Creating Strength in Chaos with Kevin Black

Is chaos something to fear or something we can leverage? Kevin sits down with Kevin Black to discuss why chaos isn't inherently good or bad and how leaders can prepare to succeed in it. Kevin Black explains how natural behaviors, deeply rooted in our personality and life experiences, influence our reactions to chaos and shape team dynamics. He shares his chaos model, which features a taxonomy of control outcomes, from anarchy to deliberate resistance, and how leaders can identify and respond to each stage. They also discuss the four components of constructive chaos and how mishandling these can lead a team into destructive chaos.

Listen For

00:00 Introduction
00:40 Chaos can be used to your advantage
01:16 How to join the podcast live
01:59 Guest introduction: Kevin Black
02:50 Definition of chaos
03:35 Chaos comes from the perception of losing control
04:20 People experience chaos differently based on natural behaviors
05:18 Big idea of the book
07:07 Why Kevin Black wrote the book
07:56 Natural behaviors drive chaos
09:07 How natural behaviors affect reactions to chaos
10:17 Chaos dynamic explained
12:17 Control as the source of chaos
14:32 Control continuum overview
15:04 Anarchy
15:46 Undisciplined initiative
16:35 Disciplined initiative
17:11 Mechanical compliance
17:36 Malicious compliance
18:25 Deliberate resistance
19:57 Constructive vs. destructive chaos
21:01 Unity as the first requirement
22:21 Forward integration
26:00 Mission command
27:47 Trust as the highest level
28:36 Strength in chaos
29:27 Where leaders should start
30:13 Team is the measure of success
31:14 What Kevin Black does for fun
31:32 What he is reading
32:15 Where to connect with Kevin Black
33:24 Closing and Kevin's "Now what?" challenge

Kevin's Story: Kevin Black is the author of Strength in Chaos: The Ultimate Leadership Blueprint for Mastering the Uncontrollable, the first book to measure chaos at the leader and team level. He is a veteran U.S. Army officer, strategic advisor, author, and founder of Chaos Studies in Leadership, a new domain exploring how leaders, strategies, and behaviors intersect under pressure. Known for his innovative use of computer wargaming and behavioral profiling, he helps organizations craft flexible strategies and build high-performing teams that thrive under pressure. Kevin's been published in Forbes and USA Today and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his two Australian Cattle Dogs and an American Dingo.

https://www.kevinblack.co/

https://www.thechaosbook.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinblack1999

https://www.youtube.com/c/blackmarketleadership