Systems Leadership

Summary

The transcript discusses the concept of systems leadership, which is essential for driving change across organizational boundaries. Unlike traditional leadership roles that focus on top-down decision-making, systems leadership emphasizes a shared vision and the ability to navigate complexity. It involves creating spaces for innovation, embracing uncertainty, and fostering a collective pursuit of change. Leaders in this context must be able to reconcile paradoxes, bridge different perspectives, and hold a space for transformation to occur. They also need to recognize their role within the system they aim to change, acknowledging that they are part of the problem and the solution. Systems leadership is about taking responsibility for creating a better system, shifting the focus from reactive problem-solving to proactive co-creation, and understanding the multi-dimensional nature of complex systems. It is a challenging endeavor that should only be undertaken when the system is fundamentally dysfunctional and requires significant intervention.

Takeaways

• 🌟 **Systems Leadership**: A new type of leadership is required for systems change, which is different from traditional leadership roles focused on hierarchical authority.
• 🔄 **Leading Across Boundaries**: Systems change involves leading with minimal authority, often across organizational boundaries, to address large-scale challenges.
• 🚀 **Innovation for Change**: The methodologies and mindsets needed for systems change must outperform current innovation methods to effectively address complex issues.
• 👁️ **Seeing the Whole**: Leaders should be able to see the entire system, not just the parts most visible from their perspective, to shape a collective future.
• 📈 **Leadership Paradigms**: Leadership has evolved from executing tasks (Leadership 1.0) to understanding human experiences (Leadership 2.0) to changing the system itself (Leadership 3.0).
• 🧩 **Capacity for Innovation**: Systems leaders must create an innovation capacity within the system, enabling others to deal with the scale and complexity of challenges.
• 🕳️ **Embracing Emptiness**: A key attribute of a systems leader is the ability to create space, akin to an empty container, for the emergence of new ideas and solutions.
• 🔗 **Bridging Disconnects**: Systems leaders need to bridge disconnected groups and hold a shared vision, fostering community and collective action towards change.
• 🌐 **Liminal Spaces**: Systems change involves navigating liminal spaces, which are transitional periods of uncertainty and potential transformation.
• 🤔 **Acknowledging Our Role**: To change a system, one must recognize their part in it and the problem, embracing the cognitive dissonance and contradictions within.
• 🛠️ **Technical and Non-Technical Awareness**: Systems leaders must understand both the technical and non-technical aspects of a system to effectively lead change.
• 🔍 **Responsibility and Engagement**: Taking responsibility for creating a better system involves shifting focus from reactive problem-solving to co-creating the future.
• ⚖️ **Systemic Dysfunctionality**: Change should only be pursued if the system is dysfunctional and not addressing its core contradictions, which could lead to its downfall.

Q & A

What is the key difference between traditional leadership and systems leadership?

Traditional leadership is often associated with a position of authority within an organization, whereas systems leadership is about leading across boundaries with little authority, focusing on methodologies and mindsets that enable large-scale change.

According to Banny Banerjee, what is the main motivation for adopting systems leadership?

The main motivation for adopting systems leadership is the desire to address large-scale challenges and make a significant difference, which requires methodologies and organizational behaviors different from the current ones.

What is the concept of 'leadership 1.0' as described by Professor Banerjee?

Leadership 1.0 is marked by the ability to execute, exemplified by military leaders or chief executive officers who can make decisions and have them executed by others.

What is the focus of 'leadership 2.0'?

Leadership 2.0 requires understanding humans and experiences to create pull rather than push, aiming to imagine new experiences and engage people more effectively.

How does 'leadership 3.0' differ from the previous paradigms?

Leadership 3.0 is about the ability to change the system itself and create a next-generation system, focusing on simplicity on the other side of complexity and enabling others to deal with the scale and complexity of challenges.

What is the primary ability of a systems leader according to the transcript?

The primary ability of a systems leader is to see the larger system in any complex setting, enabling a shared understanding of complex problems and fostering a collective pursuit of change.

Why is the concept of 'emptiness' important for a systems leader?

