“Systems leadership”, and the art of driving transformative change in complex and dynamic systems such as eye health, is an increasingly popular approach to tackling the grand challenges in public and global health. It differs from traditional leadership approaches in a number of ways, emphasizing holistic understandings of surrounding ecosystems, and collaborations with diverse partners to create change.
A collaboration with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and the Ophthalmology Foundation is launching a new program of systems leadership focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa. Its first workshop will be held during the COECSA meeting in Zimbabwe on 20 August 2024.
The program aims to establish an ongoing structure for training younger ophthalmic leaders in Sub-Saharan Africa in systems leadership to address emerging needs for education, training, and retention of ophthalmologists and other ophthalmic personnel.
This inaugural workshop aims to connect talented leaders and provide a space for sharing and networking, explore some of the key non-clinical skills needed to accelerate progress on eye health at a national level, and discuss the potential of a comprehensive leadership development program focused on transforming eye health systems.
What is systems leadership?
Systems leadership is a form of leadership that focuses on understanding and navigating complex systems to achieve goals or solve problems. It differs from traditional leadership in several ways:
1. Systems Thinking: Systems leadership emphasizes a holistic understanding of interconnected parts within a system and how they influence each other. Leaders in this paradigm are trained to see the bigger picture and understand how changes in one part of the system can affect other parts.
2. Collaboration and Coalition Building: Systems leadership often involves working with multiple stakeholders who have diverse perspectives and interests. Instead of a top-down approach, systems leaders proactively build coalitions and facilitate collaboration among various stakeholders to achieve shared objectives.
3. Adaptability and Flexibility: Given the dynamic nature of complex systems, systems leaders need to be adaptable and flexible in their approach. They must be willing to adjust strategies and tactics based on feedback and changing circumstances.
4. Long-Term Orientation: Systems leadership tends to have a long-term orientation, focusing on sustainable solutions rather than quick fixes. Leaders in this paradigm are interested in understanding the underlying causes of issues and implementing interventions that address root causes rather than symptoms.
5. Empowerment and Facilitation: Systems leaders role model sharing power with others within the system and know when to step back to allow others to take ownership and initiative. They act as facilitators, creating an environment where individuals and groups are encouraged to contribute their expertise and ideas to collectively address challenges.
6. Emphasis on Learning and Reflection: Continuous learning and reflection are central to systems leadership. Leaders in this paradigm are open to feedback, willing to learn from failures, and constantly reflect on their own assumptions and biases.
Systems leadership recognizes that many of the challenges faced by organizations and societies are complex and interconnected. By taking a systemic approach, leaders can better understand these challenges and work collaboratively with others to develop sustainable solutions.
What is a Systems Leader?
What does systems leadership look like? What does it mean for the leadership activities we see in eye health?
- Investing in coalition building and initiatives for sector-wide progress, instead of solely prioritising organisational needs.
- Mobilising opportunities, rather than just competently managing resources.
- Co-creating solutions to challenges with partners instead of delivering reactive responses in siloes.
- Sharing lessons, processes, and mistakes for the sector, rather than solely reporting on outcome and impact successes for donors.
- Role-modelling curiosity and exploration rather than technical expertise (i.e. posing good questions, not just preferred answers).
- An attitude to leadership as an opportunity to create positive, social change, not just a career pathway, and as such a life-long learning and practice.
What skills development may be needed to support these activities?
- Facilitation – particularly with diverse groups.
- Understanding complex and dynamic systems and interdependence of system actors.
- Strategic thinking – looking at root causes of problems (both current and likely future problems) and designing long-term solutions.
- Engagement and collaboration – building a sense of humility and an awareness of self to create spaces where others feel safe and empowered to contribute their ideas and reflections.
- Managing conflict and uncertainty.