How Changing Myself Helped Me Understand Systems Change
As I look outside, the leaves are beginning to change colour and the seasons march on in predictable and inevitable change. But what if that change is for something new? How do we do it?
Today I want to talk about a question I get asked a lot: How do you actually change a system? It’s a topic at the heart of my Facilitating Change blog, and one that’s just as relevant whether we’re talking about changing ourselves or transforming organisations.
The Analogy: Changing My Own “System”
To introduce the idea of systems change, let’s start with something simple and relatable: an individual, in this case, myself. It’s easy to think of a system as something vast and complex, but every one of us is a system, too—connected in countless ways to the world, yet comprising internal systems of our own: respiratory, digestive, you name it.
Let’s say I want to get healthier. Where does that desire come from? Sometimes it’s from pain—I might have felt exhausted after a day trying to keep up with my son. Sometimes it’s an inspiring vision—I want to be that fit 80-year-old dad, running beside my son. Whether it’s avoiding discomfort or chasing a dream, that’s where my motivation to change starts. But that is just the beginning…
The Tension Within
Now, here’s where it gets tricky—and interesting. Part of me (my head – my executive function, if you will) gets excited, lays out the plan—”Exercise four times a week!” But we all know that is not the end of the story… For example: when I’m cozy in my own bed and the alarm goes off and it’s cold outside, there’s some serious resistance from other “parts” of my system. The inertia is strong. I start bartering for a “rest day,” indulging in the comfort of my warm duvet. This is the ever-present tug between my vision for a better future and the comfort of remaining the same. So, whose “voice” inside me “wins”?
Moving from Me to Organisations
Now, if we shift this analogy to organisations, the parallels are striking. An organisation has its executive function—maybe the CEO or a leadership team—but it also has its “body,” the many departments, teams, and individuals all moving (or resisting) in their own ways.
And just like personal change, organisations face tensions. The executive team may have a vision, but on the ground there’s resistance and inertia. Everyone (and every part) has pieces that want to move forward and pieces that want to hold back. This is the same whenever a change is proposed, it will meet resistance, because some part of us prefers the certainty of what we know. Therefore instigating a change, big or small, will always meet resistance. So what do we do?
Four Levers of Change
From my experience, four main things help drive this change, whether it’s personal or organisational:
1. Vision (The Head): A clear rationale for change that we can rally behind.
2. Purpose (The Heart): The emotional driver—the deep why, whether it’s about time with family or building something meaningful together.
3. Problems (The Body): Sometimes it’s the pain or physical symptoms (in a person or in an organisation) that force change. Or perhaps it’s appealing and fun?
4. Systems (The Environment): The tools and processes that support change. For me, simply laying out my running gear the night before drastically increases my chances of being out on the moor in the morning.
Taking a Stand
Beyond these four aspects that help drive change, there is one more critical element to creating a system change. As we are part of a system, changing ourselves, or one aspect of the system, can change the system itself. Our courage can create ripples which cause changes in the system. So the critical piece to any change is that some part of it, myself or the organisation, has to take a stand.
Ultimately, whether I’m battling with my own inertia in bed or an organisation is wrestling with old habits, someone or something has to stand for the new future. Change doesn’t happen by accident. At some point, a decision is made to move, even just a little—despite resistance, despite doubts. This is tough, and this is the tough work of leadership.
The Takeaway
Systems change, at any level, isn’t just about declaring a new vision or setting new rules. It happens when we acknowledge the competing voices within, and take a stand for something new. We can support this, by tapping the four elements above: We find ways to tip the balance toward our higher purpose or vision, and support ourselves (and others) with practical processes that make change easier.
And if the change you are seeking to make can feel overwhelming, as it may do at times, take a stroll in the autumn air, take in the colours and notice the beautiful and effortless changes happening all around you.
I hope this analogy helps you to commit to change, even when it tough. Whether you’re looking to make a change in your own life or in your organisation, remember: you’re not just leading a system—you ARE the system. And if you can stick to a change in the system, the system will change too.
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to continuing this conversation with you on my Facilitating Change blog!