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Stanford Social Innovation Review / Winter 2015 27

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The deep changes necessary to accelerate progress against society’s most intractable problems require
, a unique type of leader—the system leader, a person who catalyzes collective leadership.

The Dawn of
S y st e m
Leadership
By Peter Senge,
H a l H a m i lto n ,
& John Kania

I
l lustration by
Pa u l R o d g e r s

ith
the passing of Nelson Mandela in late 2013, the world celebrated a
remarkable life. But the spotlight on Mandela’s accomplishments
relegated to the shadows much of the reason that he has had such
a lasting impact, in South Africa and beyond. Above all, Mandela
embodied a system leader, someone able to bring forth collective leadership. In countless
ways, large and small, he undertook interventions aimed at bringing together the remnants
of a divided country to face their common challenges collectively and build a new nation.
In the four delicate years between Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 and the first
open election, he supported a scenario process that brought together the formerly banned
black political parties to work through their alternative visions for the future of South
Africa. Exploring their different ideologies and their implications openly and together
28 Stanford Social Innovation Review / Winter 2015

resulted in the moderating of potentially divisive differences that Peter Senge is a senior lecturer and direc- Hal Hamilton is director of the Sus-
tor of the Center for Organizational Learning tainable Food Lab and co-founder of the
could have ripped the nation apart, such as whether or not to na-
at MIT Sloan School of Management. He is Academy for Systemic Change. He was previ-
tionalize critical industries.1 also the founding chair of The Society for Or- ously executive director of the Sustainability
ganizational Learning (SoL) and co-founder Institute and the Center for Sustainable
Perhaps the most transcendent example of Mandela as a system
of the Academy for Systemic Change. Senge Systems.
leader was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a radical in- is the author of the book The Fifth Discipline
and co-author of the books Presence, The John Kania is a board member and man-
novation in the emotional healing of the country that brought black aging director of FSG, where he directs the
Necessary Revolution, The Fifth Discipline
and white South Africans together to confront the past and join in Fieldbook, and Schools That Learn. firm’s consulting practice. Kania is co-author
of “Collective Impact” and three previous
shaping the future. The simple idea that you could bring together articles in Stanford Social Innovation Review,
those who had suffered profound losses with those whose actions as well as numerous SSIR blog posts.
led to those losses, to face one another, tell their truths, forgive, and
move on, was not only a profound gesture of civilization but also a
cauldron for creating collective leadership. Indeed, the process would Core Capabilities of System Leaders
have been impossible without the leadership of people like Bishop Though they differ widely in personality and style, genuine system
Desmond Tutu and former President F. W. de Klerk. leaders have a remarkably similar impact . Over time, their profound
Even more, the process invited the thousands who participated commitment to the health of the whole radiates to nurture similar
to step forward in co-creating a new reality for South Africa—and, commitment in others. Their ability to see reality through the eyes
in so doing, to embody an ancient understanding of leadership; the of people very different from themselves encourages others to be
Indo-European root of “to lead,” leith, literally means to step across more open as well. They build relationships based on deep listen-
a threshold—and to let go of whatever might limit stepping forward. ing, and networks of trust and collaboration start to flourish. They
At no time in history have we needed such system leaders more. are so convinced that something can be done that they do not wait
We face a host of systemic challenges beyond the reach of existing for a fully developed plan, thereby freeing others to step ahead and
institutions and their hierarchical authority structures. Problems learn by doing. Indeed, one of their greatest contributions can come
like climate change, destruction of ecosystems, growing scarcity of from the strength of their ignorance, which gives them permission
water, youth unemployment, and embedded poverty and inequity to ask obvious questions and to embody an openness and commit-
require unprecedented collaboration among different organizations, ment to their own ongoing learning and growth that eventually
sectors, and even countries. Sensing this need, countless collabora- infuse larger change efforts.
tive initiatives have arisen in the past decade—locally, regionally, As these system leaders emerge, situations previously suffer-
and even globally. Yet more often than not they have floundered—in ing from polarization and inertia become more open, and what
part because they failed to foster collective leadership within and were previously seen as intractable problems become perceived
across the collaborating organizations. as opportunities for innovation. Short-term reactive problem
The purpose of this article is to share what we are learning about solving becomes more balanced with long-term value creation.
the system leaders needed to foster collective leadership. We hope And organizational self-interest becomes re-contextualized, as
to demystify what it means to be a system leader and to continue to people discover that their and their organization’s success de-
grow as one. It is easy when we talk about exemplars like Mandela pends on creating well-being within the larger systems of which
to reinforce a belief that these are special people, somehow walking they are a part.
