It Is Not The System But The Persons In It

 A system or an organisation is incapable of change. They remain where the last meeting or chapter left them. They do not evolve. But people in it are capable of change. In other words, there is no potential in the system, but there is potential in its members.

Systems exist as frameworks, structures, and organisations designed to achieve specific outcomes. Yet systems themselves are inherently static—merely collections of rules, processes, and relationships. The true engine of change, growth, and innovation lies not within these frameworks but within the individuals who populate them.

When we look at any system—educational, governmental, corporate, or social—we often speak of its limitations. "The system is broken," we lament, or "The system doesn't work." These critiques misplace our focus. Systems don't possess inherent potential; they don't dream, create, or transform. They simply operate according to their design until the people within them decide otherwise.

Consider how transformative figures throughout history have changed systems from within. Nelson Mandela didn't wait for apartheid to reform itself—he became the catalyst for change from inside prison walls. Malala Yousafzai didn't expect the educational system in Pakistan to suddenly embrace girls' education—she became the voice that couldn't be ignored. These individuals recognised that waiting for systems to change themselves was futile. Instead, they embodied the potential for change.

Systems are merely vessels that amplify, constrain, or channel human potential. At their best, they create environments where individual talents can flourish and combine with others to achieve what no single person could accomplish alone. At their worst, they stifle creativity, reinforce inequities, and crush the human spirit. But in either case, the system itself remains inert—a conduit rather than a creator.

This understanding liberates us from the paralysis that comes with blaming "the system." When we recognise that potential resides in people, not processes, we shift our focus to empowering individuals. We ask different questions: How can we unlock the potential of each person? How can we redesign systems to better amplify human capabilities? How can we ensure that every voice contributes to ongoing evolution?

The greatest leaders understand this principle intuitively. They know that organisational charts, policies, and procedures don't drive progress—people do. They focus on cultivating environments where individuals feel valued, connected to purpose, and empowered to contribute their unique gifts. They recognise that sustainable change happens when people within the system become agents of transformation rather than passive participants.

This perspective doesn't absolve us from the responsibility of system design. Poorly constructed systems can indeed crush human potential and spirit. But even the most thoughtfully designed system will stagnate without individuals who continually question, challenge, and reinvent it.

The path forward isn't to abandon systems altogether but to remember their proper place—as tools created by and for humans, not masters we must serve. When we place human potential at the centre of our thinking, systems become what they were always meant to be: platforms that amplify our collective capacity rather than diminish our individual humanity.

The potential isn't in the system. It never was. It resides in you and me—in our courage to imagine, our determination to act, and our willingness to connect with others who share our vision for something better.