Fixing the System: One Leader’s Responsibility at a Time
Insight. Clarity. Strategy. Influence.
“We want a better nation. We want
better organizations. But do we want to be better people?”
The cry for transformation is
deafening in nations and organizations across the globe. We rally for reform.
We chant for change. We demand better systems - in governance, healthcare,
education, justice, business, and leadership.
But what if I told you that the system
is not some faceless machine out there?
The system is us. You. Me.
The system is every decision we make when no one is watching.
The
Real Root of Broken Systems
Corruption doesn’t always wear
agbada or a suit.
Sometimes, it’s in small compromises - the fake report we sign off on, the
bribe we justify “just this once”, the junior staff we bully, or the company
policy we knowingly sidestep.
We often detach ourselves from “the
system” - as if it’s a broken machine run by invisible forces. But every system
is built and run by people. And those people have names. They have titles. They
have influence.
They have us.
National
or Organizational - All Systems Reflect Culture
A recent Gallup report showed
that only 21% of employees worldwide feel engaged at work. That's not
just an HR issue - it's a systems issue. It tells us that leadership culture,
clarity, and alignment are deeply fractured.
In Nigeria, PwC’s 2024 Economic
Outlook cited poor institutional systems and leadership gaps as a
major contributor to investor mistrust and youth emigration. Yet, while we
debate policies and demand accountability, we often forget the power of
personal example.
A
True Story: The Procurement Officer Who Changed a Whole Agency
In 2018, I met a young procurement
officer in a federal parastatal who refused to inflate invoices. At first, his
colleagues mocked him. Then they avoided him. But soon, they began to respect
him. One day, a colleague quietly asked, “How do you do it and still sleep well
at night?”
Fast forward two years - that agency
underwent a significant audit. Guess whose desk was flagged as the only one
without discrepancies?
His example sparked a quiet shift. He didn't have a title. But he had integrity
and influence.
Strategy
Meets Integrity: The Case for Internal Alignment
We spend millions on strategic
planning retreats - but overlook one vital ingredient: internal alignment.
A leader’s inconsistency is the
fastest way to erode a culture of trust. Strategy without personal congruence
becomes performance. And when leaders fake it, the system fractures.
🧩 Strategy without integrity
is sabotage.
🧩 Systems without character become chaos.
You can’t fix what you’re faking.
You can’t build what you secretly betray.
Your
Private Habits Will Leak Into Public Systems
This is a call to national and organizational
leaders:
🛑 Before you create another 5-point reform agenda…
🛑 Before you deliver another public address on ethics…
🛑 Before you post another “accountability” thread…
Ask yourself:
Am I aligned with the very values I’m promoting?
Because guess what?
The system you want to fix is already watching you.
Leading
Through Example - Not Just Position
Leadership is not a title; it is a
weight. A call to be what you demand.
The fastest way to repair a broken system is to model what works, even
if no one else is doing it yet.
✨ Want transparency? Be transparent with your own reports.
✨ Want justice? Stop cutting corners because you “know
someone at the top.”
✨ Want unity? Stop gossiping about your colleagues behind
closed doors.
If
You’re in the Room, You’re the System Too
It’s easy to criticize the system
until you realize you’re now a stakeholder in it.
Whether you’re a team lead in a 10-person startup or a minister in a national
cabinet, you represent the culture. You are a walking message.
People don’t just listen to what you say. They study what you normalize.
Let’s
Talk Strategy: How to Lead System Change
🛠 1. Audit Yourself Before Auditing Others:
Check for misalignments between your public values and private practices.
🛠 2. Build Micro-Cultures of Integrity:
Even if the wider organization is broken, start by building one healthy,
honest, excellence-driven team.
🛠 3. Reward the Right Behaviors:
Systems change when incentives shift. Stop rewarding sycophancy and start
celebrating courage, clarity, and competence.
🛠 4. Speak Up Strategically:
Challenge bad systems with facts, not fumes. Don’t shout - shape. Use
data. Document stories. Propose alternatives.
🛠 5. Mentor the Next Line:
You may not fix it all now, but you can raise leaders who will go further than
you. That’s legacy.
Final
Word: Systems Don’t Heal Themselves. Leaders Do.
True system change is not always
loud.
Sometimes, it’s in a quiet decision behind closed doors.
Sometimes, it's in refusing to cheat even when no one would find out.
Sometimes, it's in doing the right thing because it is right, not
because it’s trending.
As Barack Obama once said:
“Change will not come if we wait for
some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”
So maybe…
To fix the system, we don’t need another board meeting or government summit.
Maybe we just need one more leader to take responsibility.
And maybe that leader is you.
💥 Your Turn:
➡️ What ONE personal habit can you change today to align with
the values you expect in your workplace or nation?
➡️ How have you seen personal alignment transform a team,
system, or nation?
✍️ Share your thoughts in the comments. Let’s build honest
systems - one aligned leader at a time.
🧭 Strategy starts with
you. Influence starts with your example.
- System change
- Organizational transformation
- National leadership
- Strategy and alignment
- Personal responsibility in leadership
#StrategicLeadership #SystemChangeStartsWithYou #IntegrityInLeadership #FixTheSystem #PersonalAlignmentMatters
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