There is a special kind of frustration that arises in complex projects. Everything is slow, nothing happens as planned, and finally someone thinks that more power is needed. More pressure, clearer decisions, faster pace. Someone says, let’s go now. And it feels good … for exactly five minutes.
Then something happens. Resistance increases. Misunderstandings grow. Decisions are questioned. What should accelerate the process slows it down instead.
This is where many leaders end up going astray. They try to solve complexity with power when what is needed is understanding.
Cynefin and understanding the world you are in
To understand why powerful action sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t, we need to understand different types of problems. The Cynefin framework divides reality into different domains that require different approaches.
In the simple area, cause and effect are clear. This is where standardization and best practices work. In the complicated area, there are still causal relationships, but they require analysis and expertise. This is where planning and optimization work.
The complex area is something else entirely. Here the connections are not clear in advance. They only become visible afterwards. And in the chaotic area there are no clear connections at all, at least not initially.
The problem is that we often use the same type of leadership in all these situations.
Why force works in certain situations
In simple and sometimes in complicated situations, forceful action works well. If a problem is clear and the solution is known, a decision, a push or a clear direction can be exactly what is needed.
It is like pressing the accelerator pedal when the road is straight and clear. The more force, the faster it goes.
But in complex systems the road is not straight. It changes while you are driving.
Complexity and when the system responds back
In complex situations the system consists of many actors with their own logics, incentives and pace. Organizations have different goals, cultures and decision-making processes. There are relationships, dependencies and sometimes hidden agendas.
When you press in such a system, something different happens than in a simple situation. The system responds back.
An example could be a collaborative project between a municipality, business and academia. One actor decides to accelerate the process by setting hard deadlines and pushing for decisions. The result is that the other actors, who have longer decision-making processes or other priorities, feel overwhelmed. They withdraw, question the process or slow down.
What should create momentum instead creates counterforce.
Pace and timing, the hidden dynamics
An important aspect of complex systems is that different actors move at different paces. A startup can make a decision in a day, a municipality may need months. A research project may have a long time horizon, while a company needs short-term results.
When someone tries to force the pace without taking these differences into account, friction arises.
It is like trying to get a symphony orchestra to play faster by shouting at the violinist. It doesn’t help if the rest of the orchestra doesn’t keep up.
Cynefin in practice, what works in complex and chaotic situations
In complex situations, Cynefin recommends a working method that is often described as first acting through small experiments, then observing what happens and then adapting. It is about trying, feeling and responding.
This means that you do not try to find the right solution from the beginning, but create several small attempts and see which ones work. It is an exploratory approach.
In chaotic situations, the logic is different. There, it is about first acting to create some form of stability, then feeling what is happening and then responding. Here, forceful action may be necessary, but it is temporary and aims to create order, not to control the entire system.
The difference is crucial. In chaos, force can be the right first step. In complexity, it is often the wrong first step.
Push and pull, two ways of influencing
This leads us to an important distinction between push and pull. Push is about pushing, making decisions, setting direction and pushing for change. Pull is about creating attraction, incentives and opportunities that make others want to move in a certain direction.
In simple systems, push often works well. In complex systems, pull often works better.
For example, if you want to get several organizations to work more sustainably, you can try to force change through requirements and rules. That’s push. Or you can create solutions that make it attractive and profitable to act sustainably. That’s pull.
Pull creates movement through motivation. Push creates movement through pressure.
When push works and when it doesn’t
Push can work in situations where there are clear mandates, common goals and short decision-making paths. It also works in urgent situations where quick action is required.
But in complex systems with many actors and different logics, push risks creating resistance. It is felt that someone is attempting to control something that cannot be controlled.
Pull works better when you want to create long-term change. By building relationships, creating incentives and showing value, you can get more people to want to move in the same direction.
A four-axis to understand when push works
You can imagine a simple four-axis where one axis is about the degree of complexity and the other about the degree of shared will.
- In situations with low complexity and low shared will, push can work in the short term, but risks creating resistance in the long term.
- In situations with low complexity and high shared will, push often works very well. Here, decisions can be made and progress can be made quickly.
- In situations with high complexity and low shared will, push often works poorly. Here, instead, work is needed on relationships, understanding and a shared goal before any real change can take place.
- In situations with high complexity and high shared will, a combination of light push and strong pull works. Here there is a shared direction, but the path to it needs to be explored.
Inter-organizational challenges, when no one rules over everyone
In systems innovation, you often work between organizations. There is no manager who can make decisions for everyone. This means that traditional leadership methods are not enough.
Here, the ability to create pull becomes crucial. To build narratives, create shared benefits and get others to want to join in.
It is less about controlling and more about enabling.
The metaphor of the sailboat
You can compare this to sailing. Push is like using an engine. It works well when you have control and a clear direction. Pull is like using the wind. You cannot control it, but you can position yourself so that you get power from it.
In complex systems, it is often the wind that decides.
When more gas gives less speed and understanding the difference
Power is not wrong, but it must be used correctly. In some situations we need to push. In others we need to let go.
Real leadership lies in understanding the difference.
And perhaps even more importantly, to dare to do less when it feels like you should be doing more.
