian organization, diversity is often talked about and limited to cultural contexts, color, economic status, etc.. It is not often that we emphasize diversity pertaining to the inclusion of voice especially as a producer of innovation. Great content Dan! I can’t wait to read the book.
Hi, ileadership, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Both as a Soldier and now as a senior leader within the DoD Contracting community, I have found that navigating complexity Creates Opportunities for Synergy, Innovation, and Growth. One challenge as a leader is to ensure a culture of support, comfort, and safety, since navigating within complex, dynamic and unknown environments creates stress. A culture that recognizes this and gives team members the ability to feel safe and know that mistakes will happen and are OK enables action, versus team members being concerned with making a mistake.
Hi, David, thank you for sharing your thoughts! It can be challenging to practice these concepts because it’s so hierarchical and disobedience is not tolerated. I see the need for it given its unique organizational constraints but still believe there is enough room to practice these concepts, such as the eyes on, hands off approach to delegation as well as the foundation of deeply, conscientiously forged team connection leading to resilience to try knowing it might fail. Thank you for your thoughts!
The confidence to allow others to self-organize is essential–and very difficult for many leaders. It is also essential. Along with the three part list of information, authority, and responsibility, I would add a fourth–accountability to a team, to one’s self and to a supervisor. When accountability, authority, and responsibility are all present and information is available, people can innovate, fail, learn, grow, change.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I did think about accountability but didn’t see enough distinction from responsibility. I am curious to learn what you see that is attributable to accountability, which is not included in responsibility. 🙂 Thank you for your feedback!
As I’m developing curriculum on Innovation and Entrepreneurship for a college-level leadership course (for employee professional development), this resonates for me…
“Good decisions need three elements: Information, Authority, Responsibility”
We promote innovation and yet struggle to be innovative in a culture where information, authority, responsibility – and accountability – are not the norm. The big question for me is “How might leaders enhance the innovative potential of their organizations?” It starts with leadership and culture…
Hi Kenda, yes, totally agree with you. Leadership is all about developing a culture that promotes and stimulates innovation!
Added it to my “must read” list. VUCA is a powerful force if used properly. Would love to get a copy of it here! Thanks Dan!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Tim!
Awesome post. This is like a roadmap for making change without fear. Failure is part of the process. Leaders should always keep this in the pocket as they move forward with change, especially when it is radical. So many people today are afraid of change. Like the old saying the only people that like change is a baby with a wet diaper! Another great post by Ms.Giles & the leadership freak himself Dan Rockwell … can’t wait to read the book!
Hi, Andrew, it’s difficult to move past the fear and venture into the unknown where vast opportunities abound. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
There are many neurological conditions which encompass diverse thought at their core, such as ADHD. With so many adults in the workforce with these conditions, young and old, diagnosed and undiagnosed, teasing out these diverse and radical ways of thinking is the magic sauce in organizations! Giving leaders permission and a roadmap to tease these ideas out of their employees is a win for the employer and the employee!
Hi Lisa, you’re touching on an important epidemic. Thank you for pointing out how we can harness this epidemic!
This resonates so well with me, working in the Federal government, it is often difficult when asked for your expertise to be part of a critical task force and then not being given the authority that trust is supposed to reflect, and having all the work be hyper-scrutinized, changed or disregarded, often without a conversation. That sends the opposite message of what is conveyed when entrusted with the responsibility to exercise our judgment, which is why you were ostensibly appointed to the problem-solving or innovation group in the first place. I look forward to reading your book.
Hi, Pam, I hear your pain!! I believe these principles can liberate the stifled genius in all of the government employees. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
A lot of this really resonated with me. The quote I liked the most : “The current speed of change in business exceeds the speed with which organizations can send information from the front lines up to the top. Responsibility and authority must be pushed down to where the information is, empowering good decisions at the front lines.” TOTALLY AGREE. In such a large organization, we have a massive problem with this (me being close to the front line). Communication is so easy, yet seems impossible from the top.
