Archive for Complexity

Leaders: What Avatar Reveals about Respecting Differences and Organizational TanglesTM

If you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!There’s a buzz in the air about the movie Avatar. My husband and I trekked over to our local IMAX theater (www.imax.com) this past weekend and were not disappointed. The movie truly sets a new standard for moviemakers and moviegoers [...]

Night of the Living Dead, VUCA, and Strangling Tangles

This past Halloween, my husband and I locked ourselves in our darkened home, and watched a dvd of  Night of the Living Dead. I had never seen it before and to be honest, I can’t say that I truly watched the whole thing. I spent part of the movie hidden under a blanket! If you [...]

What Leaders Can Learn from Twitter, Facebook, and #Iran Election?

For the past ten days, I have been glued to the media and social networking sites, especially Twitter. I am not alone.  I have been awed by the level of interest, caring, and actions taken by so many after the June 12 election. As I sat in my office, watching my computer screen, I felt [...]

What Yoga Teachers Can Teach Leaders About Untangling

I just returned from what is now an annual week long sojourn to the Ixtapan de la Sal Spa in Ixtapan de la Sal, Mexico. Located two hours south of Mexico City, in an idyllic village, it is easy to unwind, reflect, and relax. The spa itself is reasonably priced and clean, with friendly staff. [...]

Invest in Developing Leaders Who Must Lead in Turbulent Times

photo credit: Serendigity
This morning, I was browsing the Wall Street Journal online, looking for some good news. I came upon two articles byDana Mattioli. Her first article, “Despite Cutbacks, Firms Invest in Developing Leaders,” brought a smile to my face. Apparently, many firms realize that they need to continue developing their leaders if they [...]

Is Your Leadership Team Up to the Task?

My corporate clients are in a panic. Their business reality, as they knew it before mid September 2008, has shifted. Companies with strong cash reserves are holding back on spending. Companies without strong cash reserves are shedding employees and cutting capital expenditures. The rules of the game have changed. Yet, we all know that some [...]

Making Sense of Wicked Tangles

I recently conducted a rigorous research study on how key stakeholders in an organization make sense of a seemingly intractable complex challenge exacerbated by human dynamics issues. The current economic mess is a wicked tangle because it involves multiple stakeholders, each with a different view of the situation. Each stakeholder not only has their own [...]

Ending Strangling Tangles Starts at the Top

I watched today’s inauguration of President Barak Obama on a large screen television in front of San Francisco’s City Hall. A large and diverse crown gathered and there was a palpable sense of expectancy and hope for better times and change. A change in leadership always presents the opportunity to right past wrongs and [...]

Today’s Economic Crisis is a Wicked Tangle

Last night, Jon Stewart , host of the Daily Show , interviewed Bethany McLean , a contributing editor of Vanity Fair about the current economic crisis. Stewart opined that while we can understand the Madoff fraud, it is much harder to wrap our heads around the economic meltdown. Jon Stewart commented that money seemed [...]

Building Trust during Merger Integrations

According to a November 2008 McKinsey study, 22% of over 1400 executives from a cross-section of industries, geographies, and functional areas anticipate that they will be seeking merger and acquisition opportunities. That is, those companies that are still in fairly good financial shape will take advantage of opportunities to purchase complimentary companies at a [...]

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Marcia Ruben, Ph.D., CMC

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