on a higher plane than the rest of us. But we have had the honor to There are three core capabilities that system leaders develop in
work with many “Mandelas,” and this experience has convinced us order to foster collective leadership. The first is the ability to see
that they share core capabilities and that these can be developed. the larger system. In any complex setting, people typically focus
Although formal position and authority matter, we have watched their attention on the parts of the system most visible from their
people contribute as system leaders from many positions. As Ronald own vantage point. This usually results in arguments about who has
Heifetz has shown in his work on adaptive leadership,2 these leaders the right perspective on the problem. Helping people see the larger
shift the conditions through which others—especially those who system is essential to building a shared understanding of complex
have a problem—can learn collectively to make progress against it. problems. This understanding enables collaborating organizations
Most of all, we have learned by watching the personal development to jointly develop solutions not evident to any of them individually
of system leaders. This is not easy work, and those who progress have and to work together for the health of the whole system rather than
a particular commitment to their own learning and growth. Under- just pursue symptomatic fixes to individual pieces.
standing the “gateways” through which they pass clarifies this com- The second capability involves fostering reflection and more
mitment and why this is not the mysterious domain of a chosen few. generative conversations. Reflection means thinking about our
Today, many of us are “swimming in the same river”—trying to thinking, holding up the mirror to see the taken-for-granted
cultivate collective leadership in diverse settings around the world even assumptions we carry into any conversation and appreciating how
while our larger cultural contexts remain firmly anchored to the myth our mental models may limit us. Deep, shared reflection is a critical
of the heroic individual leader. This search for a new type of leadership step in enabling groups of organizations and individuals to actually
creates a real possibility to accelerate joint learning about system leaders. “hear” a point of view different from their own, and to appreciate
For undoubtedly we are at the beginning of the beginning in learning emotionally as well as cognitively each other’s reality. This is an
how to catalyze and guide systemic change at a scale commensurate essential doorway for building trust where distrust had prevailed
with the scale of problems we face, and all of us see but dimly. and for fostering collective creativity.
 Stanford Social Innovation Review / Winter 2015 29

The third capability centers on shifting the collective focus from “Our first job is simply to ‘show up’ for kids,” says founder and CEO
reactive problem solving to co-creating the future. Change often Molly Baldwin. “The truth is that many have never had someone
starts with conditions that are undesirable, but artful system leaders they could count on consistently in their lives.”
help people move beyond just reacting to these problems to build- Showing up for young people means using processes like “peace-
ing positive visions for the future. This typically happens gradually keeping circles,” a Native American practice that Roca has adapted
as leaders help people articulate their deeper aspirations and build and applied in diverse settings, from street conflicts to sentencing and
confidence based on tangible accomplishments achieved together. parole circles. The practice begins by getting all the critical players in
This shift involves not just building inspiring visions but facing dif- any situation into a circle and opening with each person saying a few
ficult truths about the present reality and learning how to use the words about his deepest intentions. The central idea behind the circle
tension between vision and reality to inspire truly new approaches. is that what affects the individual affects the community, and that
Much has been written about these leadership capabilities in the both need to be healed together.6 “We learn to listen to each other in
organizational learning literature and the tools that support their a deep way in circles,” says Roca youth worker Omar Ortez. “You see
development.3 But much of this work is still relatively unknown or that a problem is not just one person’s problem, it is all our problem.”
known only superficially to those engaged in collaborative systemic Developing peacekeeping circles has not been easy, including for
change efforts. Baldwin herself. At Roca’s first circle training 15 years ago, “Forty
people came—young people, police and probation officers, com-
Gateways to Becoming a System Leader munity members, and friends,” recalls Baldwin. “Halfway through
Many years ago, a mentor of ours, William O’Brien, past CEO of the opening session, everything blew up. People were screaming,
Hanover Insurance Companies, posed an important question, “Many the kids were swearing, everyone was saying, ‘See! This is never go-
business leaders espouse ideals like vision, purposefulness, and grow- ing to work!’ Watching the session break down was wrenching, but
ing people to grow results. If these aims are so widely shared, then eventually I understood how committed I was to divisiveness and
why are such organizations so rare?” O’Brien’s answer was simple, not unity, how far I was from being a peacemaker. I understood on
“I think it is because very few people appreciate the nature of the a visceral level the problems with ‘us and them’ thinking, and how
commitment needed to build such an enterprise.” We believe this I perpetuated that, personally and for the organization. Continuing
insight also applies to budding system leaders seeking to help build to insist, ‘I’m right, you’re wrong! The issue is you, not us, because
collaborative networks for systemic change. we hold the moral high ground!’ was a big source of what was limit-
Watching people grow as system leaders has shown us repeat- ing our ability to truly help people and situations.”
