The Systems That Shape You As a Leader

The Systems That Shape You As A Leader

🕸️ Do you know what systems shape you as a leader?

When we talk about systems in leadership, we often think first of the organisation, the structures, functions, hierarchies. But that’s only part of the picture.

From the moment we are born, we join systems:
· Family, school, clubs, communities.
· Professional networks, faith groups, political cultures.
· Wider influences like class, nationality, identity.

Each of these shapes our beliefs, values, behaviours and the roles we tend to step into.

In my Lead From Wisdom model, systems and roles sit deep at the base. Why? Because they influence everything we bring into our leadership.

🔐 As senior leaders, this matters.
· We carry the imprint of every system we’ve belonged to.
· We repeat familiar patterns stepping into roles like 'fixer', 'peacekeeper', 'advisor', sometimes without even noticing.
· We bump into system loyalties and tensions when leading change.
· And we forget that the system itself, not just the people, drives behaviour and outcomes.

If you haven’t explored your leadership through a systems lens, try this:

1. Map out your current systems in concentric circles (immediate to wider) placing yourself in the middle. You should get to 10 with ease.

2. Reflect:
· How did you join and leave each one?
· What roles do you tend to step into?
· What gifts and patterns do you carry into your leadership now?

💡 Wise leadership begins with seeing the systems and your places within them.

It's a fascinating area and if you want to explore this on a deeper level I recommend reading System Leadership by Jan Jacob Stam and Barbara Hoogenboom which explores a number of systemic patterns in leadership and how they form.

👉 I’d love to hear from senior leaders:
Which system has shaped your leadership the most and what role do you find yourself stepping into time and again?