Day 288 – Organizations Gravitate toward Complexity

Human organizations naturally gravitate towards complexity. This principle is based on the concept that if left unchecked, humans will always make things more complicated than they need to be. The way we organize ourselves directly impacts how we perform. As an organization grows, there will be a certain amount of inherent entropy, but some systems are more susceptible to entropy than others. It is important to strive for simplicity in organizational leadership and constantly think about how to reduce, prune, and simplify organizations. The most powerful and beneficial ideas are often the ones that reduce complexity. keywords complexity, human organizations, entropy, simplicity, organizational leadership takeaways Human organizations naturally gravitate towards complexity if left unchecked. The way we organize ourselves directly impacts our performance. Striving for simplicity in organizational leadership is hard work. The most powerful ideas often reduce complexity. titles The Power of Ideas that Reduce Complexity The Natural Gravitation Towards Complexity Sound Bites "Human organizations naturally gravitate towards complexity." "You must strive to keep things simple." "The most powerful, disruptive, and beneficial ideas are almost always the ones that reduce complexity in our organization." Chapters 00:00 The Natural Gravitation Towards Complexity 02:24 Striving for Simplicity in Organizational Leadership 04:50 The Power of Ideas that Reduce Complexity