How Can We Expect Different Outcomes When We Hold On to Conventional Thinking?

How Can We Expect Different Outcomes When We Hold On to Conventional Thinking?

How can we expect different outcomes if we continue to perceive and lead our organizations the same way we always have—through the narrow lens of profit-first, hierarchical control, and isolated problem-solving? In a world that demands more from businesses than just financial returns, isn’t it time we radically rethink how we operate, collaborate, and lead? If we want to create a future that is truly sustainable, impactful, and equitable, we must fundamentally shift our perspective, embracing a whole-system approach that prioritizes impact over profit, transformation over mere adaptation, and collective leadership over top-down control.

This is not just a challenge to the status quo; it’s an urgent call to action for businesses to redefine success and how it can be achieved. The future won’t wait for us to catch up—it’s time to reimagine it.

The foundation for this reimagination lies in RoundMap’s Whole-System Theory of Business, which combines three critical approaches: whole-system thinking, whole-system change, and whole-system leadership. These approaches offer a robust framework for transforming business practices and moving beyond conventional wisdom.

Whole-System Thinking: Seeing the Bigger Picture

Let’s start with the way we think. Systems thinking has long been praised for helping organizations map out interactions between their parts, identify feedback loops, and find leverage points. But let’s be honest—while useful, this approach is often too mechanical, too focused on structure and process. It treats organizations as if they were machines, ignoring the fact that they are human systems, shaped by culture, beliefs, and emotions. And here’s the truth: if you’re only focused on the mechanics, you’re missing the real story.

Whole-system thinking flips the script. It recognizes that systems don’t exist in isolation from the people who shape them. The behavior of any system—whether it’s a company, a team, or an entire industry—is the product of deeply ingrained values, habits, and emotions. If we’re serious about achieving different outcomes, we need to stop treating systems like static frameworks and start seeing them as living, breathing organisms, driven by human motivations.

Ask yourself: why do the different parts of your organization behave the way they do? What underlying beliefs and values drive these behaviors? If we can’t answer these questions, how can we possibly expect to change the outcomes? The system is not just the sum of its parts; it’s a manifestation of the collective emotional and cultural dynamics at play. Only when we understand those drivers can we hope to influence meaningful change.

Whole-System Change: Stop Fixing Problems, Start Transforming

The old way of managing change focuses on fixing problems. You identify inefficiencies, conflicts, or misalignments, and then apply solutions to patch them up. Sound familiar? This problem-focused approach has been the default for decades, but here’s the catch: it’s reactive, short-term, and surface-level. If you’re only solving problems, you’re not addressing the deeper issues that created them in the first place. It’s like treating symptoms without diagnosing the disease.

Whole-system change is different. It doesn’t start with problems; it starts with understanding how the system came to be. Why does your organization operate the way it does? What are the emotional, cultural, and value-driven factors that have shaped its behavior over time? Change that sticks doesn’t happen by tweaking processes—it happens by shifting the very foundation of how the system thinks, acts, and aligns itself with a shared purpose.

You can’t impose transformation from the outside; it has to come from within. This means businesses need to stop thinking in terms of “quick wins” or band-aid solutions and start thinking in terms of fundamental shifts in mindset, behavior, and culture. If you want to create lasting change, you need to dig deeper, challenge the status quo, and realign the values and beliefs that drive your organization’s actions. That’s the only way to transform the whole, not just patch up the parts.

Whole-System Leadership: Moving Beyond Top-Down Control

Today, leadership remains fixated on the idea that power and direction flow from the top. CEOs and executives make the big decisions, and everyone else falls in line. But ask yourself: how often do top-down decisions genuinely reflect the complexity of your organization? In a world where teams are more distributed, connected, and interdependent than ever, can any one leader at the top understand and represent the entire system’s interests, values, and insights?

The truth is that leading from the top is out of sync with the reality of today’s business environment. The future demands a different kind of leadership that reflects the collective voice, wisdom, and contributions of all the parts, not just a select few.

A powerful example of leading from the whole comes from Dan Price, the CEO of Gravity Payments. Price made headlines when he decided to raise his employees’ salaries to a minimum of $70,000 per year—funded by lowering his own salary. Critics, including other CEOs, called him reckless, predicting that this radical move would bankrupt the company. But Price understood something they didn’t: authentic leadership isn’t about holding onto traditional power structures but empowering the whole system.