The concept of 'emptiness' is important for a systems leader because it represents the space for the creation of something new. It is about being an empty container that can contain whatever is put inside it, allowing for the emergence of creativity and innovation.

What does it mean to create a 'space' in the context of systems leadership?

Creating a 'space' in systems leadership means to facilitate an environment where creative tension can exist, allowing leaders to resolve contradictions and conflicts, and unblock pathways forward for collective progress.

How do systems leaders deal with the concept of 'liminal spaces'?

Systems leaders carefully design liminal spaces, which are transitional spaces between the current state and the next, to hold unstable groups of people together in the collective pursuit of change, while maintaining dialogue with the existing system.

What is the role of responsibility in systems change?

In systems change, responsibility involves taking on the task of creating a better system, redirecting attention from external problems to internal ones, and shifting the collective focus from resistance and reactive problem-solving to co-creating the future.

Why is it important for systems leaders to understand the technical and non-technical aspects of a system?

It is important for systems leaders to understand both the technical and non-technical aspects of a system to appreciate its multiple dimensions and the complexity required for its operations, which is crucial for making informed decisions and effective changes.

When should a system be changed according to the transcript?

A system should only be changed if it is systemically dysfunctional and the current regime is not capable or willing to deal with its deep contradictions, as such a system is inherently unsustainable and will lead to its own downfall over time.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Systems Leadership: Beyond Traditional Authority

This paragraph discusses the unique nature of leadership required for systems change, contrasting it with traditional top-down leadership models. It emphasizes that systems change involves leading across boundaries with limited authority, necessitating new methodologies and mindsets. Systems leadership is characterized by the ability to see the whole system, enabling groups to shape their future. The paragraph outlines the evolution of leadership paradigms, from Leadership 1.0 focused on execution, to Leadership 2.0 which requires understanding human experiences, to Leadership 3.0 that involves changing the system itself. Systems leaders are described as those who can create innovation capacity, listen to the whole system, and hold a space for new ideas to emerge. They facilitate the opening process for teams to seize opportunities and resolve contradictions, embodying a creative tension that moves groups forward.

05:02

🌐 Bridging Communities and Embracing Liminal Spaces

The second paragraph delves into the anthropological perspective on paradoxes and the motivation they provide for progress. It highlights the role of systems leaders in bridging different communities with contradictory views, maintaining a shared vision, and fostering community. Systems change is portrayed as involving liminal spaces, which are transitional phases where transformation occurs. Leaders need to navigate these spaces, balancing the dual perspective of operating within current systems while creating conditions for a new system. The paragraph also touches on the importance of recognizing our inherent part in the system we aim to change, embracing the cognitive dissonance and contradictions within ourselves. It stresses the courage to embrace uncertainty and the responsibility leaders take on in attempting to create better systems. The essence of leadership in this context is stepping ahead and taking the initiative to shift collective focus from resistance to co-creation of the future.

10:03

🔍 Understanding and Navigating Systemic Dysfunctionality

The final paragraph focuses on the complexity of systems and the technical understanding required to lead change. It advises caution, suggesting that systems should only be changed if they are systemically dysfunctional and unable to resolve core contradictions. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of recognizing that all systems have failings and that change should not be undertaken lightly due to the risks and resource demands involved. It also stresses that changing a system is only valid if the current regime is incapable or unwilling to address deep contradictions, which would otherwise lead to the system's downfall. The responsibility of a leader in systems change involves accepting the imperfections of the world and focusing efforts on improving systems that genuinely need reform.

Keywords

💡Systems Change

Systems change refers to the transformation of complex systems, such as social, economic, or environmental structures, to achieve more sustainable and equitable outcomes. It is the central theme of the video, emphasizing the need for a different approach to leadership that can navigate across boundaries and operate with limited authority. The script discusses how systems change requires methodologies and mindsets that differ from traditional leadership and innovation models.

💡Leadership

Leadership, in the context of the video, is redefined beyond a position of authority at the top of an organization. It is presented as a modality that anyone can exhibit by demonstrating leadership qualities, particularly in the realm of systems change. The video contrasts traditional leadership with systems leadership, which is about enabling groups to shape their future within a complex environment.

