Research

Independent research projects in the USA and Russia shows that those organisations which have high Complex Adaptive Leadership principle scores do significantly better than those with lower scores.

Click here for summary details: CALsummaryIndependentResearch

Research Articles

The original CAL research publication – Updated and improved 2nd Edition

“Complex Adaptive Leadership – Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty”

The First Edition was published in 2010 and became a Gower best seller used by companies and business schools/universities around the world

Second Edition 2014 Paperback now available

Order direct from publisher: Click here

Complex Adaptive Leadership – Key Reviews and Summaries

“….a startingly good read for a business manager keen to develop a practical understanding of different strategies with which to engage subordinates.”

Integral Leadership Review, January 2012. Click here for full review and a good summary

“…an excellent conceptual framework that permits a comprehensive analysis of every aspect of leadership.”

First Trust Bank Economic Outlook and Businsess Review, December 2010. Click here for full review

“…a marvelous resource that connects adaptive leadership with complexity science…a strong support for researchers and scholars.”

Leadership and Organizational Development Journal, Vol 32 # 3, 2011. Click here for full review

What others say

“You will enjoy the mind-stretching concepts, the witty anecdotes and the practical advice….”

Julian BirkinshawProfessor London Business School

“A true tour de force, in a class of its own”

Margaret J. WheatleyAuthor of "Leadership and the New Science"

“Wonderfully clear, thorough and provocative…..this book is a must read….”

Jonathan GoslingProfessor at Centre for Leadership and Visiting Professor at INSEAD

“….brilliantly argues the case for organisations and their leaders to adapt to the complex uncertain world of today and tomorrow…”

Philip Sadler CBEex CEO Ashridge Business School

“Obolensky’s work, without doubt, represents ground-breaking thinking…..”

Mike WilliamsAuthor of "Mastering Leadership"

Other CAL Research Publications

More for Less introduces a new paradigm for leadership, Leadership 4.0. The problem is that most leadership assumptions are based on a deterministic view of the world. If you do X you should get Y, process can be employed for most things, and more complicated problems can be analysed to enable better decisions. However, whilst these approaches suit the Simple and the Complicated, they do not work so well for the Complex. The Complex needs a different approach the core of which is to enable the organisation being led to be agile and self-organising. Based on his previous book, Complex Adaptive Leadership, Nick Obolensky has created a simple and step by step approach to Leadership 4.0 whilst challenging and questioning the reader to be more effective and less busy.

Click here to go the book >>

Our short E book, published by the International Centre for Complex Project Management for Amazon Kindle, applies to projects and programmes some of the concepts from the main research findings in the book “Complex Adaptive Leadership: Embracing Paradox and Uncertainty”. The book looks at the 3 levels of Contextual (why projects/programmes are becoming more complex), Organisational (what project/programme principles need to be in place to handle such complexity) and Individual (how leaders can employ a variety of behavioural strategies). Cheaper than a packet of cigarettes and a lot healthier!

Click here to go the book >>

Our early “Blue Paper”, published by the Centre of Leadership at the University of Exeter in the UK, has an outline of some of the findings of our leadership research as well as some suggestions with regard to individual behavioural strategies. The paper builds on chaos maths and complexity science and proposes a “polyarchical” approach (i.e. leadership of the many by the many) rather than purely a traditional “oligarchical” approach (i.e. leadership of the many by the few). The paper is free to download and has been well received in many parts of the world despite its rather strange title!

Click here to download the paper (Chinese version) >>

Associates Research – a selection of their world leading publications

“Complexity Leadership” is a series of papers which explores the application of complexity science to leadership. Our associate Professor Mary Uhl Bien led this publication which introduces leadership and organizational scholars to the potential of complexity science for broadening leadership study. Such a view goes beyond the traditional focus on leaders’ actions and influence, to a consideration of leadership as a broader, dynamically and interactive organizing process. The book offers a primer on complexity science and its applications to organizations, and compares the logics of complexity science with those underlying traditional leadership approaches. It describes methodological approaches for studying leadership from a complexity perspective, with real life examples. Chapters are written by top scholars in complexity and leadership theory.

