Diagnosing the Real Problem: Michael Negendahl on Risk, Control, and Leading in Complexity

Control is comforting, but in complexity, it’s often a trap.

In this episode of Strategy Meets Reality, Mike Jones is joined by Michael Negendahl, founder of Exaptive Labs and a former emergency nurse, to explore why many leadership responses are performative rather than practical. They unpack the psychological need for certainty, the danger of chasing tidy plans in messy environments, and the difference between solving a problem and solving the wrong one.

This is a candid conversation about power, ego, and the courage to admit we don’t know. For leaders navigating real-world uncertainty, this one goes deep.

🔍 In this episode:

Why control is often just a performance

How strategy becomes theatre when leaders avoid discomfort

The gap between perception and reality in problem-solving

The difference between control and the illusion of control

What distributed intelligence looks like in practice

Why proximity to the customer changes everything

🎧 Keywords: Leadership, complexity, risk, control, decision-making, distributed intelligence, strategy, systems thinking, safety, problem-solving

📘 Learn more about Michael’s work: https://www.exaptivelabs.com/aboutus

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🔗 Full episodes, show notes, and resources: https://www.lbiconsulting.com/strategymeetsreality-podcast

📺 Watch on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@StrategyMeetsReality

Connect with host Mike Jones → https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-h-jones/