Clarity During Uncertainty
There is value in working at the intersection of clarity and uncertainty. We attempt to deal with the uncertainty by asserting certainty, oversimplification or quick conclusions. When we are too immersed in a challenge we lose perspective. We confuse complexity with complication. Yet, embracing the discomfort of not knowing can give freedom to clear our mind, to investigate and to search for better solutions.
Setting The Scene
“Leaders must shift from a “know it all” to “learn it all” mindset.”- Satya Nadella
“Leadership is more about clarity than it is about control.”- Mark Goulston
“Music is powered by ideas. If you don't have clarity of ideas, you're just communicating sheer sound.” - Yo Yo Ma
“Clarity is the counterbalance of profound thoughts.”- Luc de Clapiers
“In a world full of people who seem to know everything, passionately, based on little (often slanted) information, where certainty is often mistaken for power, what a relief it is to be in the company of someone confident enough to stay unsure (that is, perpetually curious).”- George Saunders
“It's not about being optimistic that things will work out. It's about being optimistic about what happens when they don't.” - Kfir Damari, cofounder of SpaceIL
“If you manage complex things as if they are merely complicated, you’re likely to be setting your company up for failure.”- Rick Nason
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER?
What do you do when you're faced with a big decision?
How do you make sense of a situation or understand what is happening around you?
How do you reduce the loss of control that inevitably comes during uncertainty?
Can you analyse or identify the root causes of setbacks and head off problems?
How can you listen with systemic thinking to uncover what’s behind the apparent problem?
What do you do when the choices in front of you don't get you what you need?
How can you seek viewpoints, be open minded, question your own judgement and conclusions, look for novelty, adopt integrative thinking and look for what you can learn?
Happy reading and stay curious!
Here is more information about this selection of books.
Clear Thinking: Turning Ordinary Moments into Extraordinary Results by Shane Parrish. Drawing on examples ranging from the evolutionary origins of our 'emotion default' to the secret history of the Challenger disaster, Parrish offers powerful mental models to make sense of any situation. And he reveals a simple, actionable method for smarter decision-making.
Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense by Saul Perlmutter, Robert MacCoun, John Campbell. In our deluge of information, it's getting harder and harder to distinguish the revelatory from the contradictory. A psychologist and a philosopher introduce readers to the tools and frameworks that scientists use to keep from fooling themselves, to understand the world, and to make decisions.
Beyond the Five Whys: Root Cause Analysis and Systems Thinking by James C Paterson. A straightforward explanation of root cause analysis and systems thinking. A clear and structured explanation how to analyse setbacks and head off problems in the first place. Learn what root causes are, how they differ from immediate and contributing causes and why it’s so important to go beyond the Five Whys technique for root cause analysis.
Creating Great Choices: A Leader's Guide to Integrative Thinking by Jennifer Riel and Roger L. Martin. When it comes to our hardest choices, it can seem as though making trade-offs is inevitable. But what about those crucial times when accepting the obvious trade-off just isn't good enough? What do we do when the choices in front of us don't get us what we need? In those cases, rather than choosing the least worst option, we can use the models in front of us to create a new and superior answer. This is integrative thinking. Insightful and instructive, Creating Great Choices blends storytelling, theory, and hands-on advice to help any leader or manager facing a tough choice.
Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis. They examine "both/and" thinking to make more creative, flexible, and impactful decisions in a world of competing demands. For many of us, these competing and interwoven demands are a source of conflict. Since our brains love to make either-or choices, we choose one option over the other. We want certainty. This is a book I have written about previously and is definitely worth including again.
The Upside of Uncertainty: A Guide to Finding Possibility in the Unknown by Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr. In our fast-paced, ever-changing world, uncertainty is on the rise. We face it every day. But few of us have been taught the techniques to navigate it well. The Upside of Uncertainty provides the inspiration, tools, and strategies you need to thrive through the inevitable plot twists in your life and career.
one more book for the list
It’s Not Complicated: The Art and Science of Complexity for Business by Rick Nason. Rather than consider complicated and complex as interchangeable terms, Rick Nason explains what complexity is, how it arises, and the errors in solving complex situations with complicated thinking. It’s Not Complicated provides managers with fresh, counterintuitive and actionable models for dealing with challenging business problems.
Dianne’s articles to explore
WHERE IS YOUR PROBLEM-SOLVING FOCUS? Mentor-Coach Conversation | Try an experiment. Think of three problems you have faced recently. Was your response situational or default? Did you change focus when needed to ensure better solutions and pathways?
VISION TO ACTION Mentor-Coach Conversation | Whether it is an enterprise-wide strategy, a transformation plan or a key piece of work, moving from visualisation to actualisation takes a specific execution skill set, an investment in mission-critical talent, the right resource allocation, hyper focus and discipline. Certain operating styles create differentiation and impact.
LEAD THROUGH QUESTIONS Mentor-Coach Conversation | Do you have all the answers? Inquiry and curious questions makes for better problem solving, uplift value, foster learning, innovation, performance improvement and forge different paths.
FOCUS SHAPES CONTRIBUTIONS Mentor-Coach Conversation | Whether you are part of an executive team, in the c-suite or have joined the boardroom, one thing is certain, where you focus your attention and what you listen for, shapes your contributions.
FURTHER IDEAS AND LEARNING
🚩 READ MORE ON LEADERSHIP AND CHANGE and PROBLEM-SOLVING and FOCUS SHAPES CONTRIBUTIONS or our READING LISTS
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