The path to complexity
In my experience, complexity rarely arrives all at once. It creeps in through a combination of leadership habits, unclear processes, overlapping tools and skill gaps.
This might sound like I’m taking a jab at some technology leaders, but it’s a reality I’ve seen across industries: leaders set in their ways, making purchasing decisions without fully understanding the technical requirements. When leaders approve overlapping solutions, delay decommissioning unused tools or fail to empower technical teams to choose the right platforms, complexity becomes embedded in the organization’s DNA.
Somewhere along the way, the mentorship aspect of leadership disappeared. We’ve replaced coaching and enabling with gatekeeping and sign-off authority. The result? Disconnected teams, poor adoption and wasted resources. And when decision-making is divorced from technical reality, complexity grows unchecked.
