Transforming Complexity into Simplicity: A Key Leadership Principle
“One of the most important things a leader must do is simplify the complex.” That bit of advice came to me nearly ten years ago while I was serving as the executive officer of a brigade combat team deployed to Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Our mission, and the fight required to complete it, was complex. As a result, our staff often generated operational plans and directives that were…well, they were complex. In fact, they were probably confusing to the soldiers on the ground trying to fulfill them. I’m sure that’s what warranted my commander’s sage advice, “…simplify the complex.” Those marching orders changed the way we did business from that moment on.
I was reminded of this not because of current events, but rather as the result of a message I heard from the senior commander of one of our nation’s finest Army divisions. He was speaking to a team of collegiate athletes. There’s always something special that happens when you get competitors together for a discussion about building winning cultures. So it was on this particular morning. It would have been easy for him to explain the complexity of his job and the division’s mission, but he didn’t do that. No. Instead, he shared the same thing that I’m sure he shares regularly with a team of more than 20,000 soldiers and civilians; a simple recipe for success. “Our soldiers and teams must be well trained, fit, disciplined, and cohesive.” “If we accomplish that, we will be ready to win the future fight.”
Trained, fit, disciplined, cohesive, ready to win the future fight.
His was a simple message with powerful impact. He had simplified the complex in a way that every member of his team, no matter their role or seniority, could understand it and behave in ways that help the team accomplish its mission.
If you’re reading this, it’s probably because winning matters to you. It’s probably because losing is not something you take lightly. You probably value high-character and courageous leadership. And it’s probably because you operate in a very complex environment. Pause for just a moment and consider the most junior member of your team. You know the one I’m talking about. The one that’s where the rubber meets the road. The one that’s actually doing the tough work that will determine your team’s success or failure. What message are they hearing from you? How well do they understand your recipe for success. If you’re not sure, ask. And before you explain, consider simplifying the complex.
