Blog : Cultivating Resilience Through a Systems Thinking Lens
A Systems Spark in Resilience
As reviewers, we have had the pleasure of undertaking and recently completing three Resilience micro-credential Courses with the University of Manchester. It was a great learning experience with some amazingly talented and dedicated fellow travellers, and it has both highlighted and reinforced my understanding of the systemic nature of resilience: a shift at one level ripples through all. If I could share something helpful about resilience with others, whether in a workshop, coaching session or conversation, it would be the interconnected nature of resilience across individual/personal, team/organisational and community/societal contexts.
Systems Interconnectedness: The Three Levels
All three aspects of resilience (Individual, Team/Organisation, and Community/Societal) interact to strengthen, maintain or diminish resilience. They are interconnected because they are all human-focused. People make organisations and teams, which are constructs designed to assist people to work and interact in constructive ways to achieve things an individual may not be able to achieve alone. In this sense, communities bring people together to focus on the larger opportunities and challenges that organisations, teams and individuals cannot tackle separately. In my mind, it is akin to John Adair’s Action Centred Leadership (1973) model, where team, task and individual must all be addressed to achieve peak performance. Similarly, personal, team, and community resilience all require attention to achieve peak resilience.
Integrate or Limit: Applying Systems Thinking
If we focus solely on personal resilience without considering how we, within our sphere of influence, can also contribute to team, organisational, and community/societal resilience, we are not strengthening overall resilience as much as we could. Indeed, this Microcredential is a very good example of how Dr Natalie Cunningham integrated all three in her lived experience and now provides, within her sphere of influence, support for us students to explore how we integrate all three aspects into our lives and work. While it is necessary to explore and work at each level, not everyone has the capacity to do so at all times. Context matters. Essentially, it involves a mindset shift that encourages people to explore their role in contributing to collective resilience, even as they build their own resilience.
From Turbulence to Opportunity: Systems Thinking in Uncertain Contexts
I would agree that this systemic view can feel unrealistic amid today’s political and economic turbulence. Wicked problems, rising conflict and the erosion of institutions designed to support societal resilience can make it seem overwhelming. However, these very challenges invite us to rebuild. By applying systems resilience strategies, even small, intentional steps, each of us can spark ripples of recovery across personal, team and community spheres.
Resilience does not grow in isolation. It thrives when we honour the systems we are part of and lift each other up at every level. I would love to hear how you’re integrating these ideas in your world.
From Theory to Practice
Reflect on one small action you can take this week that links your personal resilience practice with your team’s wellbeing or your community’s support structures.
Share your insight with a colleague or peer, perhaps over a quick coffee, and encourage them to do the same. Resilience does not grow in isolation. It thrives when we honour the systems we are part of and lift each other up at every level. I would love to hear how you’re integrating these ideas in your world.
This blog is an adapted version of my final reflections on the 8-month microcredential course I completed at The Global Development Institute at The University of Manchester. This course, designed by Dr Natalie Cunningham, consists of three microcredentials.