Systems Thinking

What is Systems Thinking?
Systems thinking is an ongoing process that involves seeing the big picture, even while acknowledging the importance of details. One of the pillars of servant leadership, systems thinking allows the leader to make decisions that take the entire organization and its values into account. For example, the leader of one department would not make a choice that adversely affected any other department in the organization. A systems thinker aligns ethics with organizational goals.
Systems are by definition complex, involving multiple roles, components, values, and views. Thus to be a systems thinker, a servant leader needs to be comfortable with complexity (Laub, 2018; Sipe & Frick, 1993). A servant leader needs to respect diversity of opinion and outlook, and draw connections between multiple parties and their seemingly conflicting needs. Likewise, systems thinking requires adaptability and flexibility. The servant leader needs to be aware of his or her own assumptions and biases and willing to surrender those if it means creating a more harmonious system. In other words, systems thinking means considering the greater good of the organization rather than fixating on short-term or narrowly focused objectives (Sipe & Frick, 1993).
With systems thinking, a servant leader is empowered to effectively lead change that all members of the organization understand and relate to. Leaders who use systems thinking encourage buy-in to novel ideas and approaches, thereby reducing resistance to change and ensuring more positive outcomes. Systems thinking reinforces the principle of stewardship that is central to servant leadership (Laub, 2018). The servant leader is not egotistical, but an integral part of the whole. The system may be comprised of multiple elements or domains including events, strategies, cultures, and beliefs (Davis, 2018). As long as the system works as intended, the servant leader does not become bogged down or distracted by unnecessary details and is instead comfortable not just with complexity but also uncertainty and even “messiness,” (Davis, 2018). Overarching ethical principles remain salient to the servant leader who uses systems thinking.
Personal Reflection
Processes and holism are crucial to systems thinking. I have seen how this pillar becomes critical in large and small organizations. As Sipe & Frick (1993) point out, the natural tendency for some leaders prone to solving problems immediately is to zoom in, analyze, and fix. Systems thinking requires a different and more longitudinal approach, looking not just at the immediate problem and its variables but also at the bigger issues that may be at play such as organizational culture, mission, or values. I once worked for an organization experiencing a major crisis. Several of its senior leaders had recently been indicted on charges like embezzlement, with several harassment suits also pending. Top talent was fleeing, and financial losses loomed. An innate systems thinker, I rose to the occasion by making a list of suggested changes that might help the organization get back on track. Finding an ally in one of my mentors in senior management, I suggested that the organization change its company policies and procedures in a way that would fundamentally transform the organizational culture. I also suggested that the company bring in third party, objective support to help restructure the company and provide the systemic overview we needed to implement change. The resulting solutions proved effective and two years later, we are back on track towards meeting financial goals and our greater mission to the community.
Being a systems thinker has allowed me to follow the policy of not sweating the small stuff. I know which issues are important to address when, keeping in mind the main ethical principles that should always guide our decisions. A servant leader is always a systems thinker because of the need to be humble and appreciate our interconnectedness with other people and the community.




References
Davis, C. (2018). Servant leadership and systems thinking. https://research.phoenix.edu/center-workplace-diversity-and-inclusion-research/blog/servant-leadership-and-systems-thinking
Laub, J. (2018). Leveraging the Power of Servant Leadership. West Palm Beach: Palgrave.
Sipe, J.W. & Frick, D.M. (1993). Seven Pillars of Servant Leadership. New Jersey: Paulist.