We often imagine CEOs as people who know exactly how their companies run. Every workflow, every decision, every system. But research on large companies shows something surprising! even top leaders don’t fully understand how their own organizations function. Big companies aren’t clean, perfectly planned structures. They’re messy, constantly changing systems with undocumented processes, hidden ways of getting things done, and decisions shaped by many people and not just the person at the top.Studies in organizational theory, behavioral economics, and political science all point to the same conclusion. Large systems function through emergent behavior, informal routines, and negotiated power not clear top down control. Decisions often form through chaos, incentives, miscommunication, and politics, rather than rational planning.This episode breaks the illusion of perfect leadership and explores why real institutions resemble “organized anarchies,” why confidence doesn’t equal clarity, and why no one no matter how high up has a complete map of what’s going on.By the end, you’ll see companies, governments, and leadership in a very different way and you’ll understand why embracing uncertainty may be the most powerful strategy in a complex world.