I would like to take some of this away from Hitler and his
minions to an essay by a member, or former member,
of this list. The complexity expert John Warfield.
In an Essay on Complexity (1995) GMUniv. Warfield makes the point that
1. complexity is a state of mind in the participants of a
project and not an external situation.
(as Warfield states, complexity disappears when one knows
how to accomplish the task.)
2. The issue of leadership becomes paramount when
the group is involved in a complexity situation and one
person does not share that complexity.
"Once it is recognized the complexity is a state of mind,
a question arises as to similarities or differences in the
states of mind of multiple observers."
3. The three elements that are crucial to solving
the issue of complexity in the group task are:
a. TIME to accomplish the task
b. RESOURCES to accomplish the task
c. ACCESS by members of the group to
each other in the use of time and resources.
But then the issue of leadership arises:
"Suppose that one individual from a group of
observers truly understands the system, although the
others do not. We can imagine that this particular
observer, given enough time and resources and
access to the others in the observer group, would
very likely be able to eliminate complexity altogether,
if the others were interested in this outcome."
I find the last statement not cynical but realistic in
most leadership situations. Warfield continues:
"Yet there would still be irritating questions concerning
how the single observer attained freedom from
complexity in the problematic situation, and by
what means the single individual could convince the
others of that condition, thereby eliminating complexity
as a concern, by inducing understanding on the part
of all members of the group."
His essay continues with a very entertaining and
enlightening basically pedagogical discussion of the
problems of leadership. He points out that the normal
group processes can not only solve complexity but
when combined with psychological and cultural
points of view can induce and thus raise complexity.
[Host's Note: Missing "not"? ...not only cannot solve complexity, but...
?? ...Rick]
What a wonderful concept this engineering term is
turning out to be. As a teacher, I find it an interesting
tool in evaluating the possibilities of change within a
given population. It rarely stops me from trying, sucker
for art that I am, but it provides a good yard stick for
what is happening and why I succeed or fail.
Well the last two posts just reminded me of this essay, as
well as the earlier read through the Hayakian arguments
which have culminated in the views about "Dynamists versus
Stasists" which I think is like cutting the corpus collosum
and declaring war between the various hemispheres of
the brain. Sometimes leaders act with authority and
sometimes they create a situation in which experience
can bring the group to the doorstep of their own latent
knowledge.
regards
Ray Evans Harrell, artistic director
The Magic Circle Opera Repertory Ensemble of New York, Inc.
mcore@idt.net
http://www.freeyellow.com/members/mccony
Richard Charles Holloway wrote:
> Lindsey...I don't have a response to your first 2 questions, but I do to
> your 3rd. That is, that anyone who is connected and engaged with life and
> with others has the opportunity (capacity) to lead.
> >
> > Is the ability to lead inherent in everyone?
--"Ray E. Harrell" <mcore@idt.net>
Learning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>