(From Forbes)—Converting complexity to clarity may be the most critical competency to move us from management effectiveness to leadership excellence. In his book, Beating the Global Odds, Paul Laudicina, managing partner and chairman of the board of A.T. Kearney, writes: “Not surprisingly, people (and organizations) everywhere are feeling disoriented, bewildered, and even paralyzed. From crisis and scandal to the proliferation of product choice and the relentless 24/7 ‘information smog’ of always-on news, email, and social media, we are not feeling smarter and wiser. On the contrary, our ability to think and act decisively with the future in mind has diminished. Imagine having—at last—the entire knowledge of human civilization at your fingertips, and finding it basically gives you a migraine.”

Laudicina posits that we have arrived at a critical juncture in our society where we can no longer keep up.  Expansion and increasing volume is happening at too fast a pace.   “Our ability to understand and act upon that information explosion chugs behind linearly.”  The information surge cannot be managed through even the most superior organization.  “We need a new way of thinking, behaving, and discerning…to manage and cope with the pace of change and disruption…even the best systems will be limited by the capacity of individuals and society to usefully absorb the data surge and then, with wisdom, know what to do with it.”

Perhaps the most valuable innovation we can make is the one that is most accessible to us. We can pause…step back… to discern through the “information smog” what is important and to gain deeper awareness and synthesis of information. As leaders, too often we step forward with action to deal with complexity without first stepping back for the clarity we need. Our impulse to speed up and take action is driven by our intention to achieve, but our go-to approach—action and transaction—is often futile when dealing with increasing chaos and complexity. Unknowingly, our dedication to speed and action can be counterproductive. As the VUCA forces (Volatility, Unpredictability, Complexity, Ambiguity) intensify, we have to consider learning how to step back to get clear so we can step forward with optimal contribution. Learning to bring clarity to complexity is an essential value-creating competency for leaders today.

Research led by Bob Eichinger of Korn Ferry International identified “dealing with ambiguity” as the most important leadership competency in shortest supply. The Center for Creative Leadership backs this up with research showing that the number one issue facing senior leadership today is “managing complex challenges.”  After sharing this research with one CEO, he said: “We do not need to ‘manage complexity’ or ‘deal with ambiguity.’ Our job as leaders is to transform complexity and ambiguity into something that creates enduring value.”

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