Living and Leading in a Rugged Landscape

Previously in this essay, I mentioned the work of Miller and Page regarding “dancing landscapes.” This intriguing metaphor holds great promise in helping us better understand the nature and dynamics of organizational evolution and innovation.  I will briefly consider this landscape metaphor, along with another metaphor (the rugged landscape) which represents a system that is less dynamic but equally as complex).  I then turn to a topological metaphor—the warped plain (chroed)—that I believe offers even greater insights regarding the experience of tippy vulnerability.

Researchers who study complex systems use the metaphor of landscapes to distinguish a complex challenge from other types of simpler challenges being faced in various systems, including organizations, (Miller & Page, 2007). They point to the image of a single, dominant mountain peak when describing one type of landscape. Often volcanic in origin, these imposing mountains are clearly the highest point within sight. For those living in or visiting the Western United States, we can point to Mt. Rainer (in western Washington) or Mt. Shasta (in northern California). Mt. Fuji in Japan also exemplifies this type of landscape. You know when you have reached the highest point in the region and there is no doubt regaining the prominence of this peak. One knows when a satisfactory solution has been identified and one can stand triumphantly at the top of the mountain, knowing that one has succeeded and can look back down to the path followed in reaching the peak.

There are other landscapes that are much more challenging—and these are the primary domains of coaching.  As organizational coaches, we are likely to often confront the challenge of helping our clients work with complex problems—even dilemmas and nested dilemmas. (Bergquist and Mura, 2011) These problems and dilemmas can be said to reside in (and help to make up) “rugged landscapes.” (Miller and Page, 2007)  This type of complex landscape is filled with many mountains of about the same height, as well as river valleys, forested plains and many communities (think of the Appalachian Mountains), as compared with a landscape in which one mountain peak dominates or in which a series of similar-sized mountain peaks dominate (the mountain range). In a complex, rugged landscape, one finds not only many competing viewpoints but also an intricate and often paradoxical interweaving of these differing viewpoints. Dilemmas confront us in complex rugged landscapes with the need to balance or manage two or more opposed, yet equally valid, interests or polarities. Whenever multiple stakeholders with unique interests are involved, it is safe to expect a dilemma to present itself for the leader who intersects with it. The dilemma-filled challenges that the 21st Century leader faces makes the role played by a 21st Century coach even more important (perhaps even imperative).