Many organisations struggle with problems that just won’t shift, despite clear plans, skilled teams, and good intentions.
- A transformation that looked great on paper goes nowhere.
- A process improvement initiative sparks passive resistance.
- A strategy is communicated clearly, but no one seems to act on it.
The common thread? These are symptoms of complexity being treated as if it were simple or merely complicated.
Linear Thinking Isn’t the Problem, Using It Everywhere Is
Linear thinking is highly effective when the problem is well understood, the path is predictable, and best practices apply. It’s why planes fly, factories produce, and IT systems run. But it backfires when leaders apply those same tools to people systems, cultural dynamics, or fast-moving change.
Here are three consequences of applying linear thinking to complex challenges:
Oversimplification
We mistake surface-level issues for root causes, treating symptoms and not the system.
Resistance to Change
We bump up against invisible rules, culture, values, or power dynamics, that sabotage even the best strategies.
Missed Adaptation
We fail to recognise emerging signals and opportunities because the system doesn’t respond predictably to inputs.
And here’s why this happens:
- We default to what we know, familiar, structured, “safe” approaches.
- Our management systems reward clarity and efficiency, not ambiguity or iteration.
- Leaders are rarely trained in complexity thinking, it sounds abstract or academic.
But here’s the truth: complexity is not chaos. It’s just different. And it can be learned.
What Does Working With Complexity Look Like?
It starts by asking a new question: “What type of challenge am I actually dealing with?”
In my work, I use the Cynefin Framework to help leaders categorise their challenges into:
- Simple: Best practices apply.
- Complicated: Experts can analyse and resolve.
- Complex: Patterns only emerge retrospectively.
- Chaotic: Immediate action is needed to restore order.
Each domain requires different tools and methodologies. The problem isn’t using linear thinking, it’s using it in the wrong domain.
Three Practical Shifts to Get You Started
Here’s how I help organisations begin working with complexity instead of against it:
- Sensemaking Interviews Reveal the hidden forces driving behaviour—informal power networks, unspoken norms, and the “rules of the land.” These are the dynamics that often derail linear change efforts.
- Complexity Mapping Workshops Help teams distinguish between what’s complicated (solvable) and what’s complex (emergent). The clarity this brings is profound—and often shifts the entire approach.
- Safe-to-Fail Experiment Design We identify one area where the team can run a small, contained test, above the float line (i.e., low risk, reversible). These experiments unlock learning without fear and build confidence over time.
Why This Matters
Most organisations operate in environments that are volatile, uncertain, and interdependent. What worked yesterday may not work tomorrow. Yet too often, we apply “fix-it” logic to what actually needs a “feel-it-then-adapt” approach.
This isn’t woolly thinking, it’s strategic awareness.
And it’s learnable. Practically. Iteratively. With the right tools.
If you’re currently facing a persistent challenge that defies logic or resists planning, there’s a good chance you’re in the complex domain.
You don’t have to master complexity overnight. You just need to stop pushing it into boxes it was never meant to fit.
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Through Yinsight, I support companies, their managers and teams in their development with a view to achieving tangible performance that respects people. Creating strategy, working on collective values, aligning teams, managing complexity and interpersonal dynamics, and providing individual and collective support for transformation are at the heart of my work.