Hi, Andrea, I hear the same thing in almost all big organizations. It’s not easy to practice these principles because it feels threatening to most leaders. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
This overview is very helpful. I oversee IT for a major City agency involved in transportation planning and engineering. Both the IT and transportation arenas are undergoing significant transformation – neither will look the same in 10 years. It’s more important than ever to harvest and organize insights from many perspectives as the path forward is speculative and changing. We are compelled to invest and deign for tomorrow – while solving the problems of today. Bob Marley said it – you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time. A successful business needs all of the people to position itself for the future.
Hi, Izak, you’ve identified the most challenging aspect of today’s VUCA leaders – making decisions now not knowing how they will impact the future 3, 4, 5 steps away from now. That’s why it’s important to be adaptable and resilient! Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I love this post. Continuous improvement is so important and looking at it from this angle is invigorating! Thank you for the insight! I would be thrilled to win a copy of this book!
Hi, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Yes, I believe incremental, continuous improvement coupled with diversity of thought can lead to innovation!
Thank you for your article. Leaders need to look outside the box. They need to look to the people at the front lines. This will show a willingness to listen, and to show transparency. To embrace failures as a learning tool, as ways not to do something.
Hi, Bob, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Totally agreed!
As a Cub Scout leader, I challenge myself on a weekly basis to be innovative with my team of volunteers. Having routine all-hands meetings is critical to having both buy in from the team members and avoiding the communications traps of not being crystal clear on decisions, motives, values, mission, and goals. We enable our volunteer leaders to rapidly make decisions for their respective dens (business units) that are inline with our common values. We avoid ambiguity by continual comprehensive training elements so those decisions can be made both without hesitation nor countering our aims and methods.
Hi, AJ, what a great to apply leadership principles! Thank you for sharing!
“Don’t FEAR vuca … harness it … to produce …” … resolution. INTEGRITY. elegance.
Simplicity is the RESOLUTION of the complexity …
Integrity is the alignment of the parts/details to produce a whole greater than the sum …
Elegance is the appearance/epiphany of the fewest actions/choices creating the most excellent result,
Resolving VUCA for the strategic purpose.
Opportunity/Luck favors the prepared;
the prepared keep the bigger picture/vision engaged while chaos/diversity happens;
and leaders notice when form, content and timing coincide – and can point it out –
and leaders encourage the synergy/the right result to be the community/cultural banner – and let innovation (the shift in genuine paradigm) be/reign.
How to enhance this creative process in others?
Be clear about purpose (to best refine it),
Insulate those doing the work from the larger chaos (provide a safe environment for sharing experience and thinking in vulnerability of smaller failures), and
Be affirming of the ideas that serve the purpose (in or out of the box)
So that all may share, contribute and benefit,
and then reshape, redistribute, and rebenefit,
until it is the unwritten rule/culture.
Hi, Rurbane, thank you for sharing your thoughts on complexity!
I love this post. Organizationally, we are in a leadership transition at various levels and the tendency is to hold on and control information, however, as Dr. Giles, indicates, it is advantageous to take the VUCA as an opportunity to initiate change and fuller communication. I love the practical suggestions to facilitate collaboration and build teams through effective communication and sharing of information.
Hi McSteve, thank you for your feedback! Grateful to be helpful to you!
All sage advice. Sorry, if I missed this insight in the blog. But, radical innovation also requires a broader organizational culture that is supportive of that. Especially so, for big enterprises!
Hi, Murugan, absolutely agreed! That’s why CEO has to be Chief Culture Guardian!
I think the ability to create a sense of common purpose and maintaining open communication will help leaders effectively work with their organizations while navigating VUCA. This is a timely post as I attended the 1st Annual Pennsylvania Leadership Studies Conference and VUCA was the topic of the keynote address.
Hi Jan, I am grateful to know I was able to give you another data point you can triangulate your learning through!
This is so needed in the workplace, to kill the cancer in certain employee and harness a positive work environment
Hi, Alexandra, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Never heard of VUCA before, but it’s going into my acronym archive! Thanks, Dan and Dr. Giles!