edly the depth of commitment it requires and clarified the partic- In their book Leading from the Emerging Future, Otto Scharmer
ular gateways through which budding system leaders begin their and Katrin Kaufer describe three “openings” needed to transform
developmental journeys. These gateways do not define the whole systems: opening the mind (to challenge our assumptions), open-
of those journeys, but they do determine whether or not they ever ing the heart (to be vulnerable and to truly hear one another), and
commence. Those unwilling to pass through them may say all the opening the will (to let go of pre-set goals and agendas and see
right things about system leadership, but they are unlikely to make what is really needed and possible). These three openings match
much progress in embodying their aspirations. the blind spots of most change efforts, which are often based on
Re-directing attention: seeing that problems “out there” are “in here” rigid assumptions and agendas and fail to see that transforming
also—and how the two are connected | Continuing to do what we are cur- systems is ultimately about transforming relationships among
rently doing but doing it harder or smarter is not likely to produce people who shape those systems. Many otherwise well-intentioned
very different outcomes. Real change starts with recognizing that we change efforts fail because their leaders are unable or unwilling
are part of the systems we seek to change. The fear and distrust we to embrace this simple truth. Baldwin’s development as a system
seek to remedy also exist within us—as do the anger, sorrow, doubt, leader started with her willingness to face her own biases and
and frustration. Our actions will not become more effective until we shortcomings (and how these shortcomings limited Roca’s effec-
shift the nature of the awareness and thinking behind the actions. tiveness in their work) and her openness to gradually setting a
Roca, Inc., is a community youth development organization founded tone for the whole organization.
in the Boston area in 1988. Roca works with youths whom, by and large, Today, this willingness to open the mind, heart, and will has
no one else will work with. Many of the organization’s staff are for- extended far beyond the four walls of Roca as the organization has
mer gang members who now work on the streets to help current gang evolved into a critical interface between gangs, police, courts, parole
members redirect their lives.4 In 2013, 89 percent of the high-risk youth boards, schools, and social service agencies. Indeed, many of Roca’s
in Roca’s program for parolees and ex-convicts had no new arrests, important allies are the police departments in the communities it
95 percent had no new technical violations, and 69 percent remained serves. It has been a long journey for former social activists who
employed. On the strength of these outcomes, in 2013 Massachusetts often saw the cops as the enemy.
entered into a $27 million social impact bond with Roca, whereby Roca Re-orienting strategy: creating the space for change and enabling
will be paid to keep at-risk youth out of prison, receiving remuneration collective intelligence and wisdom to emerge | Ineffective leaders try to
directly in proportion to the positive outcomes they achieve.5 make change happen. System leaders focus on creating the condi-
Critical to Roca’s success has been its ability to build transfor- tions that can produce change and that can eventually cause change
mative relationships with the young people it works with. It does to be self-sustaining. As we continue to unpack the prerequisites to
this by what it calls “relentless” outreach and relationship building. success in complex collaborative efforts, we appreciate more and
30 Stanford Social Innovation Review / Winter 2015

more this subtle shift in strategic focus and the distinctive powers Systemic change needs more than data and information; it needs
of those who learn how to create the space for change. real intelligence and wisdom. Jay Forrester, the founder of the
For Darcy Winslow, the journey to becoming a system leader system dynamics method that has shaped our approach to systems
began in 1998 when she was responsible for Nike’s advanced research thinking, pointed out that complex non-linear systems exhibit
department and was reviewing a gas chromatograph toxicological “counterintuitive behavior.” He illustrated this by citing the large
analysis that showed, she says, “for the first time the chemicals em- number of government interventions that go awry through aim-
bedded in one of our top running shoes. Our VP of product looked ing at short-term improvement in measurable problem symptoms
at the results—the known toxins embedded in our products and but ultimately worsening the underlying problems—like increased
processes and the many chemicals that posed uncertain risks— urban policing that leads to short-term reductions in crime rates but
and then surprised us, by asking what we thought he should do. does nothing to alter the sources of embedded poverty and worsens
We figured he was the head of this part of the business and would long-term incarceration rates.9 Another systems thinking pioneer,
know. But after some time, we understood. The stuff that was in Russell Ackoff, characterized wisdom as the ability to distinguish
our products was there because of cost, function, and our design the short-term from the long-term effects of an intervention.10 The
and material choices. The real question became, ‘Who could—and question is, How does the wisdom to transcend pressures for low-
should—lead in tackling this truly complex problem?’” leverage symptomatic interventions arise in practice?
