Leading with NLP

180 Leading with NLP

Straight-line thinking has three main flaws. First, it can be
flipped around and still make sense. Does unemployment
cause depression or does depression cause unemployment?
They are connected, but a connection is not a cause. Sec-
ond, both may equally be the effects of another unknown
cause. Third, where do you stop? For example, a manager
makes a wrong decision. Was it their fault? Or were they
badly advised? But who appointed the advisors? Who ap-
pointed the appointee? And so on. When you go hunting
causes to blame, you lose focus on the dynamic patterns that
are maintaining the problem here and now. Leaders don’t
search for culprits, but look to change the factors that are
maintaining the problem.
Unfortunately, complex systems are not easy to under-
stand. Faced with an uncertain world, leaders have to learn
to tolerate ambiguity, even to be comfortable with it. There
are few easy answers.

Profits

drop

Customers

move away

Lower quality

of work

Lower morale

Reduce

work force

(downsize)

Impact on

customers