Chaos theory emerged from a variety of scientific and mathematical disciplines. A significant piece of work was done by a mathematical meteorologist, Edward Lorenz, 12 years before the term “chaos” was first used in mathematics. He accidentally discovered an infinitesimal change in a complex environment (the example he gave was the flap of a butterfly’s wing in a weather system) can over time influence a huge change (for example a tornado). When such an effect of minute changes are plotted, it becomes clearer why it is known as the butterfly effect.
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The butterfly effect is significant as it seems to go against the traditional wisdom of “The effort you put in determines what you get out”. It shows than within a complex system a small change can yield a large difference. So a small effort in fact can get a big result. This is significant for leadership. We are conditioned to believe hard work and serious effort alone gain results. This gives rise to a work ethic that says to get results out of an organisation you must put in long hours. Sadly many a marriage and home has been broken by such an assumption. The butterfly effect shows this assumption does not necessarily have to be true.
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Can the butterfly effect be applied to leadership? Experience would suggest yes. “Catalytic mechanisms” are an example. These are small changes to company policy that yield large results. Examples include:
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Catalytic mechanisms are not a pancea. They need a context within which results can flow. See Organisational Leadership for more information.
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