Chris Clearfield co-wrote Meltdown, a book about why complex systems fail. He is also a former derivatives trader and a pilot. I asked him what leaders need to rethink about risk as 2024 begins.
Curiosity and feedback
Chris starts with curiosity. His invitation to any audience is to try an idea on and see how it lands. We talk about feedback loops in decisions, and about the part trust plays in financial markets and in advising leaders.
Advice that ends
Chris wants to make himself obsolete with every client. When he presents results, he keeps his own part short and gives most of the meeting to the leaders, who react and decide what they will do next. He tells clients when he doesn’t know the answer.
Strong containers
A debrief works because it has clear rules about how people talk and what happens to what they share. Chris ties that to Liberating Structures and to psychological safety. In his view, most leaders underestimate what a well-built container can do.
For me, this is orientation work. A team that can talk openly about its mistakes sees its own system sooner.
What rules would your next debrief need for people to speak freely?
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