Over the ensuing weeks and months came an epiphany for System leaders like Baldwin and Winslow understand that collec-
Winslow. “Nike creates products,” she says. “Our first maxim is, ‘It tive wisdom cannot be manufactured or built into a plan created in
is in our nature to innovate.’ The people we had to reach were the advance. And it is not likely to come from leaders who seek to “drive”
designers. While Nike had about 25,000 employees at that time, their predetermined change agenda. Instead, system leaders work to
there were only about 300 designers. Five to 10 percent of our de- create the space where people living with the problem can come together
signers represented only 15 to 30 people. Suddenly, building an initial to tell the truth, think more deeply about what is really happening,
critical mass seemed far less daunting. So I went knocking on doors.” explore options beyond popular thinking, and search for higher leverage
With the report in hand, Winslow simply showed the results changes through progressive cycles of action and reflection and learn-
to designers and asked what they thought. “You could tell within ing over time. Knowing that there are no easy answers to truly complex
two minutes if the person was stirred up to do anything,” says problems, system leaders cultivate the conditions wherein collective
Winslow. “If they weren’t, I moved on. If they were, I asked for a wisdom emerges over time through a ripening process that gradually
second meeting.” brings about new ways of thinking, acting, and being.
Soon Winslow was bringing together groups of engaged designers For those new to system leadership, creating space can seem
and others in related product creation functions, and a new network passive or even weak. For them, strong leadership is all about execut-
started to emerge. “If you tell a great designer something is impos- ing a plan. Plans are, of course, always needed, but without open-
sible—like you cannot make a world-class running shoe without ness people can miss what is emerging, like a sailor so committed
glues—they get very excited. It is the challenge that engages them.” to his initial course that he won’t adjust to shifts in the wind. Even
Within two years, about 400 designers and product managers con- more to the point, the conscious acts of creating space, of engag-
vened for a two-day summit where leading sustainability experts ing people in genuine questions, and of convening around a clear
and senior management explored together the concept of design intention with no hidden agenda, creates a very different type of
for sustainability. A movement was born within Nike. energy from that which arises from seeking to get people committed
Today, Nike’s efforts have spurred collective leadership through- to your plan. When Winslow went to the designers, she went with
out the sports apparel industry on waste, toxicity, water, and basic data and a big question, “What do you think about this and
energy. For example, the Joint Roadmap Towards Zero Discharge of what should we do?” Her success in building an extraordinary net-
Hazardous Chemicals, a joint initiative of Greenpeace, Nike, Puma, work of collaboration and shared commitment over 15 years, whose
Adidas, New Balance, and others, aims to systematically identify ripples are still spreading, started with this basic shift in strategy.
major toxins and achieve zero discharge of hazardous chemicals in System leaders understand that plans and space are the yang and
the entirety of the sport apparel manufacturing industry worldwide, yin of leadership. Both are needed. But what is needed even more
starting in China.7 (Winslow left Nike in 2008 and is now manag- is balance between the two.
ing director of the Academy for Systemic Change.) Practice, practice, practice: all learning is doing, but the doing needed is
We are all on a steep learning curve in understanding this gate- inherently developmental | Bringing together diverse stakeholders with
way of creating space for change, but it seems to be crucial not little history of collaboration, different mental models, and differ-
only in initiating collaborative efforts but in what ultimately can ent and even apparently competing aims is a high-risk undertaking.
arise from them. A few years ago, one of us co-authored an article Good intentions are not enough. You need skills. But skills come only
describing five conditions for achieving progress at a large scale from practice. Everybody wants tools for systemic change. But too
through a disciplined approach to collaboration called “collective few are prepared to use the tools with the regularity and discipline
impact.” 8 Today as we research and observe effective collective needed to build their own and others’ capabilities.
