Seeing Through The Fractured Lens: How the Four Forces Interconnect
"We never see reality directly. We see it through the stories, structures, and systems that shape what we think is possible."
The Illusion of Separation
We tend to think in categories, models, and frameworks because they help us break down complexity into something manageable. But the
real world does not operate in neat boxes, it is dynamic, entangled, and deeply relational.
Unknowing, Meaning, Belonging, and the Dynamics of Power & Change are not separate forces. They are interwoven patterns, shaping and
reshaping each other in an ongoing process of emergence.
A shift in one force ripples through the others: When power shifts, meaning is redefined. When belonging is contested, uncertainty rises.
When old meanings collapse, new struggles for power emerge. The Fractured Lens is not just a way of thinking, it is a way of seeing. It reveals the hidden relationships between forces that we usually treat as separate.
Complexity Science and The Fractured Lens
In traditional thinking, we look for root causes and direct solutions. But complexity science tells us that in living systems, change does
not happen in a straight line. Feedback loops create self-reinforcing patterns. (A dominant meaning strengthens certain power structures, which in turn reinforce belonging and exclusion.)
Small shifts can trigger large-scale transformations. (A marginalised idea can suddenly become mainstream when conditions align.)
Systems resist change until a tipping point is reached. (A culture can remain stagnant for years, until the underlying tensions reach a
breaking point.)
The Fractured Lens helps us navigate these nonlinear, interdependent dynamics. It is about seeing the deeper forces that shape how
people, organisations, and cultures evolve over time.
How the Four Forces Shape Each Other Unknowing and Meaning: The Collapse of Certainty
Meaning feels stable; until Unknowing disrupts it. When we realise that meaning is constructed rather than fixed, we experience disorientation, doubt, or cognitive dissonance. But this also creates an opening, when old meanings collapse, new possibilities emerge.
Meaning and Belonging: The Struggle for Shared Reality
Belonging is built on shared meaning. To belong to a group, you must accept its narratives, its history, its way of interpreting reality.
When meaning shifts, when new ideas challenge the status quo, belonging is tested. This is why culture wars, ideological conflicts, and
organisational identity crises are so intense: they are battles over meaning and belonging.
Belonging and Power: Who Decides Who Gets to Belong?
Power determines who is included and who is excluded. Those in power define the terms of belonging, who is ‘in’, who is ‘out’, what is considered ‘normal’. But shifts in belonging (e.g., social movements, generational change, emerging subcultures) can challenge existing power
structures. The fight for inclusion is never just about acceptance, it is about redistributing power.
Power and Change: The Resistance to Transformation
Power resists change by shaping what is thinkable and unthinkable. People often think they are debating facts when they are actually debating who gets to define reality. Change is slow, not because new ideas do not exist, but because power structures ensure that old ways of thinking remain dominant.
How This Plays Out in the Real World
Example 1: Organisational Change
A company wants to shift from hierarchical leadership to a more participatory culture.
Unknowing: Leaders must acknowledge they do not have all the answers. But this creates anxiety and resistance.
Meaning: The organisation must redefine what leadership means. If leadership is no longer about control, then what does authority look like?
Belonging: Those who thrived in the old system feel threatened. Do they still belong in this new way of working?
Power & Change: If new leadership models are to succeed, decision-making power must be redistributed, but those at the top may
resist. The result? The change initiative fails unless it addresses all four forces simultaneously.
Example 2: Social Movements
A marginalised community fights for rights and recognition.
Unknowing: Society begins to question long-held assumptions about identity, fairness, and justice.
Meaning: The language around inclusion changes. What was once seen as ‘radical’ becomes a mainstream demand.
Belonging: New identities emerge, but some feel alienated by the shifting norms. The movement itself faces internal struggles
over inclusion and exclusion.
Power & Change: Institutions push back, framing the movement as a threat to ‘tradition’ or ‘stability’. The fight is not just about recognition, it is about redistributing who holds authority over cultural narratives.
Movements succeed not just by demanding change, but by reshaping meaning, belonging, and power.
Why This Matters for Leadership, Culture, and Organisations
Most approaches to change fail because they focus on one force while ignoring the others. Leaders embrace innovation but fail to address the power structures that keep things stagnant.
Organisations promote diversity but do not question the dominant narratives that define professionalism.
Companies claim to be learning organisations but still punish employees for questioning authority.
To lead effectively in complexity, we must:
See power not as a thing, but as a flow of influence, meaning, and belonging. Recognise that change does not happen through policies alone,
it happens through shifting narratives and social norms.
Understand that resistance is not just about logic, it is about identity, security, and loss.
How to Think With The Fractured Lens
Look for the Unseen Forces
When facing resistance, ask: What meaning is being threatened? What belonging is at stake? What power structures are being
disrupted?
Recognise That Change is Messy
Change does not happen step-by-step, it happens through conflict, adaptation, and unexpected shifts.
A ‘failed’ initiative may be laying the groundwork for deeper transformation later.
Use Narrative as a Tool for Change
People do not just change through data, they change through stories that reshape meaning, identity, and belonging.
If you want to lead change, focus on how people make sense of the world, not just on policies and strategies.
Seeing the World Differently
The Fractured Lens is not a formula, it is a way of seeing. It helps us understand that:
Unknowing is not a flaw, but the starting point of wisdom.
Meaning is not fixed, but constantly shaped and reshaped.
Belonging is not just about inclusion, but about identity,
security, and control.
Power & Change are not separate forces, they are always
in motion, shaping what we see as possible.
To see through The Fractured Lens is to embrace the complexity of reality, rather than searching for simplistic answers. It is an invitation to ask better questions, listen more deeply, and navigate a world that is always evolving. Because once we see these forces in motion, we can no longer pretend they do not exist.
The only question left is: Now that you see, what will you do with what you know?