💡Systems Leadership

Systems leadership is a new kind of leadership highlighted in the video that is significantly different from traditional business leadership. It involves leading without much formal authority and is characterized by the ability to see the whole system, create space for new ideas, and deal with the scale and complexity of challenges. The concept is used to describe leaders who are part of the system they aim to change and are capable of fostering community and shared visions.

💡Complexity

Complexity is a key concept in the video that describes the multi-dimensional and interconnected nature of systems that leaders aim to change. It emphasizes the intricate technical and non-technical structures that operate within a system. The video stresses that leaders must understand and embrace this complexity, as well as the uncertainty that comes with it, to be effective in systems change.

💡Liminal Spaces

Liminal spaces are described as transitional phases or places where transformation occurs. In the context of the video, they represent the space between the current system and the next, where change agents operate. The concept is used to illustrate the need for systems leaders to design spaces that can hold unstable groups together as they collectively pursue change.

💡Shared Vision

A shared vision is a collective idea or goal that systems leaders aim to foster among diverse groups. It is essential for gathering disparate partners and fostering community. The video uses this concept to explain how leaders can bridge disconnected groups and maintain a dialogue with the current system, even as they work to transform it.

💡Responsibility

Responsibility is a recurring theme in the video, particularly in the context of taking on the challenge of systems change. It involves recognizing one's part in the system and the problem, and stepping up to create a better system. The video emphasizes that leaders must take responsibility for redirecting focus from reactive problem-solving to co-creating the future.

💡Technical Structure

Technical structure refers to the underlying systems and processes that are required for the operations of complex organizations. The video discusses the importance of understanding this structure when aiming to lead change, as it is an integral part of the system's multi-dimensional nature. Leaders must appreciate and take responsibility for the technical operations at different levels of the system.

💡Cognitive Dissidence

Cognitive dissidence is the mental stress or discomfort experienced by an individual who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or ideas. In the video, it is mentioned in the context of embracing one's part within the system and the problem. Leaders are encouraged to live with this contradiction and use it as a driving force for change.

💡Emptiness

Emptiness, as described in the video, is a primary attribute of a true leader, referring to the capacity to create space for something new. It is likened to an empty container that can contain whatever is put inside it. The concept is used to explain the importance of creating a space for innovation and new ideas to emerge in the context of systems change.

💡Creative Tension

Creative tension is the state of resolving contradictions and conflicts that others might avoid. The video discusses how leaders in systems change must live with this tension and use it to unblock pathways forward. It is a driving force that motivates people to move beyond resistance and towards co-creating a better system.

💡Systemic Dysfunctionality

Systemic dysfunctionality refers to a system that is not functioning effectively or is unable to deal with its core contradictions. The video uses this concept to justify when it is necessary to change a system. It suggests that change should only be undertaken if the current system is unsustainable and incapable of addressing its deep contradictions.

Highlights

Leadership for systems change requires a different approach than traditional leadership, focusing on leading across boundaries with little authority.

Systems leadership involves methodologies and mindsets that outperform current innovation methodologies.

Leaders in systems change are not necessarily from traditional positions of authority, as they are often invested in the past.

Systems leaders see the whole change within the environment and work to enable groups to shape their future.

Professor Banerjee outlines three paradigms of leadership, with Leadership 3.0 focusing on changing the system itself.

Systems leaders aim for simplicity on the other side of complexity, creating innovation capacity in the system.

A key capacity of a systems leader is the ability to listen to the whole system better than anyone else.

Systems leaders help people see the larger system and build a shared understanding of complex problems.

The primary attribute of a true leader is emptiness, creating a space for something new.

Retreats can be valuable as they allow for detachment and creation of a space of nothingness.

Systems leaders facilitate the opening process for teams to sense and seize emerging opportunities.

Creating space involves living with creative tension and resolving contradictions and conflicts.

Systems change involves bridging disconnected groups and holding a shared vision that fosters community.

Liminal spaces are essential for transformation, representing a time of transition and waiting.

