Rachel Foster

In all the years I have engaged with individuals, teams, and their leaders I have never come across a situation that at some level has not impacted another group or community within the system.

Whether or not you subscribe to systems thinking, there can be little doubt that we are all inter-connected,
and our current experience navigating the challenges of COVID 19 highlight the impact of individuals, groups, and communities at the local, national, and global levels on the many systems we operate within.

As leaders, I believe it is crucial to understand and appreciate how we influence these systems, and how we can gather information and feedback from the various systems in which we operate, in order to course correct.

Systems thinking is woven into the fabric of all the work I do on myself, and with my clients.

It’s imperative that we question our thoughts and decisions, asking ourselves how we interact with those around us, how we influence and are influenced by those around us, and seek multiple perspectives on situations, their cause and effect, and be open to the feedback we receive.

In order to develop leadership capabilities, in both a formal and informal capacity, we need to develop flexibility of mind, body, and spirit, understanding that the one with the most flexibility has the most influence on the system.

All parts of us, seen and unseen, are constantly at work interacting with everything around us, in the same way that we are influenced by everything around us.

Our personal and professional lives are constantly in a state of flux, dynamic and ever changing.

Organizations and their teams that are able to engage in a systems conversation, with their respective environments, and monitor trends, thinking, and best practices, and are open to de-coding the feedback they receive from the various entities they operate within, ride the waves of change, and evolve to create new and exciting ways of being and doing. In short, they navigate for and create success.

As a systems thinker, and as a coach working with leaders and their teams from that perspective, I support organizations and businesses to shift their way of being, and doing, to navigate the world differently. To reflect on the space between relationships, not just the relationship itself.

Those of us who operate from a systems perspective have the ability to work with others to consider a broader perspective, look at the big picture, and co-create strategy to support momentum.

The impact on people who are exposed to this approach is significant, enriching their lives as well as those around them, opening limitless possibilities.