From: jimruttshow8596
The concept of Hierarchical Complexity has been applied to various fields, including leadership development and business contexts, particularly through the work of Lectica, co-founded by Zach Stein and Theo Dawson [01:50:20]. This application aims to understand and measure the cognitive complexity required for and demonstrated in various professional tasks, distinguishing between individual capacity and specific task performance [00:58:44].
Hierarchical vs. Horizontal Complexity in Practice
Hierarchical Complexity (or vertical complexity) refers to tasks that are fundamentally and qualitatively more complex, demanding the integration of lower-order capacities into new, higher-order skills [00:46:44]. In contrast, horizontal complexity involves doing more of the same task at the same level of complexity [00:42:06].
Practical Examples
- Horizontal Complexity: Tying a thousand shoes, where the skill level for each shoe remains the same [00:36:12]. Taking an elevator from the lobby to the seventh floor, which involves a sequence of discrete tasks at the same level of difficulty [01:11:17].
- Hierarchical Complexity: Making a shoe, which is qualitatively more complex than just tying one [00:47:02]. Disassembling, replacing a small part, and reassembling a lawnmower engine, where each move depends on previous ones and requires ancillary skills [01:11:55].
The Complexity Gap in Leadership
Leaders face increasingly complex task demands in their roles [01:19:01]. This can lead to a “complexity gap” between the demands of most leadership roles and the actual capacities of the leaders [01:19:19].
Lectica’s work, which began with leadership development in the intelligence community, found that struggles often emerged in domains of:
- Perspective-taking: Imagining how others would react to a decision [01:21:10].
- Perspective-seeking: Actively seeking out the perspectives of employees or team members [01:22:26].
- Perspective-integration: Synthesizing multiple perspectives [01:23:16].
Often, individuals highly developed in one area of expertise might have a “complexity deficit” in others, or struggle to apply skills across different domains [01:20:45]. For example, a medical doctor, highly skilled in their field, might not be a good investor because the pattern-matching algorithms for medicine don’t apply to the investment world [01:21:22].
Organizational Structure and Complexity
The shift in management theories from rigid, hierarchical structures with small direct reports (e.g., 5-7) to flatter organizations with many more direct reports (e.g., 20) in the late 20th century likely put significant stress on leaders’ capacity for perspective-taking [01:27:51]. Processing the diverse perspectives of 20 direct reports is much more challenging than managing five [01:28:53]. In a research lab with many PhDs, a narrower management span (e.g., one manager to four researchers) was found necessary due to the high complexity of individual reports [01:30:51].
Assessment and Development in Organizations
Lectica developed standardized, internet-administered developmental assessments to measure Hierarchical Complexity [01:15:02]. These assessments differ from traditional tests:
- Diagnostic vs. Pass/Fail: Unlike standardized tests (e.g., SAT) that simply indicate pass or fail, Lectica’s assessments provide diagnostic reports. They identify what a person understands and suggest the “next best thing” for them to learn, fostering continued growth in their Hierarchical Complexity [01:15:46].
- Domain Specificity: Assessments do not classify an entire person at a single level of Hierarchical Complexity. Instead, they assign a level to a particular task accomplished by that person [00:59:15]. This means an individual might demonstrate paradigmatic reasoning in physics but only sensory-motor skills in small engine repair [01:01:29].
- Focus on Development: The primary value proposition of these assessments is to promote leadership development, rather than merely for hiring or firing [01:24:06]. However, they can be used to set minimum complexity thresholds for job roles [01:24:27].
Responsible Use of Assessments
It is crucial to use psychological constructs and measures responsibly [01:06:42]. Over-simplifying human psychology by classifying individuals or populations with a single number (like an IQ score) can lead to “demi-realities” and act as a social sorting mechanism [01:00:29]. Measures should not be used as a “bludgeon,” but rather to understand and support individual and organizational growth [01:26:29]. Lectica requires a certification process for users of its assessments to ensure appropriate and educational use [01:27:10].
In contexts such as leadership, ethical considerations are paramount. High-functioning individuals may possess advanced Hierarchical Complexity and perspective-taking skills but use them for strategic advantage or malicious intent, akin to a “Darth Vader move” [01:32:26]. This highlights that higher levels of cognitive complexity are not inherently “better” without accompanying ethical grounding [01:32:48]. The importance of absolute intellectual honesty in organizational culture can combat “bad faith game theoretic situations” and foster better decision-making [01:32:00].