Two stories of change
A client once told me his Board wanted the business to “get better at navigating complexity.”
At the next leadership meeting he asked the team, “Do we want change to be a Big Bang or an Iteration?”
That was it.
No context. No shared meaning.
Just three words left for everyone to interpret.
We might assume we all define “Bang” and “Iteration” the same way.
We don’t.
And the meaning gap that follows shapes everything that happens next.
Big Bang
A Big Bang approach is often led from the top.
Decisions move fast, but dialogue does not.
Direction is clear, yet contribution narrows.
Frontline and emerging leaders are asked to execute rather than experiment.
What begins as bold transformation can quietly slip into micromanagement, command-and-control, and the slow erosion of engagement.
Iteration
Iteration feels lighter.
It invites experimentation and learning.
It thrives on feedback, prototypes, and pivot points.
It can be energising — until the rhythm becomes relentless.
Without boundaries, iteration breeds fatigue. The constant churn of improvement becomes its own form of inertia.
Both paths promise progress. Both have hidden costs.
The leaders who succeed in either understand something deeper: change only sticks when the organisation has built dynamic capacity before the change begins.
Dynamic capacity means your people can adapt, absorb surprise, and stay connected while systems shift. It means you’ve built enough trust, clarity, and coordination that the next disruption feels navigable rather than exhausting.
That’s what navigating complexity develops: the ability to build this internal elasticity before the market, the mandate, or the moment demands it.
So before you decide between Big Bang or Iteration, ask yourself and your team:
What capability do we need to strengthen before we change anything?
How do we make space for both stability and stretch?
What will tell us our system is ready for the next wave?
Because the real question isn’t which change model you choose.
It’s whether your organisation can stay adaptive while it’s changing.
“Progress isn’t measured by the size of the change.
It’s measured by the capacity that remains when the change is done.”
— Dr. Isabella Allan