Strategic thinking isn't just about setting a direction, it's about choosing paths that allow us to adapt and gain advantage amidst uncertainty. As Heinz von Foerster advises, "I shall act always to increase the total number of choices." This philosophy is invaluable today when resilience and flexibility are essential.

Increasing options offers flexibility and builds a more adaptive and resilient organisation. Expanding the range of possibilities avoids locking ourselves into rigid structures and fixed outcomes. Instead, we foster an environment where options evolve alongside circumstances.

Through my experiences leading in the British Army and consulting for various organisations, I have quickly understood that effective leadership requires constant adaptation and the ability to navigate conflicting demands.

Unfortunately, modern "thought leadership" often seems too narrow and fails to account for the complex factors that shape our reality.

In the rapidly shifting terrain of organisational management, debates around structure have become increasingly prominent. On one side, there are proponents of trendy frameworks like Holacracy, which advocate for flat, self-organising teams with distributed authority.

On the other hand, traditional hierarchical structures still hold sway, promising clarity and stability in decision-making. Yet, the real challenge facing organisations today isn't about choosing between hierarchy and flat structures.

I propose a holistic approach to enabling organisations to operate in increasing complexity and uncertainty, allowing them to be self-organising, self-regulating, and adaptable. This holistic approach looks to develop a synergy between the Viable Systems Model (VSM), the principles of Misson Command and a culture of decentralised decision-making.

It's no secret (unfortunately, some leaders haven't cottoned on). Still, the environment we operate in and navigate is complex and dynamic, with organisations continually evolving and responding to their context and environment. This environment is far from stable and requires the capability to support a certain degree of stability and coherence while being adaptable and ready to shift.

How can organisations effectively balance the needs of the present with preparing for the future?

The Viability Challenge: Balancing Present and Future, Inside and Outside. For any organisation to be viable over the long term, it must strike a careful balance. It needs to meet the demands and realities of the present while also adapting and evolving for the future. It must optimise internal operations while responding to the external environment. Stafford Beer, a pioneer in management cybernetics, emphasised that for systems to be viable, they must be "self-organising, self-regulating, and capable of adapting to ensure long-term sustainability and effectiveness."

Why is it that despite centuries of guidance from Sun Tzu, Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, and Carl von Clausewitz, many of today's organisations still find themselves unprepared for the challenges of the modern business environment?

The Ghosts of Strategies Past: Are We Still Haunted?

Boardrooms today are haunted by the ghosts of strategies past. With its rigid 2x2 frameworks and dusty SWOT analyses, the spectre of old-school planning still lingers in the air. Due to the complex reality organisations face today, these antiquated strategies often fail. Why?