Systems Thinking Skills

After 12+ years supporting organizations - from factory floors to boardrooms - here’s what I’ve realized: 👉 Most companies have a systems thinking problem. Because leaders are trained to see parts, not patterns. Here’s what that sounds like in practice: Low engagement?  ↳ Let’s buy a new pulse survey tool. High attrition?  ↳ Let’s launch an employer branding campaign. Inclusion issues?  ↳ Let’s run a one-off bias training. Each is a surface fix. But what’s beneath the surface? In one client organization, HR kept tweaking performance appraisal forms to improve fairness and motivation. But the real issue was that leaders weren’t giving feedback because it wasn’t safe to fail in their teams. No form could fix a fear-driven culture. In another, an inclusion program showed high attendance but low impact. Why? Because behind closed doors, team leaders were afraid to speak up in leadership meetings. They were modeling silence, not inclusion: “If I can’t say what I think, why would my team?” That’s the systems trap: We focus on what’s visible, not on what’s causal. And that’s why psychological safety still gets sidelined. If we practiced real systems thinking, it wouldn’t be a “nice to have” - it would be the starting point. Because in any human system: 📌 No safety = No learning 📌 No learning = No progress 📌 No progress = Talent loss, strategy failure, innovation stagnation We need less symptom-solving and more systems design. And we don’t need more tools. We need a new lens. P.S. Where have you seen surface fixes being used instead of systemic change? I'd love to hear your examples. Photo Credit: Pride Business Forum Conference, 2025

We've talked about upskilling your team through traditional methods like training and experience. But there's a unique way to achieve this: strategic thinking. By encouraging strategic behaviour, you can equip your team with valuable skills. Here's how: First, understand the big picture. Strategic thinking helps us grasp the complex relationship between our organization and its environment—social, economic, financial, and competitive. This understanding itself is a skill booster. Second, navigate uncertainty. Strategic thinking equips us to handle ambiguity and complexity. When faced with unclear situations, a strategic perspective helps us make informed decisions and find the best path forward. Finally, strategic thinking fosters behaviours that influence organizational decision-making. This includes fostering collaboration within and outside the organization, ultimately leading to better choices. As a leader, consider the organization's long-term goals when faced with complex situations. This strategic perspective will guide you towards the best solution. If you're stuck between options, ask yourself: "What benefits the organization in the long run?"  Thinking strategically, even if the answer seems unconventional in the short term, will ultimately upskill your team and lead to success. Strategic thinking empowers your team to make better decisions, navigate challenges, and contribute more effectively. It's a powerful tool for upskilling your workforce. #culture #organizationculture #team #growth #LeadwithRajeev #leadership #strategy

🇸🇾🇸🇹🇪🇲🇸 🇹🇭🇮🇳🇰🇮🇳🇬 This was the single biggest learning I took from my years as a #diversity and #inclusion practitioner at Google, thanks to my brilliant former colleague Dr. Myosha M. – who introduced the concept to me. And seeing Harvard Business Review spotlight it this month reminded me just how pivotal it's been in shaping my career. The article makes a clear point: many "innovations" create as many problems as they solve, because they're designed in silos. Plastics made life cheaper and more convenient – and created an ecological nightmare. Ride-sharing expanded access – and gutted livelihoods. Breakthroughs and design thinking alone can't handle wicked problems. That's where systems thinking comes in: zooming out to see interdependencies, ripple effects, and relationships before zooming in to act. And honestly, DEI are the definition of a wicked problem: complex, entwined, yet unresolved despite the best efforts of people with noble interests at heart. Too often, we see linear, surface-level fixes like: ‣ Rolling out #UnconsciousBias training hoping that alone changes culture; ‣ Announcing hiring targets without rethinking criteria nor shifting retention practices; ‣ Celebrating "heritage months" without shifting power or budgets. A systems lens flips that: ‣ Instead of just bias training → embed equity checks and accountability loops into promotion processes, feedback systems, and manager incentives; ‣ Instead of hiring targets → redesign career paths so that minoritised employees stay, grow, and lead; ‣ Instead of one-off cultural celebrations → rewire procurement, governance, and leadership pipelines to shift actual resources and decision-making power. The HBR piece – written by Tima Bansal & Julian Birkinshaw – outlines four moves that resonate deeply with DEI work: 1️⃣ Define a desired future state (equity not as a slogan, but as the organisation's actual vision); 2️⃣ Reframe problems so they resonate across stakeholders (it's not "fixing women" but redesigning systems of overwork, pay, and recognition); 3️⃣ Focus on flows and relationships, not just one-off events (think: sponsorship networks, not just mentoring matchmaking); 4️⃣ Nudge the system forward with experiments (pilots that test structural change, then scale). These may sound abstract at first, but they're actually more grounded and effective than the window-dressing that burns out practitioners and disappoints employees while fuelling anti-DEI rhetoric. Because here's the thing: equity work should never be a side project, something delegated to an amateur, or a PR play. It's inherently a system redesign. And once you see it through that lens, the work gets harder — but also genuinely transformative. 💬 Curious: looking at your own org's DEI efforts, which feel most aligned to #SystemsThinking? ⬇️ Link to the article in comments.

