In the last post, we talked about planned change—the approach most leaders use when trying to shift their organizations. Planned change offers clear goals and structured steps. It feels logical. But as we discussed, it often struggles because it assumes organizations are predictable and controllable.
Organizations usually aren’t predictable, though. They’re complex, messy, and full of surprises.
Emergent change is another way of understanding how change happens in an organizational context.
Let's explore what that means.
What emergent change looks like
Emergent change describes the everyday shifts and adaptations that happen naturally inside organizations. It doesn’t start with an official announcement or a big strategic rollout. It starts quietly, often unnoticed:
Someone finds a better way to handle tasks, and it spreads because people like it.
Teams solve problems together in informal ways, and these solutions become new routines.
Conversations between colleagues subtly shift how everyone sees their roles.
Emergent change is simply about noticing these natural shifts and encouraging them.
The ideas behind emergent change
Several scholars have shaped this perspective by emphasizing that organizations are not machines—they’re living systems. Key insights include:
Karl Weick explained that people often act first and figure out what it means afterward. Change isn’t neatly planned; it unfolds through action and reflection.
Ralph Stacey highlighted that complex organizations don’t respond predictably. They evolve through many small interactions between people.
Margaret Wheatley emphasized that lasting change happens through conversations and relationships, not through top-down instructions.
Chris Argyris urged leaders to question deep-rooted assumptions, not just superficial practices.
David Snowden pointed out that in complex environments, leadership needs to focus on noticing and responding to small signals rather than imposing rigid plans.
Taken together, these ideas remind us to pay attention to what’s already happening in the organization, rather than simply imposing a predetermined solution.
Why emergent change often resonates more
You’ve probably noticed examples of emergent change in your own organization:
Informal practices become widely accepted simply because they’re effective.
Small experiments catch on because people genuinely find them useful.
Cultural shifts quietly happen without any formal announcement.
Emergent change describes these subtle but meaningful shifts that planned approaches often overlook.
But emergent change has its own challenge
Recognizing emergent change helps us better understand how organizations actually behave. Yet, there’s an important challenge here:
If change happens naturally and constantly, what's your role as a leader?
The risk is becoming too passive. When things seem unpredictable or complex, leaders can fall into a habit of waiting and watching, reluctant to act until clarity emerges.
But waiting isn't leadership. It reduces your influence and your ability to support positive change.
Leading proactively in emergent systems
Understanding emergent change doesn’t mean stepping back. Instead, it invites you to approach leadership differently—actively creating conditions where productive change can thrive.
This means:
Observing carefully: Notice the small shifts that signal important changes, even if they're subtle or informal.
Supporting good ideas early: Recognize and encourage effective practices when they start to appear, helping them spread.
Clarifying what's happening: Help your teams interpret changes clearly. Frame the meaning of what’s unfolding in ways everyone understands.
Removing obstacles: Make it easier for productive practices and ideas to grow by removing unnecessary barriers.
Adopting an emergent mindset doesn’t make your leadership passive. Instead, it reshapes how you actively support and strengthen your organization’s ability to adapt and improve.
Leadership in complexity
Emergent change recognizes organizational complexity without dismissing your role in shaping it. Even if you can’t predict exactly what will happen next, you can still guide how your organization responds and adapts.
Your leadership matters—not because you control the outcome, but because you shape the environment, clarify the meaning, and support practices that help your team navigate uncertainty.
Next time, we’ll explore the shadow system—the informal but powerful part of every organization that often shapes change far more deeply than official strategies or structures.