The Yin and Yang of Systems Leadership
by Nathan Senge
Systems change builds from data and information to inspire understanding and guidance. “Systems leaders,” people who spur systems change, help people living with deep, persistent problems come together to tell their story, think about what is really happening, build a new vision if possible, and explore options beyond reactive thinking. It helps them find higher leverage solutions through cycles of action and reflection over time.
Read The Dawn of Systems Leadership
For those new to systems leadership, this can sometimes seem passive, or even weak. But strong leadership is not just about setting goals and executing plans. Without openness and expansion of mind, people can miss deep solutions that may only shyly arise at first, like a sailor so committed to a course that he or she can’t feel subtle shifts in the wind. Expansion and perception are the yang and yin of systems leadership, respectively, and both are needed.
“Its about helping people feel comfortable with taking risks,” says Academy for Systems Change co-founder Charles Holmes, “so people can express what really matters and what they disagree with.”