Instead of focusing on short-term profits or keeping executive pay at the top, Price prioritized the well-being of his entire team. What happened next surprised the skeptics. Not only did his company survive, but it thrived. During the COVID-19 lockdown, his employees volunteered to lower their wages to help the company survive temporarily. And when the company rebounded, they bought him a car as a gift—an extraordinary act of appreciation.

This isn’t just a story of generosity; it’s a clear example of how leading from the whole can challenge and displace conventional thinking. By prioritizing the well-being of the system as a whole—over profits, over traditional executive norms—Price built a culture of trust, loyalty, and collective responsibility. Gravity Payments didn’t just avoid bankruptcy; it thrived because the leadership model shifted from a top-down mentality to a shared, inclusive approach.

Leading from the whole isn’t about hierarchical control; it’s about creating a leadership system grounded in consent, not consensus. Consent doesn’t mean everyone agrees—it means no one has a fundamental objection. Decisions move forward when they are broadly accepted, not when they are watered down to appease every dissenting voice. This approach fosters resilience and inclusivity, giving everyone a stake in the outcome without being bogged down by endless debates.

In today’s democratized world, where technology and AI give everyone a voice, businesses that fail to embrace this leadership model will find themselves out of step with the future. You can’t lead the whole if you only lead from the top.

Why It Matters: Impact-First, Not Profit-First

Let’s confront another uncomfortable truth: the profit-first narrative has run its course. For too long, businesses have been laser-focused on maximizing shareholder value, prioritizing short-term financial returns over long-term sustainability. But this approach is no longer viable in a world that demands more from organizations—more accountability, more responsibility, and more impact. The old profit-first mindset is not just unsustainable; it’s actively undermining the future.

The future belongs to impact-first businesses—those that see themselves not as profit machines but as engines of shared value. Organizations must become stewards of sustainability, equity, and responsibility, working within ecosystems and prioritizing long-term health over immediate gains. This doesn’t mean profit isn’t essential; profit becomes a byproduct of creating value that matters ─ the means to an end.

Whole-system thinking, change, and leadership are the cornerstones of this transformative shift. They provide a clear roadmap for realigning the core values of an organization, placing impact at the forefront, not the sidelines:

  • Whole-system thinking helps you understand the human, emotional, and cultural dynamics that shape the system, allowing you to see beyond financial metrics to the true drivers of success.
  • Whole-system change gives you the tools to transform from within. By realigning the organization’s values and beliefs, you can shift its behavior and create a system built for long-term sustainability.
  • Whole-system leadership ensures that leadership reflects the collective will and wisdom of the system, fostering inclusivity, resilience, and shared responsibility.

It’s Time to Transform the Whole, Not Tinker with the Parts

Businesses that stick to the status quo won’t win the future. If you’re serious about creating a lasting impact, stop tinkering with the parts and start transforming the whole. Whole-system thinking, change, and leadership aren’t just buzzwords—they are the foundation of a new business paradigm that prioritizes impact, sustainability, and shared value over short-term profits and top-down control.

The time to act is now. Businesses that fail to adopt this future-focused approach will be left behind, shackled in outdated success models that no longer serve them or the world. But those who embrace whole-system thinking, commit to whole-system change, and lead from the whole will be the ones to shape a future that is not only profitable but truly meaningful.

The question is: Are you ready to lead the change, or will you be left struggling to keep up?

Author

  • edwinkorver

    Edwin Korver is a polymath celebrated for his mastery of systems thinking and integral philosophy, particularly in intricate business transformations. His company, CROSS-SILO, embodies his unwavering belief in the interdependence of stakeholders and the pivotal role of value creation in fostering growth, complemented by the power of storytelling to convey that value. Edwin pioneered the RoundMap®, an all-encompassing business framework. He envisions a future where business harmonizes profit with compassion, common sense, and EQuitability, a vision he explores further in his forthcoming book, "Leading from the Whole."

    View all posts Creator of RoundMap® | CEO, CROSS-SILO.COM
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