Stumbling Toward Clarity: What Jurgen Appelo’s Chaos Has to Do with CIRCA

“It’s perfectly fine to stumble around like a drunk philosopher with no idea where you're heading…”

So opens Jurgen Appelo’s most recent article Finding Purpose in the Chaos, and I couldn’t help but smile. That line caught me off guard—in the best way.

Jurgen’s piece resonated not just because it was honest (and funny), but because it captured something many of us know deep down yet rarely admit out loud: we don’t always know where we’re going, and that’s okay.

For years, I’ve worked with organisations, teams, and leaders trying to find clarity amidst complexity. His words echo something I’ve been sensing, studying, exploring and supporting for years, and recently I've shaped my thinking into a model I call CIRCA—a framework designed to help leaders and teams navigate the unpredictable, paradoxical, and emotionally turbulent nature of today’s environment. A way to make sense of environments that feel overwhelming, fast-moving, contradictory, and emotionally charged.

And what Jurgen described? That messy middle between conviction and confusion? That’s CIRCA in action.

🎯 When Purpose Becomes a Moving Target

Jurgen writes about spending years preaching purpose and goal-driven frameworks, only to later admit he wasn’t sure of his own. That isn’t failure; it’s familiar.

Many of us have been there:

• leading with conviction while quietly wrestling with uncertainty,
• championing clarity while wandering through fog,
• being asked for certainty in systems that defy prediction.

CIRCA emerged from that same reality. It’s an acronym for Complex, Insecure, Rapid, Contradictory, and Anxious. A set of challenges I kept seeing in modern work environments.

And crucially, CIRCA doesn’t stop at the diagnosis. It’s paired with a constructive response, what I call CIRCA PRIME—capabilities like Clarity, Insight, Responsiveness, Coherence, and Assurance that help us move forward, even when the path isn’t obvious.

🤝 So What’s the Link?

Jurgen’s message lands in the heart of what CIRCA is all about.

The truth is, we’re often walking through fog. And sometimes, trying to articulate purpose too early can actually get in the way of discovering it. Purpose can be a horizon, not a destination. Something you move toward, not something you find under a Post-it in a strategy workshop.

🧭 Clarity Follows Movement

In complexity, clarity isn’t found by thinking harder, it emerges through participation. As Jurgen put it: keep walking, talking, and watching.

This is the work:

• Test assumptions.
• Listen to weak signals.
• Invite multiple perspectives.
• Accept that clarity might “smack you on the head” after a few wrong turns.

It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign you’re actually paying attention.

📣 Final Thought

If you’re grappling with uncertainty—personally or organisationally—you’re not failing. You’re likely navigating a CIRCA environment.

And rather than doubling down on control, it might be time to shift toward a different posture:

• From certainty to curiosity
• From answers to questions
• From fixed goals to evolving clarity

If that’s a conversation you’re open to, I’d love to explore it with you.

Let’s keep walking. 👣

Clarity will meet us on the road.