The Chaos Imperative: How Chance and Disruption Increase Innovation, Effectiveness, and Success

Summary

People and organizations tend to approach chaos as if it were an unruly beast—something that needs to be reined in, or avoided at all costs. But what if there's a benefit to chaos? What if it's actually crucial for inspiring industry innovation? In The Chaos Imperative organizational thinker and bestselling author Ori Brafman and management consultant Judah Pollack dramatically demonstrate how even the best and most efficient organizations—from Fortune 500 companies to today’s US Army—can become more innovative by allowing a little unstructured space and “contained chaos” into their planning and decision-making. Through their consulting work, they realized that while structure and hierarchy are essential both in large corporations and small groups, too much of either can stifle creativity. Weaving together stories and case studies with insights from areas as far-reaching as neuroscience, medieval history, and video gaming, Brafman and Pollack reveal how creating pockets of chaos within organizations can inspire the creative leaps that lead to new growth.