You’ve been there.
You’ve entered a new leadership role or join a cross-sector initiative, full of ambition – leadership starts with clarity, but complexity quickly takes over and things get messy. Paths diverge, some are blocked, you try one route and double back, people are moving in different directions. The plan you thought you had? Useless.
This is systems leadership. And it often feels like a maze.
A year or two ago we hosted two “maze” events: one in Wakefield and one in Blackburn. These learning spaces involved colleagues exploring a maze that was setup with questions and prompts at key junctions – these helped colleagues consider systems leadership principles as they explored. It was epic – one of the best systems learning experiences we’ve been part of.
We learned some powerful lessons: the maze is not a trap, it’s a teacher. When we approach it with the right mindset, it reveals profound insights for how we lead change in complex systems.
Drawing on whole systems theory, let’s explore eight systems leadership lessons from the maze.
1. Purpose > Plans
“The system you have is perfectly designed to produce the results you are getting.” – W. Edwards Deming
In a maze, it’s easy to get obsessed with the next turn. But without knowing where you’re trying to go, you’ll just wander.
In systems leadership, clarity of purpose matters more than detailed plans. As Donella Meadows observed, one of the most powerful places to intervene in a system is its goal. Purpose gives direction when the landscape keeps changing.
This doesn’t mean abandoning plans and strategy. It means understanding that plans are temporary scaffolding – and purpose is the compass. Systems leaders seem to return to purpose again and again, especially when the system feels stuck.
In practice: Pause a project meeting to ask, “What are we really trying to shift here?” You might be surprised how often assumptions diverge.
2. You Can’t See the System from Inside the Maze
“Seeing the system is the first step in working with it.” – Peter Senge
When you’re deep in a maze, all you see are hedges/walls. Systems leadership means finding vantage points above those walls to observe the whole. That might be jumping to see, climbing a tower or sitting on someone’s shoulders. Either way, you have to search for ways to see things differently.
Whole systems theory reminds us that systems are made up of interdependent parts, and that patterns – often invisible in day-to-day work – shape behaviour. Tools like causal loop diagrams, stakeholder mapping, and the Iceberg Model illuminate those dynamics.
More importantly, systems leaders need to learn to shift perspective regularly. They seek input from people at the margins. They zoom out. They make the invisible visible.
In practice: Walk through your system with fresh eyes. Who holds influence but isn’t visible? Which structures shape behaviour? What norms are never questioned?
3. Dead Ends = Insights
“Failures are not just unavoidable; they are essential.” – Margaret Wheatley
Mazes have dead ends. That’s their nature. But each one teaches you something. It’s the same with systems change.
In complex environments, there is no guaranteed path to success. That’s why adaptive learning and iteration are essential. Dave Snowden’s Cynefin framework classifies complex domains as those where cause and effect can only be understood in retrospect, so experimentation is the path forward.
Mistakes aren’t setbacks or failures – they’re feedback. Systems leaders need to try to build cultures where it’s safe to try, fail, and learn fast.
In practice: Use reflective practice sessions or thought partnerships to extract learning from things that didn’t go to plan. Ask: “What did the system just teach us?”
4. The Illusion of Control Slows You Down
“The harder you push, the harder the system pushes back.” – Peter Senge
In a maze, you can’t (or at least shouldn’t!) push your way through a hedge to force your way to the exit. You have to work with the structure.
Whole systems are adaptive and dynamic. They don’t respond predictably to command-and-control approaches. Donella Meadows warned against over-reliance on technical fixes when deeper shifts (paradigms, structures, goals) are needed.
Systems leadership means working with the system, not on it. It means noticing what’s already changing, creating conditions for emergence, and letting go of control. Let go to move forward.
In practice: Instead of forcing implementation, ask, “What’s already shifting in this system—and how might we support it?”. Where is the existing energy for change and how do we amplify it.
5. Go Slow to Go Far
“Slowness is not laziness. It is culture.” – Nora Bateson
In a maze, rushing leads to wrong turns. Slowing down often ends up being faster.
Complex systems reward attentiveness, not speed. Otto Scharmer’s Theory U emphasises the importance of “presencing” – sensing the future as it emerges, rather than reacting from the past.
Going slow doesn’t mean being passive. It means being intentional. It means creating space for relationships to deepen, for sense-making to happen, and for trust to grow.
Slowing down can be the most strategic choice a system leader makes.
In practice: Build reflective pauses into your change processes. Consider “sense and pause” sessions alongside action plans. Together an Active Future use regular curiosity cafes to create these spaces, and in our day-to-day work, just finding 3 minutes to think periodically through the day can make a huge difference.
6. Collaboration is Navigation
“The wisdom of the system is distributed.” – Deborah Frieze
It’s not easy to get through a maze alone – not quickly, and not well.
Systems are social. And change happens through relationships. The most effective system leaders are network weavers: they connect unlikely partners, build trust across boundaries, and make the invisible social fabric of systems stronger.
The Innovisor “3% rule” shows that a small, well-connected group can shift a whole organisation if supported. But it starts with connection and curiosity.
In practice: Map your relationships. Who do you trust? Who trusts you? Who do you need to listen to that you haven’t yet?
7. Storytelling Leaves Breadcrumbs
“We live in a culture that does not honour history, memory, or story.” – Adrienne Marie Brown
Breadcrumbs help you, and others, trace your steps in the maze. They stop you from repeating mistakes and help others learn from your path.
In systems leadership, breadcrumbs are really stories, reflections, journals, and shared learning moments. These become assets for others navigating the same terrain.
They also build collective memory. When systems are fragmented, stories reconnect them.
In practice: Use storytelling as a leadership tool. Capture what you’re learning in blogs, videos, or reflective notes: and share them!
8. Celebrate Progress, Not Just the Exit
“We are not just here to fix the system. We are the system, remaking itself.” – Nora Bateson
It may feel frustrating but there is no “exit” from the maze. The system may never be finished. But progress still matters.
Systems change is often invisible. A mindset shift. A new partnership. A conversation that didn’t happen before. A new story being told. These are signs that something is moving.
Celebrating those signs matters. It signals value. It builds momentum. It reminds people that their work is part of something meaningful.
In practice: Pause regularly to reflect on what’s shifted. Celebrate the process, not just the outcomes.
Final Reflection: The Maze is the Path
These eight lessons aren’t just reflections. They’re reminders that systems leadership isn’t about fixing – it’s about noticing. Connecting. Reflecting. Adapting. Creating space for emergence. Staying connected to purpose when the route is unclear.
The maze isn’t a problem to solve. It’s more useful as a metaphor for how systems behave and how we can lead.
So, if you feel stuck in a maze right now – pause, reflect. You’re not lost. You’re learning!
