Simple Habits for Complex Times summary

Let’s return to Yolanda, the head of our government agency. She’s sitting at her desk surrounded by stacks of files and folders. Each stack contains in-depth reports about an individual case of a missing child. Each report is filled with details, dates, and descriptions.

Reading the reports is heartbreaking, but not illuminating. They each provide an intimate story about what happened to an individual child, but give no insight as to why multiple children had to suffer.

Picture this scene: It’s performance review time at a high-powered consulting firm. It’s been a rough year with a lot of change. The stressed-out senior director sits at her desk. Across from her is her equally frazzled employee. Now, here’s a question: In this situation, who would you rather be?

As it turns out, most people would rather be neither. Giving and getting feedback is an essential yet unpleasant part of any job. It can be tense and tedious. If done poorly, it can even result in more problems down the road. However, these issues can be avoided if you let feedback become a two-way street.

Spaghetti, string, tape, and a marshmallow. Give these same materials to three groups: a group of architects, a group of consultants, and a group of children. Now, tell them to build the tallest tower possible. Which team will come out on top?

Obviously, the architects. But, most of the time, the children are a close second. While the architects have all the technical knowledge, the kids benefit from a wealth of creativity and a carefree attitude to try out wacky ideas. After all, if their tower falls, they can still eat the marshmallow.

Clear-headed, calculating, perfectly logical. When asked to describe the ideal coworker, these are some of the adjectives that usually top the list. And yet, unless you work on an intergalactic starship down the hall from Spock, they probably don’t describe your colleagues.

But remember: they don’t describe you either. The truth is, no one is entirely rational. The human brain is excellent at analytical thinking, but it comes with a whole host of irrational quirks, biases, and eccentricities as well.

Years of practice, a written score, and an able conductor leading the way. It takes a lot for an orchestra to do justice to a beautiful symphony. But this complicated task is made simpler by having a clear goal: to play a faithful rendition of a composed piece.

A jazz band has a different challenge. Each time they play a song, it can be, and is supposed to be, completely different. This improvisational approach takes a unique type of communication. There’s no fixed score to lead the way, and each musician has to be open to subtle cues and unexpected riffs.

Think back to the biggest changes in your life. Were they intentional and planned, like a move to a new city? Or, were they unexpected surprises, like a sudden accident or business failure? Maybe, the changes were so gradual, you didn’t even notice them happening until they were over.

There’s no denying that change can take many forms. But, no matter what form it does take, change itself is inevitable. So, handling it in the right way is a crucial skill for any leader.

When you flick a light switch, your lamp turns on instantly. But, when you plant a seed, you don’t expect to be harvesting fresh fruit in a matter of minutes. Instead, you must till the soil, water the earth, and make sure your young sapling gets just the right amount of sunlight.

Just like growing a verdant garden, developing an organization ready for the VUCA world takes patience. There’s no magic button to press or lever to pull. It’s all about creating the right environment, and then letting nature take its course.