impact initiatives, what stands out beyond the five conditions is the This is why system leaders like Baldwin and Winslow never stop
collective intelligence that emerges over time through a disciplined practicing how to help people see the larger systems obscured by
stakeholder engagement process—the nature of which could never established mental models, how to foster different conversations
have been predicted in advance. that gradually build genuine engagement and trust, and how to sense
 Stanford Social Innovation Review / Winter 2015 31

emerging possibilities and help shift the collective focus from just Two other tools we have often seen used by system leaders are
reacting to problems to releasing collective creativity. The practice “peer shadowing” and “learning journeys.”12 Both tools have been
is internal and external, and it requires discipline. used to build the Sustainable Food Lab, a network of more than 70
Fortunately, a rich set of tools has emerged from diverse fields of the world’s largest food companies and global and local NGOs
over the past few decades for developing these core system leader- (half NGOs, half companies) working together to make “sustain-
ship capabilities. The tools that matter have two functions: they able agriculture the mainstream system.” Starting in 2004, with
produce practical benefits and they affect how people think and see Oxfam, Unilever, and the Kellogg Foundation as initial conveners,
the world. As the inventor Buckminster Fuller said, “If you want to a team of 30 senior managers from food businesses and social and
change how a person thinks, give up. You cannot change how an- environmental NGOs spent time in each others’ organizations and
other thinks. Give them a tool the use of which will gradually cause traveled together to see aspects of the food system they had never
them over time to think differently.” seen. Corporate executives visited farmer co-ops and social activ-
What follows are examples of a few of these tools and how they ists saw the operations of multi-national food companies. “This
can be applied to develop each of the core leadership capacities. almost never happens in our normal busy focus on tasks and results,”
Tools for seeing the larger system. Tools that help people see the says Andre van Heemstra, a member of the management board at
larger system integrate the different mental models of multiple Unilever and the founding Lab team. Gradually, as business and
stakeholders to build a more comprehensive understanding. Often NGO partners got to understand one another better as people and as
this starts with simple questions, like Winslow’s “Do we know what professionals, the cognitive dissonance between them became less,
is in our product?” For educators, it might be “What happens for and the power of their differing views grew. “We do see the world
the child when she or he is outside of school?” Systems mapping very differently, and that is our greatest strength,” said a corporate
can be used to extend this inquiry by helping stakeholders build a participant about a year into the process. Today the Lab has become
visual picture of the relationship and interdependencies beyond the a powerful incubator for collaborative projects, such as companies
boundaries they normally assume. and NGOs learning together how to manage global supply chains
For example, in an initiative focused on improving children’s for long-term reliability based on the health of farming communi-
asthma outcomes in Dallas, a steering committee composed of doctors, ties and ecologies. Practices like Learning Journeys are regularly
hospital administrators, community agencies, insurance providers, the incorporated into projects and gatherings.
city health department, faith based organizations, built-environment Embedded in tools like peacekeeping circles, dialogue interviews,
executives, philanthropists, and public schools worked together to peer shadowing, and learning journeys is a disciplined approach
map out the system of children’s health of which they were all a part. to observation and deeper conversations called the “Ladder of
Leaders of the effort agreed up front that they needed all these differ- Inference.”13 System leaders committed to practicing with the lad-
ent views of children’s asthma in order to develop a full perspective. der learn to pay better attention to how their often unconscious
It was also clear, as the group engaged in initial dialogue, that each assumptions shape their perceptions, from what data they notice
person’s perspective on the causes of poor asthma outcomes, and the and do not notice to the conclusions they draw. The ladder also
solutions to produce better outcomes, was different. provides a reorientation path for shifting behavior, from asserting
The systems map the group developed helped all involved to see subjective assumptions as reality, to identifying what facts people
the entire system better, and for each professional to see aspects af- actually have and the reasoning by which they interpret those facts.
fecting children’s health that were less evident in their own work. Winslow calls it “an essential tool for the deeper listening that builds
Eventually, the group created what it called the “asthma wellness networks of collaborating change leaders.”
equation,” which translated insights from the systems map into an Tools for shifting from reacting to co-creating the future. Building
illustration that knit together the science of asthma triggers, the the capacity to shift from reacting to co-creating is anchored in re-
practices of asthma management, and the leadership of families and lentlessly asking two questions, What do we really want to create?
community in creating support structures that promoted a sense of and What exists today? This creative tension, the gap between vision
efficacy within asthmatic children themselves. (To see a copy of the and reality, generates energy, like a rubber band stretched between
illustration, go to www.ssireview.org.) This map especially helped two poles. Helping themselves and others generate and sustain cre-
clinical professionals to put in perspective the often-overlooked ative tension becomes one of the core practices of system leaders.
