Complex People.

The world is dynamic and people are complex. This tiny planet appears to be so big and full of possibilities; yet, so small and full of challenges. Words, ideas and relationships connect and bind us together. How many times have you heard that the world is a dangerous place? Monsters under the bed? Don’t trust those people? The situation and problem is complex? All true; or mostly true - in moments.

Our bodies are an extremely complex and complete organization of 11 major systems including skeletal, nervous, reproduction, respiratory, and other systems. Our 3.5 lbs. brains are made up of over 100 billion neurons and have remarkable thinking, memory, and empathy capabilities. We are endowed with the power to create, pro-create, and shape our environments. We have about ten thousand years of recorded human history and experience; and have built great cities and systems starting with Ur and Babylon in Ancient Mesopotamia - to modern day New York and Toronto in North America. Despite the fact 71% of the planet’s surface is covered by water - and it spins at 1,100 mph - we have built an impressive human network of systems that now includes 200 countries, 300 million small and large businesses, 44,000 banks, 4,000 distinct belief systems, and 8 billion people full of hope and dreams. All holding a smart phone in their hand. As of last year, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, we also have built and deployed 13,080 nuclear weapons. If you follow the headlines; it has been quite a week on the world stage. Misunderstandings and mistrust seem to be multiplying and more elevated than ever before. This is now our defining moment; our children and future generations are counting on us to use our brilliant human intelligence, capabilities, and experience to effectively solve differences and work together to create successful outcomes. Complex people have the ability to solve complex problems. A BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) in negotiation terms. A win-win, so to speak. Considering people are extremely complex; that is a difficult ask. Especially when human emotion and rational thinking are in short supply.

Does our species create, build or destroy? We display about (27) distinct human emotions, model predictable behavior in one of (4) social styles (https://tracom.com/social-style-training/model ), and seem to express an endless number of personalities. The world has more than 25,000 universities and plenty of smart people. Do we have too many so-called smart people!? Solving problems is hardwired into the narrow range of fundamental human capabilities. We know so many things about so many things. Yet, our default mindsets, behaviors and biology seem to hold us back and limit our potential!? The smartest people in the room often appear to not be the smartest people. Do we appreciate how complex homo sapiens really are? The body and mind connection: In simple terms, clinical psychology is “the study of individuals, by observation or experimentation, with the intention of promoting change." We are biological creatures with enormous physical, mental, emotional and spiritual capabilities. However, there are nearly 300?mental disorders listed in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and the NIH estimates 20% of the population lives with a serious mental health issue. In addition, 1.2% of the population are clinical psychopaths and 4% are sociopaths.

Consider some of the most infamous studies on human behavior; it ain't pretty: Professor Philip Zimbardo's 1971 "Stanford Prisoner Experiment" showed us it takes about (5) days for humans to begin to abuse their power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRR7CwdHxUE0); Professor Stanley Milgram's 1961 "Yale Milgram Experiment" revealed far too many people are easily prone to obey commands, follow orders, dismiss personal values, and harm others if told to do so by a person of perceived power or authority (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YOox59J0Bk); and Professor John Calhoun's famous 1968 "Universe 25 Research" that modeled how human systems can possibly destroy itself - even in the best situations of freedom and abundance (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doOXWSXbRCc). The dystopian outcome replicated 25 times in this defining research on how societies fail. Remember, three trees make a row. All three research projects are highly controversial and provide important insights into the complexity of our behavior and systems. Interestingly, The Lord of the Flies was written in 1954 by Nobel-prize winning writer William Golding; far before any of these experiments. Remember the dramatic ending to that powerful story as the two groups were at war and set the island on fire?

More than 100 years of clinical psychology has been punctuated with 30 years of the new, emerging positive psychology; the scientific study of what makes people happy and life most worth living. Martin Seligman ?and?Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi ?define positive psychology as "the scientific study of positive human functioning and flourishing on multiple levels that include the biological, personal, relational, institutional, cultural, and global dimensions of life." Abraham Maslow's first edition of?Motivation and Personality ?was published in 1954 with a final chapter titled "Toward a Positive Psychology.” His Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs research and diagram is a permanent part of our modern thinking; we all want and need safety, food, water and sex - before we can move onto higher levels of self-esteem and self-actualization.

Paint by numbers: Dr. Martin Seligman changed the psychology game in 1990 with his defining book, Learned Optimism (Random House). Now business and educational leaders examine and know a lot about Intelligence Quotient (IQ), Emotional Intelligence (EQ), Adversity Intelligence (AQ), Positive Intelligence (PQ), and Execution Intelligence (XQ); the ability to convert smarts and plans into action with positive results.?Many MBA programs examine most or all of these foundational concepts; motivating humans and aligning teams to achieve productivity gains and targeted outcomes is difficult work.

We know a lot about Root Cause Analysis, Strategic Management, Performance Management, and Social Science. We understand Complexity Theory, Game Theory, and Decision-Making Theories. Dr. Daniel Kahneman (Princeton University) is a master thought-leader on how humans make decisions: His classic book, Thinking, Fast and Slow (2011) has sold millions of copies; it remains the best-selling psychology book of all-time. Dr. Daniel Goleman (Harvard University) helped us understand how we self-regulate and leverage our emotions for better results with his multi-million-copy-best- seller, Emotional Intelligence (1995); Dr. Angela Duckworth (University of Pennsylvania) helps us understand human nature and potential strength in her best-selling book, GRIT: The Power of Passion and Perseverance (2018); Dr. Carol Dweck (Stanford) sold millions of copies of her defining book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (2007); we know a lot more about the 8 types of intelligences and how adult learning happens from Dr. Howard Gardner's groundbreaking book, Multiple Intelligences (1983); and the late Dr. Donella Meadows (Harvard University) helped us understand “systems thinking”; making sense with the complexity of the world by looking at it in terms of wholes and relationships. Consider her must-read book, Thinking in Systems (2008).?There is so much good work and writings on how complex and amazing we truly are; the more you investigate these ideas and research – the more you simply appreciate the complexity of people. ?????

Simplicity and complexity can be compatible. A number of years ago, I walked The Temple Mount in Jerusalem. These 35 acres in the center of that historic city is arguably the hottest, most-contested piece of property on the entire planet.?The Islamic Waqf manages the site; the well-armed and visible Israeli military maintains peace and order. The Temple Mount is the crucible of three major world religions; the 360-degree view from this elevated property is simply breathtaking. I randomly met a friendly Palestinian shopkeeper about my age in the Old City at the base of The Temple Mount; we decided to share a pot of tea and cookies, and talk. It was random, unusual and uncomfortable at the start. We were sitting along one of the narrow streets of The Old City where the Roman Centurions once forced Jesus to carry his Cross. One pot turned into four pots of tea. Clearly, the differences in backgrounds, ideas, geopolitical experiences, and thinking couldn’t be farther apart; yet for hours we listened and shared stories and ideas about history, politics, business, our families, favorite books and movies and sports teams. Hopes and fears about the future. And we laughed a lot. It was a small moment in time; it was a visit with a stranger from another world that demonstrated everyone on this planet is more alike than we are different. We adapt and leverage our simplicity and complexity when we listen, learn, and grow together. This dichotomy is the most beautiful part of our human experience. Let’s hope and pray that the handful of leaders around this tiny planet understand that people are complex. May they slow down and enjoy a pot or two of Turkish Tea - and an honest conversation. I can think of at least 13,080 reasons why that would be a simple and nice thing.