Thank you for your feedback! Yes, VUCA is gaining popularity!
Great Read today! Some information is so different that I need to keep it for reference. Thanks. PN
Hi, Peter, thank you for sharing your feedback!!
Great thoughts that are stimulating to say the least.
Hi, Ken, thank you for sharing your feedback!
Hadn’t heard of Dr. Giles before, but will definitely be looking into her work. Fantastic thoughts for the opportunity that complexity brings (not just the obstacles)!
Hi, Jon, thank you for sharing your thoughts on complexity!
Good decisions need three elements: Information, Authority, and Responsibility. I really like this (and hope I win a book).
Hi, thank you for your feedback!!
That’s real good insight! Looking forward to diving deeper in
Hi, Fire & Ice, thank you for your feedback!
I remember this from Officer Candidate School! Ya gotta take advantage of every situation and leading troops that are trusted and know the mission makes it work!
Hi, Tom, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
This part really spoke to me and emphasizes the holistic approach to innovation: The current speed of change in business exceeds the speed with which organizations can send information from the front lines up to the top.
Hi, Kristina, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Love the idea that failure is an input. Playing it safe is not innovative!
Hi, yes, totally agree!
I started looking at your site a month or so ago. I wasn’t expecting it to line up with my Jesus values, but it consistently has and I thank you. This post for instance coincides with “all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” I get fresh perspectives on Truth I already know. Keep up the God work!
No Book please.
Hi, Mike, thank you for sharing your thoughts! You will see why when you read this article about me: http://www.ldsliving.com/How-a-Mission-Miracle-Helped-an-LDS-Convert-Know-God-s-Love-for-Her/s/88194
“Separate feedback from evaluation”. Definitely. Also, the ability to provide feedback requires trust. Without trust, feedback is force feeding.
Hi, Balaji, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Yes, trust is crucial for learning, hence the need for self-management for leaders.
This looks like a very powerful framework.
Hi, Kate, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
This is really timely advice for me as I’m looking for my career opportunity. I’m living in the state of VUCA, but that situation has prompted some innovative growth in my actions and my thoughts as I work the process of finding my next job in one of my target companies. I’m stretching in ways I never knew I could because I’ve had to in order to overcome the symptoms of VUCA.
Hi, Joel, yeah for you!! I am so happy to hear that you’re choosing a positive frame to view the world!! Best wishes in your search!! I’m sending out good vibes for you!
What I find fun about these types of topics…
As individuals many of us agree and would like to be radically innovative. We can accept failure as an input.
Organizations are collections of individuals.
As a collective group (organization) we appear to abandon our individual aspirations (being radically innovative) and somehow trade “failure as an input” for “stability” (even knowing that sometimes stability can be the biggest curse one can have against bigger success or existence).
Yes, that’s the challenge for leaders to overcome. All organizational change happens at the individual level.
I’m just reading “Culture Code” which talks a lot about how great work and innovation happen when people in a group feel safe. This seems to fit that theme.
For sure – providing safety is the most fundamental leadership competency!
I think it’s key to have a variety of people giving input. If you want radical innovation, in my mind you need a wide variety in way of thinking. Set an environment where ideas are accepted and not shot down, an environment where people feel safe to share and not judged for their ideas. Once that is achieved, I think you open yourself up to a whole new world or potential ideas.
You’re spot on, Josh!
Interested to see how we can apply these principals to the field of clinical medicine. It’s a place where we could use changes in how we lead and innovate while still preserving discipline and safety. I think we are on our way but it would be great to accelerate the thought processes. Health care can no longer advance outside of the classical medical pathways, we must lead from within. Looking forward to the book.
Hi, Ami, these concepts can most definitely apply in the medical field, especially letting the nurses challenge doctors self-organize based on their own observations and experiences. Thank you for your interest!
“Separate feedback from evaluation to make it safe to try and learn.” It’s difficult to break the unconscious habit of combining these two. The best help I’ve received to shine the light on how we combine these two, and how to separate them is from Marshall B. Rosenberg and his book “NonViolent Communication.”