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At an improv (short for improvisation, a type of theatre or comedy performance which is unscripted, unplanned and created on the spot by performers) workshop recently, I found myself fumbling and faltering. I had never imagined it would be so hard to keep the scene going. 

Picture this. Eight of us spread out across a room. One turns to me and says, “I just applied for a pirate job on LinkedIn!” “Are you very active on LinkedIn?” I add nervously. Bad answer! I forgot that questions block the scene from moving forward. Changing course, I blurt out, “I love LinkedIn!” Phew! Quick save!

2 hours and a few more not-so-great answers later, an embarrassed me gets the hang of it–-the fluidity of improv is not accidental. Every actor abides by a few rules: saying “Yes, and!” to ensure momentum, building on top of what has been said to weave a story, and paying attention to the smallest of cues to respond. Despite my lack of contribution, the improv I was part of came together beautifully. What started as a conversation about tea and biscuits turned into a workplace drama on a pirate ship! 

Improv isn’t the only place such coordination unfolds. Underwater in schools of fish, among starlings at dusk and army ants as they forage, we witness coordinated action emerging without anyone in charge. Starlings or sardines, how do hundreds and thousands move in elegant unison without following a choreography? How do they know when to do what and who tells them that? 

Without a plan or leader, actors synchronise their movements by following a few simple rules. Birds in a murmuration keep track of what seven of their neighbours are doing and move accordingly. As small adjustments in response to predators or the environment cascade rapidly across birds, the flock changes shape. Despite the appearance of a murmuration as dense and teeming, birds stay close but not too close to each other so they fly fast, adapt quickly and do not collide with each other! Fish follow similar rules as they twist and swirl to avoid predators. Swim close enough to adapt but not to bump into each other, and keep swimming! Army ants, as they march into the forest in search of food, come together as one super-organism, responding to environmental information and pheromone trails left behind by other ants. Across these examples, we see response to local changes ripple outward, creating new outcomes. Coordination without control. 

I see a version of this play out in my neighbourhood. At a time of need, as big as filing a Public Interest Litigation and as small as rehoming old furniture, we reach out to a few friends, who reach out to their friends and the chain continues. In cases when the need goes beyond what the community is capable of and capacitated to provide, WhatsApp groups come in handy. Express a request for action to those around you and behold the magic of individual steps transforming into collective action. I witnessed this magic recently when my domestic help needed financial support for an unexpected medical expense. I had put out a call on neighborhood WhatsApp groups to cover the cost of treatment, assistance poured in beyond what I could have ever imagined. Some helped her access welfare benefits such as Ayushman Bharat, some offered to pitch in for her children’s school fees and some recommended her for work to family and friends! In less than a week, she had paid off the hospital fee and figured out pathways for health coverage, should she need it later. Murmurations and WhatsApp groups may sound (and be) worlds apart but reveal a powerful insight. Small actions taken by many at a local level can lead to coordination at scale. 

I think of Wikipedia. One of the largest knowledge repositories ever, Wikipedia has no one editor deciding or overlooking what every article should contain. Millions of volunteers add credible information, correct mistakes, fill in gaps and update entries as and when needed. These volunteers are guided by five pillars that ensure credible and open information. What emerges is a living encyclopaedia of diverse knowledge. Shared principles allow many to contribute towards a shared goal. 

Around me too, young people are taking action. Called Solve Ninjas, these young people are passionate about tackling civic and environmental problems. They tap into what they can see in their neighbourhood and school or on WhatsApp groups to sense problems. Then, they engage citizens and officials to build customised solutions and share back what they learn. Though what they set out to do is address local issues, Solve Ninjas end up building something larger. They create the conditions for many young people to become leaders of change for the problems they are closest to. Many can take small steps if their agency is restored. 

The mechanics of coordination

These examples reveal the way coordination happens – how many actors see what is going on and feel ready and equipped to respond. How they build on top of each other’s efforts. How a shared goal opens up space for different actors to contribute. How something can start local and spread rapidly through networks of networks, gaining breadth and contextual nuance at the same time. 

This happens because: 

• There is no leader giving instructions. Everyone pays attention to emerging changes and acts in response. 
• Everyone follows simple rules. Repeatable actions like “keep swimming” or “create a small improvement within time and resource constraints ” ensure it is easy to keep taking action without breaking the flow. 
• The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Every response influences the next, sparking a chain reaction of interconnected and interdependent changes towards unanticipated outcomes.

As we face problems that multiply and manifest differently across contexts, the way coordination unfolds in nature and among groups offers clues into creating the conditions for many to identify and solve proximate problems. Could it be made easier for many solvers to self-organise into communities that take action? For more and more to join in? To respond to problems as they arise rather than playing catch-up? 

Perhaps this is how we create the conditions for exponential change. 

If this possibility interests you, see more ways in which to think about and design for exponential change.