Complexity

Complexity

Dan Allender writing on complexity in his book, “Leading With A Limp,” says; “Operating according to biblical principles in a corporate or organizational context – one that is governed by a unique mission and vision, one that faces competing demands and needs – feels like the picking where the ball is going to land on a roulette wheel. With
the best wisdom available and much reflection and prayer, leaders decide. And often the
decision sets into motion the next crisis.”

How many times as leaders have we been confronted with this option and situation as a leader? We have an organizational mission and vision to accomplish against competing demands and needs. We have to make a choice and move the organization forward. Not fun, but that is what a leader must do. In my leadership, I have dealt with leadership and complexity, where I was confronted in dealing with how to operate a Christian aid agency in an Islamic context that was both true to its mission, but also with international agreements that had been signed. It was
challenging and yet exhilarating as we went along with this process. It became clear to me, as a leader of multiple Christian NGOs working in Muslim majority contexts that integrating faith, whether it is Islamic or Christian into your daily operations is complex. You have employees that represent both faiths, and you need them to develop a common
understanding, so they can move forward together to accomplish organizational goals. It is not that the Christian or Muslim faith is wrong or right, but more of; how to take what is best of both faiths and have that cross pollinate staff in relationship to issues of social justice. All three Abrahamic faiths are clear that we are to help those in need, so that was
not the issue.

After much thought, talking with people, reading, and praying; it was clear to me that Inter-Faith dialogue was an excellent concept to use, and so I adopted it as an organizational strategy to enhance teamwork, security, and organizational values. It was a strategy that not too many people in World Vision had tried in a fragile context,
operating as a Christian NGO in an Islamic country. We did not really have much money to do this because it was such an “outside the envelope” approach in World Vision. I knew it was the right approach, because of my reading and listening to God speak to me.
I

kept pushing my organization to embrace this concept. As a result of holding many sessions with staff, local and national leaders, and community members, the concept started to take hold and be understood not only by the people and staff on the ground, but by my corporate chain of command.
The key in this complex process was communicating over and over what the strategy was. In leadership complexity, you must communicate what the goal is, constantly. Especially in situations, where complexity of situation allows people to throw their hands up or shut down their minds, because that is the easier way out than grapple with the complex issue. By breaking down the concept into bit size chunks the leader can make the complex look and feel more manageable. It set the stage for World Vision Somalia to operate effectively in the complex context that it is in currently. I also think it will set the stage for leading on complex issues in your personal life.
So, what have I learn from leadership and complexity:

 Believe The Decision – When you make a decision in a tough and complex situation, believe in the decision you are making and stick to it. You will experience ups and downs, but if you don’t believe in it, the downs periods will
never make sense to you.

 Own The Decision – Once a decision is made, you the leader must be prepared to own the results – good or bad. If you have put the preparation time into the decision considering the different results, then don’t worry about the outcome. Usually the outcome is out of your control anyway.

 Communicate The Decision – Make sure that you are seen communicate the decision, so people know where you stand personally. Don’t let someone else do the communicating, if you think the result will be bad and you want to protect yourself. If that is the case, the decision will probably go against you in the long run.

Complexity is like change, I think. If you embrace it, it makes it a whole lot easier to deal with than if you just keep it at arms length. I also think it sharpens you as a leader, because it forces you out of your comfort zone. Just as the Book of Proverbs says, iron sharpens iron – complexity will sharpen your leadership skills.