Leaders Talk - Better Leadership. Better Organizations. Better World Ep.135: Anne Caspari, how can we handle complexity in transformations?
Jan 30, 2026
Anne Caspari, coach and complexity specialist with a background in environmental planning, explains Cynefin-informed sensemaking and narrative tools. She explores ordered vs complex contexts, emergence and weak signals. Stories and SenseMaker replace linear surveys. Practical approaches include mapping, safe-to-fail experiments, and collective sensemaking to navigate uncertainty.
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Match Decision Approach To Context
- The Cynefin framework distinguishes ordered, complex, and chaotic contexts and prescribes different approaches for each.
- Treating human and cultural issues as predictable systems breaks interventions in complex domains.
Probe, Sense, Respond Not Plan
- In complex domains cause-and-effect are unknown so leaders must probe, sense, respond rather than plan from hindsight.
- Emergence means foresight can't be reliably derived from past data.
Act On Weak Signals Early
- Pay attention to weak signals like repeated micro-complaints and anomalies in daily interactions.
- Investigate recurring small concerns before they aggregate into systemic problems.