The ostrich burying his head in the sand. The chameleon changing her colors to fit in. The zebra who can’t change his stripes. The deer in headlights. The bull in the china shop, bucking around and breaking stuff. The seagull, overseeing from a distance before diving down just in time to be disruptive.

Isn't it funny how we use these animal metaphors to capture our very human struggles with change? Especially because we have so much to learn from the natural world about how to navigate the unknown and the unknowable.

Today, I’m here to offer you some wisdom from my former nemesis: the spider.

I used to be as terrified of spiders as many people are of change. But I’ve come to respect these little monsters, and now appreciate how the spider’s web offers us a masterclass in emergent strategy—the art of creating adaptive structures that thrive in uncertainty rather than fighting against it.

And just in time for Halloween. 🕸️

“Many of us have been socialized to understand that constant growth, violent competition, and critical mass are the ways to create change.
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But emergence shows us that adaptation and evolution depend more upon critical, deep, and authentic connections, a thread that can be tugged for support and resilience. The quality of connection between the nodes in the patterns.”

—adrienne maree brown,
​Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds​

NOW X THE UNKNOWN

Planning for the Unknowable

Everywhere we look, we see humans trying to solve complex problems with linear thinking. Corporate mergers look good on paper but fail in the culture. Adopting new technologies is always more about people than process. Telling people what to do leads to them resisting change and resenting you.

The old playbook—detailed plans with rigid timelines and pressure to get it right the first time—is increasingly insufficient for the moment we’re navigating.

Now to be clear: I love a good plan. And most of the time, I start off tackling a new problem by thinking in linear terms. ”I will do A, which will lead to B, and then I’ll achieve C.” It’s how I was trained, but it’s also how I, as a neurotypical human, am wired.

But I’ve learned (the hard way) not to cling to my plans, which are, after all, developed at a particular moment in time with a particular set of data. They’re almost immediately outdated.

Holding fast to my vision and core principles, while staying as open as possible to the signals from my environment and the opportunities that come my way—this is how I’ve come to understand what it means to live an aligned life, build a beautiful business and make real and meaningful change.

But don’t take my word for it—check in with yourself: Which approach to planning feels like a better fit for this moment you’re living and leading through? Which one feels truer, more easeful, more alive in your body?

Or, to be more direct: Would you rather be certain for a moment, or successful over time?

Let’s see what our eight-legged teacher has to say about the matter.

🕷️ How to Plan Like a Spider

Step 1: Sensing at Scale

Watch a spider in her web, and you’re witnessing something remarkable: She’s created an extension of her nervous system. Every strand vibrates with information—the weight of prey, the approach of predators, changes in wind patterns. The web doesn’t just catch food; it processes data.

This expanded cognition is a powerful model for navigating uncertainty. Instead of trying to keep an eye on everything from on high, we can focus on building connections and feedback loops that extend our perception far beyond our immediate position.

If this feels abstract, think of Greg Foran, outgoing CEO of Air New Zealand, who routinely joins the crew and serves coffee on flights. Earlier, as CEO of Walmart US, he spent time in stores and warehouses, and responded directly to emails from store managers. These sensing strategies help him spot emerging patterns weeks before they show up in formal reports.

Step 2: Adaptive Architecture

A spider doesn’t build the same web every time. She reads her environment—the space between branches, the prevailing winds, the types of insects in the area—and adapts accordingly. The web she builds on a still morning differs from the one she constructs before a storm.

Yet there’s a consistent architecture: strong anchor points provide stability while flexible spiral threads allow the web to stretch. The spider knows some elements must remain constant (the foundational structure) and some will need to shift with circumstances (the specific pattern of connections).

Most strategic plans treat everything as if it needs to be fixed in place. But what if we approached planning more like web-building—establishing strong foundations while remaining responsive to what the environment requires? As you and your team are planning for 2026, be sure to ask: What are our anchor points, and where do we need to stay flexible?

Step 3: Resilient Rebuilding

Spiders expect disruption. When storms or deer (or me on a hike) tear through their webs, they don’t mourn the perfection of their original design. They simply begin again, incorporating lessons from what was destroyed.

An orb weaver spider builds her web at night and consumes it in the morning, reclaiming proteins from the silk and taking in hydration from the dew it has collected. She understands what we often resist: In complex environments, disruption isn’t a bug—it’s a feature.

When change doesn’t go according to plan (and it is when, not if), we tend to blame the plan. But instead of viewing setbacks as failures of planning, what if we planned for failure? Where can we hone our capacity to rebuild quickly and intelligently, rather than wasting our energy trying to prevent any possible breakdown?

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fear is friend haiku

to cure oneself of
one’s arachnophobia—
call them all Charlotte

In Practice: Masterful Planning

The spider builds her web without knowing exactly what she’ll catch, but she trusts in the soundness of her process. She works in partnership with her environment, staying alert to what’s emerging while remaining anchored in her purpose.

Here’s how we’ll be following her lead in the RadiantLeader.co community of practice this month:

1. Mapping Our Sensing Network We’ll identify the people, conversations, and information sources that help us better understand what’s emerging in our environment, and strengthen these connections.
2. Distinguish Anchors from Adaptations We’ll review our strategic priorities to be explicit about what stays constant and what remains flexible.
3. Practice Productive Rebuilding We’ll practice using disruption as data, not defeat: What did we learn? What wants to emerge? What would we do differently if we were starting fresh today?

I won’t lie: This approach is going to feel awkward at first, maybe even a bit scary. It challenges some of our most fundamental assumptions about strategic planning: From prediction to pattern recognition. From rigid plans to responsive systems. From control to cultivation. That’s why it’s a practice. As we find our way into thinking like emergent strategists—and find the success that follows—it becomes part of our nature.

Not a RadiantLeader.co member? Check out this community of practice at our upcoming Mini-Retreat. 👇 (And click here for a simple way to register for free.)

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October Mini-Retreat: Now, Next + Beyond

In a world of constant change, how do we plan for what we can’t predict? It starts with releasing our grip on the plan.

​This month’s Mini-Retreat invites you to go beyond linear planning to navigate uncertainty with ease. You’ll learn simple practices for thinking in systems and mapping scenarios, balancing short-term action with long-term vision. Because the future may be unknowable, but it isn’t unplannable—if we know how.

Friday, October 10, 2025​
5 - 6:30 p.m. GMT
12 - 1:30 p.m. ET
9 - 10:30 a.m. PT

Zoom link sent upon registration

Mini-Retreats are free for RadiantLeader.co members, who can RSVP here. 💛

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Weave with me: Help me shape this newsletter’s next iteration

As we head into the final months of 2025—a year that is pulling us deeper into the unknowable every single day—I'm curious about the webs you're weaving in your own leadership.

The Radiant Change newsletter is part of my sensing network, helping me understand how these ideas land in the lives of leaders around the world and what wants to emerge from our collective wisdom. Your voice directly shapes where this work goes next.

Now, as I'm planning the newsletter's next iteration for January 2026, I need your insights to guide its format and focus. Answer these 5 quick questions by October 3rd and receive a free registration link for our October 10th Mini-Retreat.

What resonates? What do you want more of? Less of? I'd love to hear how these monthly reflections connect with your experience of living and leading in these transformational times. Thank you in advance! 🙏

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Onward together.

Kristen Lisanti
​Radiant Change​
​Training Leaders to Transform Cultures