Events

Fireside Chat with Dr. Daniel Kim: Dr. Kim Shares Keys to Thriving in Complexity and Leading Transformation

Navigating the chaos and complexity of today’s world requires leaders to have the right mindset, skills and tools to transform their business.

In an insightful event organised by SIM’s Centre for Systems Leadership on November 6, 2023, Dr. Daniel Kim, a renowned expert in Systems Thinking and organisational transformation, shared invaluable insights on navigating complexity and driving profound change through deliberate design.

The conversation delved into the critical aspects of developing the right mindset, skills, and tools essential for leaders to adeptly navigate the intricacies of today’s complex world and drive transformative change within their businesses using systems thinking frameworks.

The discussion highlighted challenges leaders face today and provided an invaluable opportunity for participants to gain insights, exchange ideas, and deepen their understanding of leaders’ dynamic and ever-changing role in fostering organisational growth and resilience.

A seasoned consultant, facilitator, and public speaker, Dr. Daniel Kim, has been instrumental in transforming problem-solving organisations into dynamic learning entities. Drawing from his extensive experience spanning over 25 years and collaborations with diverse businesses, government bodies, and non-profit sectors, Dr. Kim provided profound insights rooted in his academic journey from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The event was attended by 12 distinguished C-suite executives from NCS Group, Parkway College, Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore Pools, Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (SMRT), Heidrick & Struggles, SPH Media Trust, V-Key, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC).

For those who missed this enlightening conversation, stay tuned for future events dedicated to empowering leaders with the insights and tools needed to excel in today’s intricate business ecosystem.

SIM’s Centre for Systems Leadership Conference gathers tri-sector leaders to co-sense and co-create the future together

On 10 November 2022, over 150 senior executives from the public, private, and people sectors, and systems leadership practitioners gathered at the Shangri-La Rasa Sentosa for a full day conference, to cross-pollinate best practices on tackling society’s pressing issues.

This was the Singapore Institute of Management’s second Centre for Systems Leadership (CSL) conference, which was aimed at starting conversations to offer insights into systems leadership and catalyzing action in dealing with today’s complex challenges.

The conference was graced by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, and themed “SG100 – A Call for Systems Leadership Across Business, Society and Government”, a reflection of the themes that emerged from the SG100 Futures Lab Workshop from 7 to 9 November. The SG100 Futures Lab Workshop is a ground-up initiative also organised by SIM, and supported by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). Over the three days, business leaders convened to reflect, refocus and revitalise forces toward co-creating a future and a unique setting for nurturing new ideas and relationships in today’s rapidly changing economic and social landscape.

From left to right: Mr Seah Chin Siong, President and Chief Executive Officer, SIM; Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law; Dr C. Otto Scharmer, Senior Lecturer in the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts School of Technology, and co-founder of the Presencing Institute and the U-School for Transformation; Mr Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Business Federation

The conference also welcomed keynote speaker, Dr C. Otto Scharmer, Senior Lecturer in the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts School of Technology, and co-founder of the Presencing Institute and the U-School for Transformation. Dr Sharmer expanded on the conference’s theme by touching on the call for systems leadership to co-create the world we want to live in from Singapore, shifting from ‘Ego to Eco’.

Special guest Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament, also shared on Singapore’s strategy map and how each of us can play a role.

Mr Seah Chin Siong, President & Chief Executive Officer, SIM, said: “Societies across the globe are facing multiple uncertainties and intricate problems with no straightforward solutions in sight. The world needs systems leadership disciplines to examine these complex issues holistically. At the CSL Conference, interesting conversations were generated on how leaders can collaborate to better serve and deliver outcomes for the larger community.

SIM’s CSL was set up in November 2020 to promote systems leadership as a much-needed capacity for a highly VUCAH (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and hyper-connected) world.

SIM’s Centre of Systems Leadership Celebrates its First Anniversary

The Centre organised a community learning event that was dove-tailed with the 1st Anniversary celebration of the CSL at the SIM Management House on November 21, 2021. The hybrid event was graced by Professor Lui Pao Chuen, Temasek Defence Professor at the National University of Singapore, and saw over one hundred participants.

Prof Lui was joined by two Systems Leadership practitioners – Ms Gracia Goh from Singapore Children’s Society and Mr Tony Soh from National Volunteer Philanthropy Centre. They shared their wisdom and insights on how system leadership could be applied for nation-building and how it could impact society for the greater good. The celebration ended on a high note with the Letter of Appointment presentation to all the CSL’s Adjunct Faculty by Mr Seah Chin Siong, PCEO of SIM.

SIM inaugural systems leadership conference promotes systems leadership as much-needed skill for highly disruptive world

Having dramatically disrupted our world and businesses across all sectors, Covid-19 has heightened the urgency for a better way to understand our problems and the solutions we want to bring to bear. Addressing this need is the Systems Leadership Conference organised by SIM on 22 and 23 February.  

The conference was the inaugural event of the Centre for Systems Leadership (CSL) which SIM set up in November 2020 to promote systems leadership as a much-needed skill for a highly VUCAH (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous and hyper-connected) world. Aimed at offering insights into systems leadership and its relevancy to dealing with today’s wicked problems, the conference was attended by some 30 senior executives from the public, private and people sectors.    

Kicking off with an opening keynote was none other than the topic’s guru, Dr Daniel Kim, Organisational Consultant and Facilitator, Co-Founder of the MIT Centre for Organisational Learning and Founding Trustee of Society for Organisational Learning.  

Beyond explaining the practice of systems leadership, Dr Kim said having a clarity of purpose is vital to evolve and change organisations. Businesses can no longer work in silos but need to work together to succeed. It is important to create an infrastructure to grow the systems leadership ecosystem, not just the systems leaders, in order to move towards a desired future state. 

In his address, Mr Seah Chin Siong, President and Chief Executive Officer of SIM, spoke on CSL’s shared purpose – to be a home for Systems Leaders in Singapore and a space for facilitating leadership conversations that can lead to wider sustained, positive systemic changes in our community. He also hopes that through the Centre, practitioners can nurture generative conversations that help organisations build their capacity for the long-term.

Another conference highlight was a panel discussion participated by top leaders Ms Anita Fam, President of the National Council of Social Service and Mr Ng Boon Heong, Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Foundation Ltd. Joining them virtually were Mr Lim Teck Yin, Chief Executive Officer of Sport Singapore and Dr Daniel Kim.

Moderated by Ms Jacqueline Wong, Managing Director and Co-founder of Sequoia Group, the panel discussed challenges in the tri-sectors and the importance of agencies  coming  together to optimise and solve systemic issues. The panellists closed the session with a call  for leaders to lead by example, be open to change and having the  courage to let go of models which might have led to past successes but which may no longer work in today’s context.  

The conference concluded with a visioning exercise where participants built a shared vision for the CSL through pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. Participants depicted their own vision through an image on a blank piece of jigsaw. Their visions form the bigger picture and represent transformation can be achieved when we work together.

SIM Launches Centre of Systems Leadership to train Professionals and Undergrads in handling uncertainty in the post-covid world

The Centre for Systems Leadership (CSL) was launched on November 12 by Manpower Minister Josephine Teo.
CSL is designed to train Professionals, Managers, and Executives (PMEs) in tackling the challenges that come with the Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) world, with those in the social sector having up to 90 per cent of their course fees subsidised.

SIM CSL will also offer programmes on systems thinking to youth leaders and final-year student leaders doing their undergraduate studies. The first cohort of learners will come from the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (Minds), Metta Welfare Association and Singapore Pools.