A friend and respected business executive wrote to Denise after reading Complexity Works! that, “Initially I was perplexed by what seemed to be a desire to accept complexity as a given (or status quo), but on further reading, your intentions and theories became clear to me.”  This comment is why we are committed and ready to enter into any and all uncomfortable conversations with executives who are perplexed by complexity.

We recognize that introducing a new paradigm that illuminates persistent problems into the already complex geopolitical, social, technical and economic considerations facing business leaders is disconcerting. However, being uncomfortable is often the reason why change happens. It creates the tension necessary for finding new alternatives and often provides the impetus for proactively seeking a different way to address change.

We help leaders “lean in” to this tension by sharing our special glasses that provide business leaders with an opportunity to see their current business conditions through two different and equally important paradigms — one that looks familiar, the (traditional) Red Lens paradigm and an unfamiliar one based on the non-linear sciences, the Blue Lens paradigm. Like 3-D glasses, we propose that looking through both at the same time uncovers new possibilities for thought and action.

Throughout our conversations we reinforce the existence of both paradigms in all organizations and generally our intentions become clear — we are not replacing what an organization is already doing with a new paradigm — we are expanding the options for managing rapidly changing business conditions.

The influences of complexity throughout all organizational operations is just as much a given as a leader or executive’s goal to deliver consistent and predictable results. An uncomfortable conversation may be just what you need to proactively seek a different way to see new solutions for addressing change.