'Creating Conditions for Emergence' with Geoff Marlow

Emergence is the only way we can handle the increasing complexities of our world.
 
How can we create conducive conditions for emergence in our organisations..?
 
In his 2020 book ‘Sand Talk’ Tyson Yunkaporta, a member of the indigenous Apalech Clan from far north Queensland, Australia, and a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne, takes a critical look Western society viewed from an indigenous lens.
 
Especially scathing of our habit of applying single dimensional ‘solutions’ to complex problems, he says: “Anybody who thinks they've got a solution or they have a plan or a design or anything like that – they're an idiot. You can't. Dynamic systems don't operate like that. You have a thing called emergence. We know this. We know the science on it and emergence is the only thing that can deal with these kind of complexities. All you can do is foster the conditions for emergence.”
 
What insights from traditional indigenous wisdom, largely dismissed and even derided by Western perspectives on organisational and societal leadership, might inform future practice?
 
Yunkaporta offers a tantalising clue: “The most destructive idea in existence: I am greater than you; you are less than me. This is the source of all human misery”.
 
We’ll also explore contemporary research that helps explain why and how emergence works and how we might apply this understanding in practice.
 
For the past 35 years Geoff Marlow has worked with senior executives and their organisations across Europe, Asia and the USA, helping create future-fit cultures of innovation, agility, and adaptiveness.
 
In previous roles, he was a Director of the Society for Organisational Learning (2009-2015), a co-founder and Advisory Board member of the Daedalus Trust with former UK Foreign Secretary Lord David Owen (2010-2017), and Global Director of Innovation, Leadership and Learning with Arthur D Little (1995-2001).

Geoff Marlow biography

In an increasingly VUCA world, “none of us is as smart as all of us” must become lived reality – not just idle rhetoric.

35 years ago, I led a group of technologists at a world leading Open Innovation lab. Our culture of innovation, agility and value co-creation prompted a senior executive client to ask: “Could you come and help our people to behave more like your people?”.

I’ve specialised ever since in helping people in organisations throughout Europe, Asia and the US take high leverage low risk action for and by themselves to unlock their organisation’s unique future-fit culture.

Tue, 1 Mar, 18:30-20:30 Hong Kong Time
Fri, 4 Mar, 08:00-10:00 Hong Kong Time
Check your local time zone.