In most cases, we find it easy to respond to the wild ideas of social theorists by ignoring, dismissing, or laughing at them. Whether or not we are justified in these responses, the lack of working models of the envisioned social orders leaves them vulnerable. Dee Hock has spent considerable time and energy championing the ideal of “chaordic organization” and its corollary, chaordic leadership. As a social visionary, Hock stands on firmer ground than most since he is the founder and former CEO of VISA International—an organization that he says was founded on “chaordic principles”. This business now connects over 20,000 financial institutions, 14 million merchants, and 600 million consumers in 220 countries.
The term “chaord” (pronounced kayord) comes from a blending of chaos and order. Hock explains that “By chaord, I mean any self-organizing, self governing, adaptive, nonlinear, complex organism, organization, community or system, whether physical, biological or social, the behavior of which harmoniously blends characteristics of both chaos and order.” In his view, today’s current forms of organization are almost universally based on compelled behavior, or tyranny. The organizations of the future—chaordic organizations—will embody community, based on shared purpose calling to the higher aspirations of people.” As applied to business, this can be thought of as “an organization that harmoniously blends characteristics of competition and cooperation; or from the perspective of education, an organization that seamlessly blends theoretical and experiential learning.”
In Hock’s book, Birth of the Chaordic Age and his Leader to Leader article, “The Art of Chaordic Leadership,” he sets out a conception of leadership for organizations willing to leave behind industrial, downward-looking, “dominator” approaches and build a true 21st Century organization. In this article, we will take a look at his concept of chaordic organization and the six elements that comprise it, and the related idea of chaordic leadership and the four responsibilities it involves.
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