Way back when we lived in caves, we needed quick, reliable ways to know the world around us: Trees signalled water, grass indicated antelope, and paw prints warned of lions. But as the world became more complex, these methods became less reliable - but this outdated "caveman thinking" has persisted to some degree, even today. This becomes a real issue when it seeps into the C-suite or political offices, where knee-jerk reactions can have serious consequences. It's why modern leaders need to shed this primitive mindset and adopt more sophisticated ways of thinking, in two key ways: 1️⃣ Being mindful of the big picture Leaders are no longer navigating the immediate threats of the savannah. Their vision must extend five, ten, even twenty years into the future. By framing problems within this broader context, leaders can avoid the pitfalls of short-term thinking and make more informed, strategic decisions. 2️⃣ Doubting yourself Effective leaders must rigorously question their assumptions and conclusions before taking action. This self-scrutiny ensures that decisions are not based on outdated heuristics but on a thorough understanding of the complexities at hand. Only when this happens can leaders truly step out of the cave and into a mindset equipped for the challenges of the modern world. #Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #Mindset

Systems kill creativity. The biggest lie in business 👇 After 20 years building companies, here’s the counterintuitive truth: The most innovative teams have the strongest systems. No systems = constant firefighting → no room for innovation Strong systems = mental bandwidth → freedom to solve bigger problems Look at the greats: ✦ SpaceX → rigorous systems enable radical innovation ✦ Pixar → strict creative process produces magical stories ✦ Toyota → standardized work drives continuous improvement The secret? They build flexible systems: 1️⃣ Clear foundations → everyone knows the non-negotiables 2️⃣ Room to experiment → innovation happens in defined spaces 3️⃣ Fast feedback loops → adapt quickly and keep moving Stop fighting systems. Start building ones that amplify your creativity. What’s a “restricting” system that actually made you more creative? 👇 Drop it in the comments. ➕ Follow Yuval Selik for daily counterintuitive business truths.

A change in perspective can do more for your decision-making than another spreadsheet. Photography taught me that early on. When you’re too close to the subject, the frame gets tight, the details feel bigger than they are, and the whole picture starts to lose context. Take a few steps back, or roll the lens a click wider, and the real story shows up. I see the same pattern with companies heading into planning cycles. Founders zoom all the way in: today’s fire, this quarter’s miss, that one big customer. Investors zoom all the way out: runway, ratios, pacing, macro pressure. Being an effective leader is knowing when to shift focal length. Tighten the frame to diagnose. Pull back to decide. Move between the two until the signal is clear. Most avoidable mistakes happen because the lens stays fixed: • Teams chase the wrong KPI • Leaders react to noise instead of trends • Capital gets deployed without understanding the terrain This photo was taken on the Oregon coast, but the principle applies everywhere... Clarity shows up when you pick the right distance from the problem. The companies that scale well are the ones disciplined enough to adjust the view before they act. Every team performs better when they approach a problem from the right elevation. That’s where clarity and decisive action come from. If you’re leading a team right now, ask yourself: where is our lens locked today, too close, too far, or just right?