influence of family and community on asthma, not just clinical in- One approach embodying creative tension that we have seen help
terventions. It also helped non-clinical actors, such as schools and large, multi-stakeholder initiatives is the Appreciative Inquiry (AI)
public housing administrators, see more clearly how their actions Summit. An initiative begun in 2010 used an AI Summit to bring
linked to those within the medical community.11 together police, grassroots advocates, courts, probation officers,
Tools for fostering reflection and generative conversation. Tools state agencies, private agencies, education institutions, health care
that help foster reflection and generative conversation are aimed providers, and philanthropy to reform the New York state juvenile
at enabling groups to slow down long enough to “try on” other justice system.14 At the outset, few thought it possible to get this
people’s viewpoints regarding a complex problem. These tools en- group of 20 stakeholders to agree (one group was actually suing
able organizations and individuals to question, revise, and in many another). But no one had ever brought them together for real dia-
cases release their embedded assumptions. Examples include the logue and to explore the visions they might share.
peacekeeping circles used by Roca and the dialogue interviews To start, people were encouraged to collectively imagine that “The
conducted by Winslow. rates of recidivism in New York state have become the lowest in the
32 Stanford Social Innovation Review / Winter 2015

nation … and the New York state juvenile justice and become ineffective in engaging others with
system has become a model for other communities different views. This is why effective system lead-
Visit ssireview.org to learn more about
across the nation.” Buoyed, almost miraculously, by system leadership. ers continually cultivate their ability to listen and
3 “System Leaders for Sustainable
collectively imagining the dimensions of this com- their willingness to inquire into views with which
Food” article
pelling future, the group eventually was able to agree 3 Illustration of a “systems map” show- they do not agree. Leading with real inquiry is easy
ing those involved in treating asthma
on two goals they could work together on: improving to say, but it constitutes a profound developmental
public safety and effectively rehabilitating youths journey for passionate advocates. As collaborative
who were involved with the state justice system. networks grow in sophistication, they learn how to
Within ten months, the group had turned those goals into a full- institutionalize the balance of advocacy and inquiry. For example,
fledged reform plan. A year later, components of this reform plan the Sustainable Food Lab has a great many passionate advocates.
were adopted by the governor, passed into legislation, and rolled Recognizing that passionate advocacy can put others on the defen-
out in communities across the state. Today, three years into the sive (even though they may agree with what is being advocated),
reforms, New York has 45 percent fewer youths in the custody of the Lab’s NGO-Business steering committee declared that all ma-
the state juvenile justice system, without any increase in crime.15 jor meetings would be “no pitch zones,” safe spaces for thinking
Many of those initially involved cite the AI Summit as a seminal together rather than a place where people come seeking to engage
event that turned the tide from people holding on to past realities others in their own agendas.
into a network of organizations and individuals excited about a Engaging people across boundaries | We are often most comfort-
more compelling future. able with those with whom we share a common history and views.
This example illustrates something we have seen again and But operating within our comfort zones will never lead to engaging
again. The basic idea of shifting from problem solving to creating the range of actors needed for systemic change—whether it is the
is not complicated, but the impact can be immense. “As manag- police for Roca or the multinational food corporations for the NGO
ers, we are all good problem solvers,” says Winslow. “But it is easy founders of the Sustainable Food Lab. Though always challenging,
to get so caught up in reacting to what we don’t want and com- reaching across boundaries can have immense payoffs. “Innova-
pletely fail to tap the heart and imagination of people’s genuine tion often only comes from seeing a system from different points
caring for what they do want, and to use this energy to transcend of view,” says Winslow.
the ‘us versus them’ mindset.” We have also seen that nurturing Letting go | System leaders need to have a strategy, but the ones
the collective creative approach happens most reliably in concert who are most effective learn to “follow the energy” and set aside
with helping people see the larger system, fostering reflection, their strategy when unexpected paths and opportunities emerge.
