Wicked problems are complex, complicated, obvious or chaotic. They bring disorder. They damage people, property, businesses and the planet at many different levels. They’re a lot more common than we might think. The wickedest problems include the climate crisis, war, terrorism, pandemics and mass refugee migrations. In organisations, we see wicked problems like environmental accidents, hostile takeovers, sexual harassment, health and safety failures, product recalls, industrial espionage and reputational damage.
The critical questions for executive leaders are:
1. How do we spot wicked problems before disorder descends and prevent its worst impacts?
2. How do we recover when a wicked problem hits?
3. How do we learn from solving a wicked problem to improve future responses?
In this unique book, Clive Smallman weaves cutting-edge thinking and best practices from leadership, psychology, risk and crisis management, behavioural economics, design thinking, critical thinking, and organisational learning and resilience. Building the idea of ‘wicked’ leadership (virtuous, strong, efficacious and mentally tough), he tackles these critical questions, providing thought-provoking yet pragmatic approaches to solving wicked problems with smart thinking.
Got a wicked problem? Sorted.