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Emergent Leadership: Linking Complexity, Cognitive Processes, Adaptability, and Innovation

The Complexities in Social Systems Project considers leadership an emergent process and as the outcome of social interaction.  As the lead researcher, Sandra Martinez is especially interested in the application of emergent principles drawn from studies of complexity in biology, chemistry, and physics to social systems as this theoretical framework seems to best capture the reality of the interrelatedness of the universe at all levels, from the individual, the team, the organization, the nation, and among international entities.  Evolutionary studies in complexity offer insight about collaboration and emergent processes offer insight into how novel structures and processes come about, topics that are critical to approaching a better understanding of the processes of adaptability and innovation.
 
One of the foundational premises of constructive development theory is that human development is more than simply acquiring more knowledge, but rather a qualitative change in how one interprets experience, views the world, and structures knowledge.   Using constructive development theory and, more specifically, the technology of the Leadership Development Profile, an assessment that measures one’s level of cognitive complexity, Sandra conducts research and consulting projects.  In these projects she seeks to support the leadership development of participants while at the same time contribute to a growing body of knowledge about leadership.  As an action researcher, she is committed to a reflective, interactive, and collaborative process of progressive learning and problem-solving on the part of participants in an initiative or project with the ultimate goal of timely and effective action.

An interconnected and complex global environment, while volatile and unpredictable, at the same time offers rich opportunities for learning, innovation, collaboration and the creation of wealth.  Part of the project investigation lies in exploring what leadership models influence the behavior of individuals, groups, and larger social entities to interact in configurations and patterns that encourage constructive learning, collaboration, and adaptation.  Sandra proposes that a set of higher level leadership capabilities that are consistent with 21st  century security challenges include sufficient cognitive agility to reconcile diverse mental frameworks, sufficient cognitive complexity to respond to diverse and changing environments, high levels of self-awareness and cognizance about one’s assumptions, a capacity for mutual feedback and collaboration, an ability to recognize emergent patterns, the capability to harness collective intelligence by working in inclusive, collaborative ways to grow communities of trust, possessing a broad temporal orientation, and some understanding of sense-making and learning processes.