#1362 - chaos and shape
In the space between chaos and shape, there was another chance. Jeanette Winterson
It's a narrow space, the one between chaos and shape. And it's slippery, like the edge of a cliff. On one side is the safe comfort of solid ground and known shapes. On the other, a stunning panorama but also a scary leap into a deadly abyss.
In their book, Simple Rules: How to Thrive in a Complex World, Kathleen Eisenhardt and Donald Sull say that the most successful organizations are the ones that can stay on the edge of chaos.
When I was a student, we used to play a game during the break with the teacher's desk and some coins. Standing on one side of the desk, the goal was to throw a coin to let it slide through the surface and get as close as possible to the edge on the other side without falling.
The winner was the one who got the coin closer to the edge.
Such a basic game, yet it was so thrilling to play with the edge.
I wasn't good at it, however.
I was too scared of seeing my coin fall to really push it to the edge.
Staying on edge between chaos and shape is not an easy fit. It takes courage and curiosity but also focus and self-confidence.
I’m still learning to stand on the edge.