Systems Leadership is about how we lead when we’re not in charge and how we lead across our organisational boundaries, with a real focus on the importance of relationships, values, trust and behaviours.
Leaders can be anyone, anywhere across the system, as long as they are capable of working with others to create positive change.
One of the most important things that we’ve discussed through the systems leadership work that is well established in South Manchester, and just emerging in North and Central Manchester, is the sense that people who are highly connected have twice as much power to influence change than people with hierarchical power and that our role in the informal network is more important than our position in the formal hierarchy.
In response to this, one of the things that we’ve been asked about the most is how we can build relationships and connections with lots of different people in lots of different places, that have a shared purpose. This could be in the form of shadowing, skill swapping, visits, or just meeting for a coffee.
We’ve put together this short questionnaire to help identify and connect people around a particular interest, so please complete as much of the form as you can, and we’ll use the information to bring people together.
We’ll leave you with this quote from Margaret Wheatley:
“Despite current ads and slogans, the world doesn't change one person at a time. It changes when networks of relationships form among people who share a common cause and vision of what's possible. This is good news for those of us intent on creating a positive future. Rather than worry about critical mass, our work is to foster critical connections. We don't need to convince large numbers of people to change; instead, we need to connect with kindred spirits. Through these relationships, we will develop the new knowledge, practices, courage and commitment that lead to broad-based change”