and having different quality conversations—each of which is also In the Sustainable Food Lab there are many companies that have
bolstered in the AI Summit. become leaders who had little prior commitment to sustainable
Last, system leaders are ever mindful of the composition and agriculture until artful system leaders helped them see a bigger
character of groups practicing with learning tools like those above. picture. In one case, an internal corporate advocate for “pro-poor”
Tools become truly developmental only in the hands of people open to business practices had made little progress. When she talked to her
their own development. But you can also have open groups who have vice president about the plight of the rural poor, he was sympathetic
little power to take action, just as you can have powerful groups with but responded that this was the work of charities, and she should
little openness. No group is perfect. This is why system leaders never reach out to their corporate foundation. A colleague pointed out
stop working at the fine art of “getting the right people in the room.” her boss’s deep concern about the long-term supply of important
products and the implicit alignment with her concerns. When she
Guides for Moving Along the Path showed the vice president how the company might be unable to
Clearly the path to becoming a system leader is not a simple jour- source critical food products if it didn’t invest in the well-being of
ney. As in any daunting undertaking, it is useful to have a few simple farming communities, he said, “Why didn’t you just tell me that if
guides to keep in mind. we don’t do these things we won’t have product on the shelf?” To-
Learning on the job | Growing as a system leader is a process that day, the company is a global leader in sustainable food supply chain
never ends, and to be successful it must be woven into the work it- innovations. “Once I could let go of my advocacy for the poor,” she
self. Although training and other episodic interventions can help, says, “I discovered how to help my busy managers see the problem
they are most useful when embedded in a work culture that fosters in a way they could get their hands around.”
ongoing reflection and collaboration. Most organizations are con- Building one’s own toolkit | The variety of helpful tools and ap-
sumed by the tasks at hand. Others spend large amounts of money proaches available today is large and growing, and system leaders
on staff development with little return. The missing element is often should be knowledgeable about what is available. In our work, tools
a clear vision for how the work itself becomes developmental. This we use regularly come from a variety of places, including a few men-
means employing models of change that weave together outcome, tioned here: the “five disciplines” approach to systems thinking and
process, and human development—made operational via embed- organizational learning, Theory U and Presencing, Appreciative
ded developmental practices like Roca’s peacekeeping circles or the Inquiry, Immunity to Change, Roca’s peacekeeping circles, and the
Sustainable Food Lab’s learning journeys. Change Labs and scenario planning of Reos Partners.16 Recently, sev-
Balancing advocacy and inquiry | All change requires passionate eral of us have started a process of organizing these tools to provide
advocates. But advocates often become stuck in their own views an integrated tool kit for systemic change.17 But it is important to
 Stanford Social Innovation Review / Winter 2015 33

remember that building a tool kit is more than just putting arrows to even a few years ago, we find that many today are exploring new
in your quiver. It is about learning, over time, through disciplined approaches that move beyond the superficial to ignite and guide
practice, how to become an archer. deeper change. Organizations and initiatives like those described
Working with other system leaders | Growing the capabilities to be- in this article have succeeded because of a growing awareness that
come a more effective system leader is hard work. It needs to happen the inner and outer dimensions of change are connected. As our
in difficult settings and under pressure to deliver tangible results. awakening continues, more and more system leaders who catalyze
It is naïve, even for the most accomplished system leader, to think collective leadership will emerge. n
that she can do it alone. We know of no examples where effective
system leaders achieved broad scale success without partners. You N ote s
need partners who share your aspirations and challenges and who 1 Adam Kahane, Solving Tough Problems, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2004.
help you face difficult changes while you also attend to your own 2 Ronald Heifetz, Leadership Without Easy Answers, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard
University Press, 1994. Explored in the context of social change by one of us in the
ongoing personal development—balancing task time with time for article by Ronald Heifetz, John Kania, and Mark Kramer, “Leading Boldly,” Stanford
reflection, action, and silence. You need to engage with colleagues Social Innovation Review, Winter 2004.
who are at different stages in their own developmental journeys. 3 Good summaries of the systems thinking and organizational learning tools can be
And you need help letting the unexpected emerge amid urgency found in the following books: Peter Senge, Art Kleiner, Charlotte Roberts, Richard
Ross, and Bryan Smith, The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook, New York City: Doubleday,
and time pressure. Connecting with others who are also engaged 1994; Peter Senge, Art Kleiner, Charlotte Roberts, Richard Ross, and Bryan Smith,
in this journey can help lighten the load and foster the patience The Dance of Change, New York City: Doubleday, 1998; and Peter Senge, Nelda
Cambron-McCabe, Timothy Lucas, Bryan Smith, Janis Dutton, and Art Kleiner,
needed when organizations or systems seem to be changing at a
Schools that Learn, New York City: Doubleday, 2013.
slower rate than you yourself are changing.
