Following a reorganization, a research department in a national research institute had been performing exceptionally well. The department had had great success using a systematically powerful strategy. It had acquired a number of major high-value projects and had initiated a variety of strategic alliances. In only three years, the department had grown from 15 employees to 35, and the prospects for further growth were very positive. And yet the department director was concerned that success might exceed the department's capacities. He knew that the backup was insufficient and that his assistant director was overburdened. Also, the constant need to train new temporary specialists was taking a toll on the permanent employees. The increasing pressure on the organisation made the director aware of how vulnerable the department actually was. The department only had a single expert for every field of expertise, and it seemed as if the department relied increasingly on the director for all of its organisational issues. Was it now time to add account management to the department organisation? Or was the solution to add an extra layer of management, reinforce project- and program management, bill more hours, knowledge management, quality systems, etc.? As he formulated it: he found his department 'lost in complexity' and he felt a  strong need for doing better as director.