3 Ways to Harness The Power of Serendipity

chaos-control-leadershipI like plans and planning. Business plans, contingency plans, and succession plans are all good things—until they aren’t. The very same plans that once brought order, continuity, and control have morphed into rigid obstacles to progress and innovation.

Both individuals and companies do it:  people become so bound to their plan that they lose sight of the big picture and fail, or worse, miss a fantastic opportunity. Businesses become so mired in the, “that’s-how-we’ve-always-done-it” mindset that the market passes them by, their products or processes become obsolete (think Borders Books, DEC, or Montgomery Ward), and they go out of business.

A few years ago I participated on the inaugural steering committee for a new community conference that had the goal of becoming an annual event. The first event was a roaring success, so was the second. The third not so much.

One of original steering committee members who had stayed the course (I dropped out after the first crazy, fun, rewarding but super time-eating year) shared her diagnosis as to why the third event was unsuccessful, “We relied on the plan too much. No one wanted the chaos we had the first year. But because we stuck to the plan, we missed out on including some excellent panelists and speakers. People we learned about after the selection process was finished. No one wanted to step outside the lines and do something different.”

The Power of Purposeful Discomfort

By virtue of conditioning, training, or preference, people often fall into one of two mental traps:  that without control there’s chaos or that too much control stifles creativity. Both viewpoints have merit. However, bad outcomes arise when we believe we must select between these two extremes:  that either it’s control or it’s chaos.

If our goal is progress and innovation, the trade-off for achieving that goal is accepting and managing the creative tension produced by having both chaos and control. They’re “equally important but essentially different” as Peter Drucker says. Disorder and boundaries are interdependent but contradictory elements necessary for success over time.

If we’re a control freak, we naturally want to resolve contradictions and create order. It feels better. It’s tidier. However, if we love having a blank slate, plans feel confining, too arbitrary. But picking sides in a paradox where both elements are needed for the best outcome is a recipe for personal and professional failure.

3 Ways to Harness the Power of Serendipity

So, how do effective leaders lead themselves and others in a creative dance where the partners are chaos and control?

They:

1) Know where they’re going, what they want to accomplish, and have a plan for getting there. There’s a timeline. Roles, responsibilities, and measures of success are defined. There’s also a willingness to flex or scrap it all and re-invent.

2)  Get comfortable being slightly uncomfortable. They recognize that always sticking to the plan without fail provides a false sense of security that blinds them to new opportunities. They’ve learned to be flexible with “how” the “what” is implemented and are also willing to challenge their thinking about the end goal. They embrace and reward purposeful discomfort.

3)  Leave room for serendipity. Whether that “interaction with an unintended outcome” (Scott Doorley, Stanford) or moment of aha realization is engineered by an app or spontaneous stroke of fate, they’re open and receptive to the mad genius possibilities it presents. They don’t let existing plans be straitjackets.

“Serendipity. Look for something, find something else, and realize that what you’ve found is more suited to your needs than what you thought you were looking for.” ~Lawrence Block

Embracing the power of serendipity so we can dance with both control and chaos requires a willingness to be vulnerable and sometimes not be certain of the next step. That kind of discomfort is a good thing.

Have how you learned to dance with both stability and innovation? Please share your thoughts in the comments section. 

About Jane Perdue

Jane Perdue, Founder and Principal of Braithwaite Innovation Group, a boutique consulting firm, is a leadership futurist who writes, speaks and consults about challenging stereotypes, gender bias and how we think about power. Prior to joining Braithwaite, she was a vice president for 15 years at Fortune 100 companies including Comcast and AT&T. Jane is a chocolate, TED, writing, kindness, both/and, wine, and shoe lover.

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Comments

  1. Hi Jane,

    Thank you for your great post on serendipity. I too am a huge believer in this concept as can be witnessed by my September 2012 blog post, “I Believe in Serendipity”.

    “Purposeful discomfort” is such an apt descriptor of the mindset one must have to embrace the conflict between order and chaos. How do you help others “let go” and be at ease with that feeling? I would love to hear your thoughts.

    All the best,

    Susan

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Morning, Susan!

      Glad to know I have a fellow serendipity believer!