Systems leaders need to recognize they are part of the system and embrace the cognitive dissonance and contradiction within themselves.

Real change starts with recognizing our part in the systems we seek to change and the problems we aim to remedy.

Systemic leaders are unafraid of the unknown and embrace uncertainty, recognizing points of intervention.

Leadership in systems change is about taking responsibility for creating a better system and shifting the collective focus.

Systems change is about changing the structure of a complex organization, which is inherently resistant to large-scale change.

Changing a system should only be done if it is systemically dysfunctional and the current regime is not addressing its core contradictions.

Systems leaders must appreciate the multiple dimensions and technical complexity of the system to effectively lead change.

Transcripts

because of its nature the kind of

leadership needed for systems change is

quite different from our traditional

conception we tend to think of

leadership as a position at the top of

an organization that comes with the

authority to make decisions and have

those executed upon by others however

systems change is about leading across

boundaries meaning you will be leading

with very little authority as Banny

Banerjee of Stanford change labs puts it

when you are addressing really large

scale challenges and you really are

motivated by the big scale and you want

to make a big difference then what you

need are methodologies that are

significantly different from current

ones and even innovation methodologies

that outperform the current innovation

methodologies but also different

mindsets you need different

organizational behavior and above all

you need a new kind of leadership and

that type of leadership we are calling

systems leadership and it is

significantly different from business as

usual leadership is not a position it is

a modality anyone can be a leader by

showing leadership qualities this is

particularly true with systems change

because the leaders of the new paradigm

are unlikely to come from within the

traditional positions of authority as

these are the ones who are most invested

in the past and thus least likely to be

those to see and create the future in

general leaders are people who see the

whole the change is taking place within

that environment and have a sense that

they can shape their future and that

others can also they work to enable

groups of people to shape their future

professor Banerjee goes on to outline

the nature of leadership in a system

change context by putting it in a

chronological contrast to past forms he

posits that the first paradigm of

leadership leadership 1.0 is marked by

the ability to execute as exemplified by

the military leader or the role of the

chief executive officer leadership 2.0

requires understanding humans and

experiences to create poll rather than

push to imagine new experiences

leadership 3.0 is a different game that

asks the question can you change the

system itself can you create a next

generation system the quest for us as

systems leaders is simplicity not on

this side of complexity but on the other

side he describes a key capacity of this

leader as the ability to create a

certain kind of innovation capacity in

the system that is currently lacking it

is about enabling others to deal with

the scale and complexity of challenges

in this context the system's leaders job

is to make sure that people are climbing

up the ladder when it comes to accepting

and dealing with complexity learning how

to be non systems blind autosh armor

sees leadership as being about being

better able to listen to the whole than

anyone else can this is a primary

ability of a systems leader the capacity

to see the larger system in any complex

setting people typically focus their

attention on the parts of the system

most visible from their vantage point

this usually results in arguments about

who has the right perspective on the

problem helping people see the larger

system is essential to building a shared

understanding of complex problems and

the job of the systems leader they have

to not just see the whole but create a

space hold a space the primary attribute

of a true leader is emptiness which is

the condition or space for the creation

of something new being like an empty

container its primary attribute is that

it contains whatever is put inside it

this is why retreats can be a value as a

way to detach oneself and create a space

of nothingness at the end of the day our

capacity to achieve

emptiness or nothingness will define the

scope of our capacity to create systems

change as Otto Sharma States what

happens at the beginning of any creative

process nothing creativity requires that

we create space and wait for something

to emerge when a successful leader of

the telecom industry was asked what she

considered to be the essence of her

leadership work she responded I am

facilitating the opening process so my

team can sense and seize emerging

opportunities as they arise from the

fast-paced business environment we are

operating in

creating space is about living with

creative tension leaders resolve the

contradictions and conflicts that others

shy away from and in so doing unblocked

pathways forward as Francis Westley

notes there is a long history in the

anthropological literature that suggests

when you have these kinds of paradoxes

and you're able to reconcile them it

actually motivates people to move

forward there's some release of energy

one example of this would be the person

who sees the need to create a new space

