Roles belong to the system, not to the individuals who inhabit it.
Morning Lessons on Leadership from a 5km Run
During a 5km morning run with trainees at the Home Team Academy, I witnessed a fundamental principle of Relational Systems Intelligence (RSI):
"Relationship systems rely on roles for organisation and execution of functions. Roles belong to the system, not to individuals."
This principle came to life in a way I hadn’t quite appreciated before.
The Role of the Cheerleader
As we began the run, the IC (in-charge) led the group with energy, singing songs to lift the cohort's spirits. He wasn't just performing his formal, outer role as IC—he had taken on the inner role of a cheerleader, addressing the group's social needs.
Midway through, as the IC grew tired and stopped leading, the group fell silent, and the energy dropped. After a moment, a female trainee stepped up and began leading the songs. The mood shifted, the rhythm was restored, and the system naturally adapted to meet its needs.
The system we were part of demonstrated its intelligence and generative nature. When one role was vacated, someone else stepped in, not by instruction but by recognising and responding to the group’s needs.
Leadership Beyond Formal Roles
This simple experience revealed a powerful truth about leadership. Leaders may hold formal roles, but that doesn’t mean they always need to lead. By recognising the system as intelligent and adaptive, we can learn when to lead and when to step back.
Roles don’t belong to individuals—they belong to the system. This realisation encourages a dynamic and responsive leadership style, where the focus shifts from control to collaboration.
Lessons for Leaders
Here are some key takeaways I reflected on after the run:
1. Roles Belong to the System
2. Focus on the System, Not Individuals
3. Prioritise Roles, Not Status
4. Cultivate Shared Leadership
Final Thoughts
This run experience reinforced a valuable leadership principle: systems are intelligent and generative. They will inform us when to lead and when to step back. By trusting the system and focusing on its needs, we empower the team to thrive collectively.
Take what’s useful for you. Reflect on how you can lead with the system in mind.
Let’s create teams that aren’t just high-performing but deeply connected and responsive.
Please let me know what your thoughts are.
How do you see the roles within your system shaping its success?
RSI 5 Principles:
Teach and advise on the best OD practices to Singapore public servants, agencies and ministries.
4 天前Thanks for the distinction of internal and external roles. And that external roles are defined and belongs to the system. Sometimes there is a mismatch between internal and external roles; for example, the leader’s internal expectation of the external role is much larger that the system current needs. Or vice versa. The mismatch then is often a source of tension as we often see in #GRPI analysis. What gives? Sometimes we may consider shifting the system so as to shift the conditions of the roles. Other times, I see leaders shifting their internal expectations of their roles. The internal shifts remind me of #Bridgestransitions processes….
Organisation developer, change mentor and wellbeing advocate.
1 周Thanks for this. This also applies to resource strapped teams with Directors having to juggle multiple teams at the same time. A small leadership vacuum can trigger generative responses as people try to cope with the vacuum and still meet targets and take care of well being.
Transformation, Industry 4.0, Sustainability, Leadership, General Management & Board Membership
1 周Love this
Sensemaking & Solutioning for Collective Behaviour Change | Leadership Development | Training & Facilitation
1 周Appreciate the distinction made here between a IC title and the role the fulfills. We might give a person a title, but the role and it's accompanying contribution belongs to the system, and supports the system. Aaron Lee Yong Qing i think you'll resonate with this story and lesson ??
Business Builder | Super Network in Asia | Evidence-based Leadership Journeys | Helping Solve C-suites' Most Crucial Organisational Challenges
1 周Insightful, Jimmy Lee roles are not fixed and people rise to the occasion when offered the right balance of support and challenge - the very essence of great coaching.