Leadership in Complexity and Change

Sharon Varney is a scholar-practitioner who specialises in developing people and organisations. Sharon developed her deep expertise in leadership and change working in large, complex organisations. She was Vice President for international learning and development at a US bank, before joining a global engineering and construction company in the offshore oil and gas industry as their group head of learning and communications. In the early 2000s, Sharon was bitten by the complexity bug. This changed the trajectory of her career and she left the offshore business to take a deep dive into academia. Her award-winning doctoral research, which has a very practical edge, explored the complex dynamics of organisational change and the role of change leaders within it. Sharon now effectively bridges academia and practice. Working across a wide variety of business settings, she applies complexity science insights in her leadership and organisational development (OD) work. This includes bringing thought and practice leadership to The Henley Forum, an applied research centre at Henley Business School, and to Masters’ programmes at Henley and beyond.

• Foreword Preface Introduction The introduction briefly introduces complexity science, the science of uncertainty, explaining why and how it is so useful to leaders. It then briefly outlines the structure for the book, explaining the focus of the three parts. PART 1 – The changing landscape for leadership and change PART 1 paints a picture of the changing landscape for leadership and change. It explains how the working world is qualitatively different now and why that matters for leadership and change. Chapter 1 – In constant motion This chapter sketches out the new landscape for leadership and change: Is it just me? Challenges of a world in constant motion From change to changing. From organisations to organising The death throes of change management Leadership assumptions that have had their time What does this mean for leadership and change? Chapter 2 – Complexity, straightforwardly This chapter offers a straightforward view of key concepts from complexity theory by relating them to real-world organisational challenges facing leaders: Help! Complexity is complex. Can we just simplify things? (Entanglement) Avoiding nasty surprises. Your key leadership dilemma (Uncertainty) Haven’t we been here before? The illusion of stability (Patterning) Let us turn back the clock! Why complexity is a one-way street (Emergence) What does this mean for leadership and change? Chapter 3 – Leading in the midst of change This chapter positions leaders in the midst of change and explores their leadership potency: Yes, it does matter what you say and do You’ve got to be in it to change it Why change is every leader’s job Making sense of the Dynamic Patterning of change What does this mean for leadership and change? PART 2 – Tools & techniques for leadership and change PART 2 begins by considering how we can invigorate existing tools and techniques with a new mindset. It then offers some new tools and techniques for leadership in complexity and change. Chapter 4 – Applying complexity thinking Why how we think about what we do matters a lot: Better to be roughly right, than precisely wrong Plausibility Provisionality Experimentation Questions, not answers Chapter 5 – Noticing weak signals It all starts with noticing: For the want of a horseshoe nail The power of small, human-scale data Slowing down thinking We each see part of the picture Noticing at multiple levels Chapter 6 – Spotting the vital signs of change New tools for noticing: Events and why they matter Changing patterns of relations Changing patterns of attention Changing patterns of emotion Taking a systematic approach Chapter 7 – ‘Catching reality in flight’ Making sense of what is changing as it is changing: Emerging issues and opportunities Patterns, meta-patterns and false patterns Paradoxical thinking – both/and Power of other perspectives Provisionality, again Chapter 8 – Informing your leadership responses Applying informed leadership: What you say and do matters Cues and signals Managing the stage Unintended consequences Keep on keeping on 　 PART 3 – Leadership and change practice PART 3 explores the practice and practices of leadership and change. Chapter 9 – It starts with you Leadership is personal: Self-as-instrument – what it means and why it matters Reflex, reflection and reflexivity Responsible leadership Ethical practice Authentic leadership Chapter 10 – Practices of leadership in complexity and change Putting the thinking into practice. How practitioners are doing it: Managing energy Collaborative leadership The art and science of nudging Managing the stage