between different communities they have

to then live with the tension of

bridging different communities that may

have strongly contradictory views and

opinions systems leaders need the

capacity to not only bridge disconnected

groups but to hold the shared vision

that gathers disparate partners together

and fosters community

an extension of this is the idea that

systems change involves liminal spaces

in general liminal spaces are spaces

lived in for a certain amount of time as

one transitions from a previous state to

the next stage a liminal space is a time

between the what was and the next it is

a place of transition

waiting and not knowing liminal space is

where transformation happens when we

pause and let it shape us into a new

form in systems changers dot-com set of

interviews with systems changers they

note our interviewees describe a

split-screen perspective moving in and

out of the current systems at the same

time as creating the conditions for a

new system to emerge liminal spaces need

to be carefully designed to hold

unstable groups of people together in

the collective pursuit of change

innovators need to be able to move in

and out of the systems they are trying

to transform even when they are outside

of the status quo they can maintain a

dialogue with it likewise to change the

system you have to recognize that you

are part of it and you are part of the

problem so often our desires to change

the system are rendered inert because we

separate ourselves from it posit the

problem over there this is setting the

conditions for avoiding systems change

embracing it means embracing our place

within the system and our place as part

of creating the problem and living with

that cognitive dissidence and

contradiction within ourselves we are

not the good guys the Savior's we like

others are part of the problem and part

of working through trying to change the

conditions real change starts with

recognizing that we are part of the

systems we seek to change the failures

we seek to remedy also exist within us

as do the fears distrust doubt etc

part of living with the tension of

liminal space is uncertainty systemic

leaders are unafraid of the unknown in

fact they embrace uncertainty they are

able to recognize points of intervention

and function successfully in the face of

complexity they combine a will to

understand systems with a recognition

that they will always have to take

action without complete knowledge

leadership and a systems change context

is a lot about responsibility it is

taking on some responsibility of trying

to create a better system stepping

across the line and saying a better

solution as possible as Peter sang notes

the verb to lead comes from an

indo-european root Laden it literally

means to step ahead to step across the

threshold

leaders take responsibility by

redirecting attention from seeing that

problems out there are in here systems

leaders take on responsibility by trying

to shift the collective focus from a

mode of resistance and reactive

problem-solving to change to co-creating

the future change often starts with

undesirable conditions but creative

system leaders help people move beyond

just reacting to these problems to

building positive visions for the future

this typically happens gradually as

leaders help people express their deeper

aspirations and build trust based on

tangible accomplishments realized

together systems change is about

changing the structure of a complex

organization this is difficult for a

number of reasons firstly because they

are multi-dimensional but also because

they have a deep technical structure

that is required for their operations

likewise complex adaptive systems will

inherently resist large-scale change

processes this is for good reason such a

change risks the survival of the system

to be a system changer is to say a

better system can be created and you are

going to take on some of the

responsibility for doing that it

requires an appreciation for the

multiple dimensions of the system an

appreciation for the technical

complexity that is required to make the

system operate on its different levels

as always it is better to not change a

system if you don't understand it or

have some appreciation for its technical

operations to lead the change you need

to be aware of the system on different

levels technical and non-technical and

to take some responsibility for making

it work on those different levels

we should only be changing a system if

it is systemically dysfunctional and the

system itself is not dealing with that

core contradiction there is nothing

wrong with a dysfunctional system or one

that has contradictions our world is not

perfect all systems have failures and

contradictions the question is whether

they are working to resolve those issues

and the system's level of engagement

with that part of being responsible in

our endeavors to change systems is to

accept that the world is not perfect all

systems have failings and those failings

will result in inconvenience and

suffering for us or others this is a

good reason to try and improve the

existing system but it is not a good

reason to change the system

changing systems is dangerous risky and

hugely demanding on resources don't do

it unless it needs doing the only valid

reason to change a system is if it has

deep contradictions that the current

regime is not capable or not willing to

deal with and important to note here is

that if that is the case then the system

is inherently unsustainable and will

lead to its own downfall over time

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