Abstract
In today’s complex and interconnected world, leaders play a critical role in fostering ethical problem-solving cultures within organizations. To enable leaders to succeed in this evolving landscape, this paper advocates for a necessary paradigm shift: a transition in mental models about how organizations function. Historically, organizations have been viewed as mechanistic systems, but there is a substantial opportunity to improve our work by viewing organizations as complex adaptive systems. This shift alters fundamental assumptions about organizational operations and redefines leadership as the creation of conditions for effective and ethical problem-solving. In this paper, I examine the changing mental models that influence organizational behavior and explore how this impacts leadership's role in driving cultural change. Additionally, I present key guiding principles, or "simple rules," and offer actionable strategies for leaders to implement and test these approaches within their organizations.
Recommended Citation
Luckman, Elizabeth A.
(2025)
"Crafting Ethical Problem-Solving Cultures: A Leader’s Role in Complex Adaptive Systems,"
The Journal of Values-Based Leadership: Vol. 18
:
Iss.
2
, Article 10.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22543/1948-0733.1572
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/jvbl/vol18/iss2/10
Included in
Leadership Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Organization Development Commons
