
Omnicomplexity
Transform Complexity into Opportunity
Discover a new way to navigate complexity, unlock innovation, and build resilience in a world of constant change.
Omnicomplexity can be applied at any scale and in any area of any organisation.
Omnicomplexity is universally applicable
Omnicomplexity is designed to empower every leader, every team, and every challenge with a new way to navigate complexity effectively.
Omnicomplexity is an orientation and operating logic for navigating the ubiquitous complexity of modern organisations. It provides flexible heuristics and actionable patterns to guide adaptive thinking and action in an unpredictable world.
The three-layer stance
ONE AXIOM - Complexity is ubiquitous - Sets direction
SEVEN HEURISTICS - Seven enabling guides - Shapes behaviour
∞ OMNIPATTERNS - Actionable patterns - Facilitates action
Axiom: Complexity is Ubiquitous
Every initiative operates amid evolving, interconnected factors that adjust to one another in real time
The seven heuristics
Context agnostic and scale invariant, enabling constraints that guide thinking and action at every horizon
Prioritise emergence over control
Sense and respond dynamically
Leverage interactions
Enable adaptation through feedback loops
Adapt to temporal & contextual conditions
Harness diversity for resilience
Build resilience through hypercomplexification
Omnipatterns
The things you can do
Why? Practical moves that translate the heuristics into everyday practice, at any scale.
Qualifiers for every pattern
Every pattern must be: Abductive • Fallible • Plural • Situational • Social • Scalable
Anatomy of a Pattern card
NAME Evocative, plain-language naming
WHY Tension, purpose, hypothesis
HOW Core moves
AFFORDANCES Built-in invitations that show how to begin, engage, and evolve
STANCES Flexible postures people adopt in the pattern, not fixed roles
TAGS eg. scale · intent · cadence · risk · lever
Constellations
Clusters of patterns that have natural affinities around the same tension or purpose
Linear steps are didactic scaffolding - Starter paths, not prescriptions
The Omnicomplexity Playbook
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Using Omnicomplexity
We encourage organisations and leaders to actively use and apply Omnicomplexity in their work to embrace its transformative potential.
Our vision is for Omnicomplexity to redefine how complexity is perceived and navigated, turning it into the cornerstone of innovation, resilience, and sustainable success. By adopting Omnicomplexity, organisations can unlock new ways of thinking, foster adaptability, and thrive in an era of constant change.
Yes, you can use Omnicomplexity completely free of charge to train your teams, develop your strategies, and solve complex challenges within your organisation. Yes, you can adapt it to suit your unique needs and embed it into your internal operations. Yes, you can even use it within a commercial organisation, as long as you’re not selling the playbook itself. Yes, you can share your adaptations, provided you credit the work and share them under the same licence. Omnicomplexity is here to help you navigate complexity with confidence, All while remaining open, accessible, and free for you to explore and apply.
Using Omnicomplexity
FAQs
1. Can we use Omnicomplexity in our commercial organisation?
Yes! You can use Omnicomplexity internally within your commercial organisation for purposes such as:
Supporting leadership decision-making.
Training and upskilling staff.
Integrating the framework into your operational, strategic, or cultural practices.
The licence allows for internal use and adaptation within your organisation, as long as the work itself is not being sold or marketed as a standalone offering.
2. What does "non-commercial" mean for Omnicomplexity?
The "non-commercial" clause refers specifically to the direct sale or monetisation of the playbook itself. For example:
Not allowed: Selling Omnicomplexity approaches as a product, training, or consulting service where the primary value lies in the Omnicomplexity approaches alone.
Allowed: Using Omnicomplexity to enhance your organisation's practices, improve decision-making, or as part of broader commercial services (e.g., consulting, operations) without selling Omnicomplexity approaches themselves.
This distinction ensures Omnicomplexity remains freely available while allowing organisations to benefit from its application.
3. Can we adapt Omnicomplexity to suit our organisation?
Yes, you can adapt Omnicomplexity to suit your specific organisational needs. However:
You must credit the original work and its creator.
If you share your adaptations publicly, they must also be shared under the same CC BY-SA-NC licence to ensure Omnicomplexity approaches remain open and accessible.
4. Can we use Omnicomplexity in paid training or consulting?
Yes, as long as:
The training or consulting focuses on applying the work as part of a broader service or methodology.
You are not selling the Omnicomplexity itself as a product or a service. For example:
Allowed: A leadership workshop where Omnicomplexity is one of many tools used.
Not allowed: Selling Omnicomplexity-branded training packages, approaches, or rebranding and selling Omnicomplexity itself.
5. What attribution is required?
Any use of Omnicomplexity must include clear attribution. A suggested attribution is:
“This work uses Omnicomplexity, created by Chris Preece, Omnicomplexity Ltd, licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.”
Include this in documentation, presentations, or other materials where the work is referenced.
6. What does “ShareAlike” mean for Omnicomplexity?
If you adapt or build upon the work and share those adaptations publicly, you must:
Share them under the same CC BY-SA-NC licence.
Credit the original Omnicomplexity as the source.
This ensures that any adaptations contribute back to the community.
7. Can we publish or share our adaptations publicly?
Yes, provided you:
Credit the original Omnicomplexity work.
Share your adaptations under the same licence (CC BY-SA-NC).
By doing so, you contribute to a growing body of knowledge and resources that others can use and build upon.
8. Can we integrate Omnicomplexity into our software or tools?
Yes, you can integrate the work into your internal tools or processes. However, if these tools are distributed externally:
You must ensure Omnicomplexity itself remains freely accessible and credited.
Any adaptations or derivative works shared publicly must comply with the CC BY-SA-NC licence.
9. What is the CC BY-SA-NC licence?
The Creative Commons BY-SA-NC licence allows anyone to:
BY: Attribute the framework to its creator (acknowledging Omnicomplexity and its authorship).
SA: Share any adaptations under the same licence, ensuring the principles remain open and accessible.
NC: Use Omnicomplexity freely for non-commercial purposes, which includes most internal organisational use.
The "Non-Commercial" (NC) clause means the framework cannot be sold or directly monetised, but it can be used within commercial organisations as long as it is not sold as a standalone product.
10. Who can I contact for clarification?
For any questions about licensing, usage, or attribution, please contact info@omnicomplexity.com
We have made this available under the Creative Commons licence CC BY-SA-NC. This licence ensures the work remains open and accessible, empowering leaders to explore its principles freely while contributing to a broader movement towards effective complexity management.
Omnicomplexity is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike-NonCommercial (CC BY-SA-NC) licence. This licence ensures Omnicomplexity remains open, adaptable, and accessible to everyone while protecting its integrity and original intent. It allows you to use, share, and adapt Omnicomplexity freely, provided you credit its authorship and share any adaptations under the same licence. While Omnicomplexity cannot be sold or monetised as a standalone product, organisations, commercial or otherwise, are encouraged to apply it internally to drive innovation, resilience, and success in navigating complexity. This balance between openness and protection reflects our commitment to empowering leaders while maintaining Omnicomplexity’s transformative vision.
Omnicomplexity
© 2025 Omnicomplexity. Some rights reserved.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view the terms of the licence, visit: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/