Reality revisited: leading people in chaotic change

The purpose of this paper is to describe a way for leaders to lead chaotic change. By chaotic change it is meant changes in an organization when the external and internal complexity and uncertainty are high.

The paper is based on a conceptual discussion.

The paper contributes to concepts of change management in organisations faced with increased complexity in internal and external environment. The study challenges mainstream change management concepts and its chance of success when faced with increased complexity. The authors make suggestions on how to lead chaotic change by influencing the patterns of human interaction. It is recommended to focus change management on people, identity and relationships by changing the way people talk in the organisation.

The authors contend that change management effectiveness is low because leaders underestimates the complexity of change, focusing on tools, strategy and structures instead of paying attention to how human beings change by forming identities through relating.

Successful change management practices must take better account of unpredictability, uncertainty, self‐governance, emergence and other premises describing chaotic circumstances. For a leader this necessitates paying attention to how people form identities in organisations, avoids design oriented command‐and‐control managerial interventions, as well as keeping at bay the anxiety caused by not being in managerial control.

The principal contribution is a conceptual discussion on how to lead people in change by influencing the development and direction of change by changing the on‐going communication in organisations. Theoretical and managerial ideas and insights into change management are provided for organisations faced with increased complexity.