At Intelligent Management we all share a passion for the movies. Two of the movies shown on TV during this 2016 presidential election week shed light on the complexity of American leadership and politics. On election day we take the opportunity to share a few thoughts on contemporary politics and society. Bulworth and the Ugly […]
Management Education: Updating Learning for the Age of Complexity
The major problem managers face today is complexity, and the current business degrees and MBAs on offer are not equipping their graduates with the right knowledge and tools. Managers today must be able to understand how things interdepend and evolve in order to navigate complexity. In our previous post we proposed a solution for organizational […]
Why and How to Build a Purpose-Driven Organization
An increasing number of organizations are talking about purpose. Purpose is the reason for which something exists. But when people talk about purpose they don’t just mean a goal. They mean purposefulness, a deeper meaning, a higher purpose. This is what some call the purpose economy, one that is geared towards good and the social and […]
What Happens in Europe This Week Affects You, Anywhere in the World (Brexit)
Whether you care or not about the UK staying in or exiting the European Union (EU), the result of this week’s referendum will affect you. Why? Firstly, because we live in a highly interdependent and therefore complex world and there will be a ripple effect into the global economy. Secondly, because it touches on a very […]
How to Grow the Whole Organization: Processes, Projects and the CIO are Key
“With digital strategies increasingly taking center stage in many businesses, more CIOs are reporting to the CEO.” So begins an article in this week’s CIO.com newsletter. Let’s say it again: the role of IT and the role of the CIO are central to creating a shift in how organizations operate, compete and thrive in this […]
Educating for the Future: It’s All About Networks and Projects
Work is becoming increasingly project-based; the ability to navigate networks and work within a team towards the completion of simple and complex projects will progressively be what is required of the future workforce. Unfortunately, we are still basing our education system today on models and content that were appropriate 50-100 years ago but that are […]
Making Your Intentions Work in An Organization
We are becoming increasingly aware of the need for collaboration and cooperation. This is not yet the mainstream for management and organizations, but the more complexity becomes the backdrop and context of what we do and experience, the more we need to find up-to-date ways to exist within that complexity. Is it just about being […]
Uncertainty and Choice: Quantum Mechanics for Leaders and Managers
Let’s be honest with ourselves: we don’t like uncertainty and we don’t like variation in everyday life. However, we can, and we must, live with both. But we can do much more than just put up with them when we understand them better and new science helps leaders and managers do just that. Making decisions and […]
How to Grow a Startup into a Sustainable Company
Startups abound. There is no lack of imagination, determination, and even funding for a good idea. The problem becomes, what happens next? The mortality rates of startups is high. We were asked, how can you keep startups alive so they grow to the a next, bigger and economically sustainable phase, especially given the complexity of […]
Pride Comes Before a Fall – A (Systemic) Lesson For Leaders and VW
Being conceited can come from occupying a position of power. It’s easy to convince yourself that if you are in the driving seat it’s because you deserve it, because you are intrinsically better than others. This is a vicious circle of wrong assumptions. If you are rich, you are better than the poor (even though you […]