      A great tool I use for shining a light on purposeful discomfort is a polarity map. Using chaos and control as an example, clients go brainstorm and list the upsides and downsides that occur from focusing too much on one or the order. This is where their tolerance for purposeful discomfort is tested: either they’re willing to do the hard work to manage these mutually reinforcing systems or they aren’t. Expanding comfort zones is inside work!

      With a smile,

      Jane

      • Thank you for your suggestion, Jane. I can see how a polarity map would help increase one’s self awareness and then act on that knowledge. So pleased to be connected with you and learn from you.

        Susan

  2. 2 is my fave Jane! I test and tweak to better serve my audience and spread the word about my online businesses. Thanks!

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Ryan – getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is the best way to get better; and your practices/success absolutely underscore and demonstrate that!

  3. I love the power of purposeful discomfort! What a great term! Thank you for the great post.

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Cheryl – big thanks for liking the purposeful discomfort phrase and for your kind words!

  4. Oh Jane, I love this post. You had me with the thought “We relied too much on the plan from the previous year because we didn’t want the chaos of the first year..”

    This covers an infinite number of situations and settings in work and everyday life. To find that point where the unplanned feels like serendipity not mind spinning chaos is the nirvana many seek.

    Great that you have connected it with “leadership” for I see way to many leaders trying to routinize and procedurize every aspect of business. I see the horrible effects of it in customer service and customer experience where I’m brought in to re-ignite true passion for listening to each customer and empowering staff to deliver personalized service.

    Truly wonderful thought-provoking post. Bravo.
    Kate

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Kate – delighted by your kind words! Glad that you are working with organizations to assist them in moving past always following the plan in handling customer service. Customers are people and want to be treated as such. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Jane you said: “… either it’s control or it’s chaos …”!

    I’m a “western” and fan of “far east” philosophies. And so I like Yin and Yang described as the two opposite principles in nature. However, Yin and Yang are not static or just two separated things. And there is always some Yin in Yang and opposite! Just look how seasons are changing or day and night. I used this thinking also in my blog post describing “time management” I used also planning part BUT I warn: do not strive to become a time management fanatic and convert or set everything on time management spreadsheets by creating also priority folders and lists. So, from time to time allow yourself to take a break: clear your mind to refresh and to refocus.

    I liked how you explained the same principle with other way (words, meaning, …).

    Cheers
    Jaro.

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Jaro: I am huge proponent of practices advanced via dualism, polarity management, paradox, or whatever term people prefer. Agree that there aren’t complete absolutes of either pole (yang/yin, chaos/control, etc.)…just varying shades of grey.

  6. “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. Serendipity and synchronicity. Whether you believe in devine intervention or some other explanation, these are the twists and turns that make life so interesting. It is amazing how often things just fall into place, work out better than expected, appear when you least expect them. It’s a fascinating subject. I like your “get comfortable being slightly uncomfortable”. Enjoyed your post thanks Jane.

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Peter – agree with you that sometimes the unexpected is indeed the most fun, correct, delightful, best, etc.,outcome…just have to get comfy with plans not going according to plan! Thanks for your kind words about the post…much appreciated!

  7. I love the statement “Plans are good … until they’re not.” So, so true. Great reminder to remain in the moment.

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Lisa — so agree that staying in the moment, being aware of shifts and turns, keeps us from letting our plans become rigid!

  8. Embracing serendipity is very essential for success if not one becomes stagnated and extinct. As creative geniuses, leaders and team members must provide an environment where people are free to think and share their views. “that’s- how-we’ve-always-done-it” mentality is what stagnated the growth of some orthodox churches and the pentecostals took over the stage today.

    We must break our records daily by being innovative because one who is standing on a track and making no move will be rundown by those coming forth.

    To achieve greater results we must give up the good in other to get the best. Thank you Jane Perdue for this powerful teaching.

    • Jane Perdue says:

      Ifeanyi – you are so right about the “that’s how we’ve always done it” thinking has led to stagnation in so many cases. Perhaps part of that is because people are afraid to fail. Organizations many times aren’t kind to those who take a risk that proves to be unsuccessful. Smiles and thanks for your kind words and support!

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