Click here to order a copy >>

“Reinventing Management” explores the need to look at a new way to manage people and is closely aligned to the CAL approach. Written by our associate Professor Julian Birkinshaw from London Business School, it has received much acclaim. The failure of management during the financial crisis is due to a deeply flawed model of management that encouraged bankers to pursue opportunities without regard for the long-term consequences and putting their own interests ahead of those of their employers, and shareholders. The same story has been staged in lots of companies that have been suffering from a failure of management. According to Julian, management is today struggling to do the job it was intended to do. In order to find out what is wrong Julian Birkinshaw explores new and effective ways for looking at management.

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“Leadinghip” is a short and refreshingly uplifting book by our associate Arnold Timmerman. The book bridges the gap between spiritual self-inquiry and practical personal and professional leadership dynamics. Rather than giving formularized answers and concepts, it raises questions which allow the reader to open up to a new leadership paradigm that reaches beyond our old beliefs and structures. It brings leadership back to its bare essence: non-personal inspiration through authenticity and passion. Leadingship is a leadership reflection of Life: ever changing, non-personal, all-inclusive and hugely inspirational. This book is its introduction and a inviting springboard for personal, professional, academic and spiritual exploration.

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“Uncommon sense, Common nonsense” is a much-needed blast of fresh air and was co-authored by Professor Jules Goddard who was the first PhD from London Business School. It has justly been described as clever, witty, challenging and provocative. It is a sharply written book with an entertaining attack on all kinds of management myths, warning of the dangerous and futile nonsense promoted by many so-called business gurus. It is full of leadership common sense. It is deeply rooted in the daily realities of business life. It will challenge how you think about running a corporation, leading teams, and how making things happen actually happens. And it blows away some traditional thinking, showing the need for a fresh and new way of looking at things. The authors are not asking you to agree with every page, but you will find fresh insights in every chapter.

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Rafael Viton’s entertaining approach to addressing the (often unaddressed) tension between right now and “what’s next” for organizations. The book explores how successful innovation leaders leverage the essential yin-yang paradox of idea monkeys/ringleaders, reliability/eventuality and technical/complex adaptive leadership to help build cultures of innovation. Viton and Maddock use metaphor, personal anecdotes and memorable patters of insight to introduce real-world best practices that have the capacity to make each of us dramatically better innovation leaders. “A must read for innovation leaders” -Dustin Cohn, CMO, Jockey International.

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Deepen your knowledge – some background research to complexity and CAL

Butterfly Effect

Many have heard or even talk about the Butterfly Effect. Few have read the paper that originated it. Click here to get it (and then click on green link “Buttefly_1972”). At CAL we turn this theory into practical applications through our CatMecs (Catalytic Mechanisms) that complement traditional change approaches by getting big results for small effort. Most of these focus on “stopping” things rather than “adding” yet new things to a change weary organisation.

Autopoiesis

Self-organisation offers effective and efficient ability for an organisation to adapt and innovate quickly. This is one of the biggest prizes complexity science offers. But can a diverse group make better collective decisions than a leader? Click for an article (and then green link “CollectiveProblemSolving”) where Johnson from Los Alamos shows such is true when facing uncertainty. At CAL we use science and mathematics to help leaders enable wider leadership at a deeper level by engaging the whole organisation in solving problems in a VUCA world.

Fractals

The most famous fractal is the Mandelbrot set above. Click here (and then click on green link “HowLongIsTheCoastOfBritain) to get an article by him which asks an interesting question with a surprising conclusion – How long is the coast of Britain.? At CAL we take fractal thinking and apply it to both our 8 principles as well as to demonstrate other surprising truths ( such as underneath many complex systems a few simple rules operate).

Running on Chaos

Can a company use chaos theory to get better results? Click here to see the article from Fast Company entitled “John Deere Runs On Chaos” to see how one company employed this new area of science and mathematics. At CAL we encourage the use and understanding of non-linear ways of seeing the world to enable companies to get better results for less effort.

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