Interoperability in an Era of Complexity: Crisis Mode

Nowadays, global leadership is in crisis mode. Disasters and hazards that organizations and humans face up to are more complex and challenging than ever and at the same time hierarchical structured systems are called upon to address those issues and create adaptive pathways. Additionally, systems had to perform in new responsive ways allowing fast-knowledge sharing trough interoperable practices and non-linear dynamic networks, skills that are hard to be achieved by classical bureaucratic systems which are functionally departmentalized and impersonal.

Although, the search was not exhaustive, it is hoped that it contributes as a comprehensive resource for adaptive leadership processes research in crisis and meta-crisis organizational contexts. The literature review was conducted in Scopus, Cochrane library and the NATO e-library in Jan-Mar 2022. The aim of this study is to portray the complex environment within which organizations operate in and create an awareness of how adaptive responses to the crises may be achieved through strong human relationships. Within this framework of complexity, rich human interconnectivity is at the center of all adaptive leadership methods.

The way humans form networks, the way they interact, the social processes, the processes of preventing the emergence of a potential crisis, bringing an emerged crisis under control at the operational and tactical level, are components of successful interoperable systems. Crisis leadership arrangements need to be more comprehensive in order to cope with the new challenges in a world-wide spectrum.

Due to the fact that global crises scenarios are so much interrelated and the threats are very complex in character, there is an increased requirement for multi-disciplinary thus multi-human approaches from decision-making to deployment. Achieving to create interoperable systems means that all the activities are designed to allow creative thinking, efficient mechanisms and robust procedures to scale across the system in order to bring about acceptable solutions and shape the future course of all crises.