Christine took a 4 year sabbatical from our team during which time she completed her PHD in Leadership. We’re excited to have Christine back on our team and have asked her to highlight some of the insights she gained during the last four years of studying, researching and writing about leadership as part of her PhD.

Like the skiers in the photograph, leaders are often faced with decisions that are complex and where making the wrong decision could have serious consequences.  In such situations, decision makers can find themselves at either end of the decision making spectrum – analysis paralysis on the one end or falsely simplifying the ‘landscape’  or context to make the decision easier on the other.

This leadership secret is probably best illustrated outside of work. How do you know that your parent, spouse, child or partner loves you?  What makes you sure and what causes you to doubt? There are many visible things they do and say that point to their love for you.  But that’s not what really clinches the deal. While they are an important part of your knowing, they are far from being the whole picture.

I’d like to share a story with you.  A story of beginnings.  A story of discovery.  A story that I hope begins to show what we believe so deeply about the forces at the heart of Spacious Complexity. As a person who values meaningful, lasting impact I always give myself fully to whatever I do.

There is no such thing as someone not impacting. By our presence alone we change the environment and impact the system we have entered. An example of this happened when I was a young teenager…one with an attitude and what I now realize were friends of questionable character. I certainly didn’t see them that way then!

I found this TED TALK on The Danger of a Single Story very thought provoking. I wonder what single stories we live with that give us myopic vision in our lives and our organisations?