4 With less than 5 percent of the world’s population, the United States has more than
25 percent of the world’s prison inmates, and incarceration rates are wildly uneven:
Dawn Awakening according to the US Department of Justice, almost one in three African-American
men can expect to go to prison in his lifetime, compared to 16 percent of Hispanics
We believe system leadership is critical for the times in which we and 6 percent of whites.
now live, but the ideas behind it are actually quite old. About 2,500 5 In the pay for success program, some portion of the $45,000 per year it costs the
years ago Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu eloquently expressed the state to incarcerate a person goes back to Roca for reductions in prison time. If
idea of individuals who catalyze collective leadership: they fail to keep enough out of prison, they lose money. If they succeed, they make
money, which they will use to expand the number of youths they can serve. It is a
simple idea, but it has never previously been implemented on this scale. (Boston
The wicked leader is he whom the people despise.
Globe, September, 2013).
The good leader is he whom the people revere.
6 http://www.restorativejustice.org/university-classroom/01introduction/
The great leader is he of whom the people say, “We did it ourselves.” tutorial-introduction-to-restorative-justice/processes/circles
7 http://www.roadmaptozero.com
The real question today is, Is there any realistic hope that a
8 John Kania and Mark Kramer, “Collective Impact,” Stanford Social Innovation Review,
sufficient number of skilled system leaders will emerge in time to Winter 2011.
help us face our daunting systemic challenges? We believe there are 9 Similar problems afflict many foundation strategies, where it has become fashion-
reasons for optimism. First, as the interconnected nature of core able to focus on “accountability for measurable outcomes,” typically to be achieved
within arbitrary time frames dictated by the foundation rather than the systemic
societal challenges becomes more evident, a growing number of
reality of the situation at hand.
people are trying to adopt a systemic orientation. Though we have
10 Russell L. Ackoff, “From Data to Wisdom,” Journal of Applied Systems Analysis, 1989,
not yet reached a critical mass of people capable of seeing that a vol. 16, pp. 3-9.
systemic approach and collective leadership are two sides of the same 11 Of the many approaches to systems maps, we favor those that come from the system
coin, a foundation of practical know-how is being built. dynamics methods that help identify key causal relationships and high- versus low-
leverage interventions. See Jay W. Forrester, Collected Papers of Jay W. Forrester, San
Second, during the last thirty years there has been an extraor- Jose: Pegasus Communications, 1975; and John Sterman, Business Dynamics: Systems
dinary expansion in the tools to support system leaders, a few of Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World, New York City: McGraw Hill, 2000.
which we have touched on in this article. We have observed numer- 12 For more on dialogue interviews, peer shadowing, and learning journeys, see Otto
Scharmer, Theory U, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2008, and www.presencing.com
ous instances where the strategic use of the right tool, at the right
13 See Senge et al., op. cit.
time, and with the right spirit of openness, can shift by an order of
14 David L. Cooperider, Diana Whitney, and Jacqueline M. Stavros, Appreciative Inquiry
magnitude the ability of stakeholders to create collective success. Handbook, second edition, Brunswick, Ohio: Crown Custom Publishing, 2008.
With the right shifts in attention, networks of collaboration com- 15 New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS): Uniform Crime
mensurate with the complexity of the problems being addressed Reporting and Incident-Based Reporting System, Probation Workload System, and
emerge, and previously intractable situations begin to unfreeze. DCJS-Office of Court Administration Family Court JD/DF Case Processing Data-
base. New York State Office of Children and Family Services detention and place-
Last, there is a broad, though still largely unarticulated, ment databases.
hunger for processes of real change. This is undoubtedly why a 16 Peter Senge, Bryan Smith, Nina Kruschwitz, Joe Laur, and Sara Schley, The Neces-
person like Mandela strikes such a resonant chord. There is a wide- sary Revolution, New York City: Doubleday, 2008; Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline,
New York City: Doubleday, revised edition, 2006; Otto Scharmer and Katrin Kaufer,
spread suspicion that the strategies being used to solve our most
Leading from the Emerging Future, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2013; Cooperider,
difficult problems are too superficial to get at the deeper sources of Whitney, and Stavros, op. cit.; Robert Kegan and Lisa L. Lahey, Immunity to Change:
those problems. This can easily lead to a sense of fatalism—a quiet How to Overcome it and Unlock Potential in Yourself and Your Organization, Cambridge,
Mass.: Harvard Business Press, 2009; Adam Kahane, Transformative Scenario Plan-
desperation that our social, biological, economic, and political sys- ning, San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler, 2012.
tems will continue to drift toward chaos and dysfunction. But it can 17 So far we have identified more than 130 different tools used in systemic change
also cause people to be more open to seeking new paths. Compared processes (www.academyforchange.org).
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