"We need to automate this process." Famous last words I've heard in countless tech organizations. Most automation initiatives fail not because of bad code, but because of narrow thinking. After 20+ years of leading global tech teams, I've witnessed a pattern that costs organizations millions: Here's why systems thinking transforms automation success: 𝟭. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝘁𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 ➝ That "simple" deployment automation triggered unexpected security alerts - until we included security teams in early planning, turning alerts into preventive measures ➝ The "efficient" ticket routing created support bottlenecks - before we mapped customer journey touchpoints and transformed it into a seamless flow ➝ The "smart" code review process slowed cross-team collaboration - until we understood team dynamics and built bridges instead of checkpoints Each time, the technical solution was solid. The systems understanding wasn't. 𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 ➝ Map dependencies by interviewing stakeholders across departments ➝ Follow the ripple effects by shadowing work across teams ➝ Consider second and third-order impacts through scenario planning 𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗽𝘀 ➝ Start small with pilot programs, but monitor wide-ranging impacts ➝ Gather feedback from unexpected places - from maintenance to marketing ➝ Adjust based on system behavior, not just metrics - study the stories behind the numbers 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹-𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: One of our teams reduced deployment failures by 70% not by writing better scripts, but by understanding the entire deployment ecosystem. They mapped every touchpoint, from dev handoffs to customer experience impacts, before touching a single line of code. When you master systems thinking, you don't just build better automation—you build better organizations. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: Before your next automation project, spend one hour mapping potential impacts across teams, processes, and customer experiences. What hidden connections did you uncover? Share a time when systems thinking prevented an automation failure in your organization 👇 #TechLeadership #SystemsThinking #AutomationStrategy

🧠 Elevate Your Leadership: Master the Art of Strategic Thinking 🚀 In the tech world, strategic thinking sets great leaders apart. Here are 5 strategies to sharpen this crucial skill: 🔭 Cultivate Foresight • Scan industry trends and emerging technologies • Ask "What might our industry look like in 5 years?" • Allocate time each week for future-focused thinking Example : Envisioned Module Management system applying end-to-end rigor in the development and manufacturing phase, minimizing issues and scaling across product lines. 🧩 Connect Disparate Ideas • Encourage cross-functional collaboration • Seek insights from fields outside tech • Find links between seemingly unrelated concepts Example : Scaled the first Chromecast production from 5K initial forecasting to 7M forecast change by seeking insights from SMEs and aligning teams both internally and externally and accelerated alternate supplier qualifications to meet the demand. 📊 Embrace Data-Driven Decision Making • Develop a hypothesis before diving into data • Look for patterns and anomalies in your metrics • Balance quantitative data with qualitative insights Example :Optimized research team's budget allocation using data analysis, resolving persistent overruns. 🎭 Practice Perspective-Taking • Consider diverse viewpoints • Use "Six Thinking Hats" for comprehensive analysis • Engage diverse voices in strategic discussions Example: Led org change with inclusive process, resulting in positive feedback and smooth transition. 🌱 Cultivate a Growth Mindset • View challenges as opportunities for innovation • Encourage calculated risk-taking in your team • Reflect on both successes and failures for continuous learning Example: Promotion setback at Cisco inspired active career management, leading to PRIMED framework for professional growth and self-leadership 💡 Pro Tip: Set aside 30 minutes daily for strategic thinking. It's not just planning—it's training your mind to think differently. Question: Which of these strategies do you find most challenging to implement? Share your thoughts below! #WomenInSTEM #WomenInEngineering #WomenInTech #WomenInScience #WomenLeaders #leadership #RiseWithICE

Turns out, structure and creativity aren’t mortal enemies. Who knew? When I first started dialing in my business, I was all about systems. I thought organized workflows and tight processes were the holy grail. But I also worried that giving my team too much creative freedom would cause us to veer off track, waste time, and fall behind. Spoiler alert: I was wrong on both counts. Creativity without structure? Yeah, that’s a mess. But structure without creativity? That’s a fast track to boring and stuck. The magic happens when you strike a balance ⚖️ systems to keep things running smoothly and space for your team to dream big and push boundaries. 💡 Here’s why I believe this combo works: Systems = the scaffolding that keeps everything upright and scalable. Creativity = the spark that keeps things exciting and innovative. I won’t lie, the learning curve was real. But trusting my team to color outside the lines within the framework we’ve built has been a game-changer. So, if you’re a founder worried that creativity will throw off your systems, trust me: you can have both. And when you do, that’s when the good stuff happens.