System Inversion: How Success Can Block Us and Enable Change

System Inversion: How Success Can Block Us and Enable Change

Jesse Segers, Ginkgo Consulting

For consultants and leaders in change processes, it's a familiar phenomenon: behavioral patterns that were once crucial for success suddenly become obstacles in times of transformation. We call this system inversion. It’s a concept that reveals the tension between what helps an organization in its primary processes and what is needed for profound change. But—and this is crucial—it doesn’t mean that the old pattern is wrong or should be permanently discarded. It’s about temporarily letting go of what is familiar so that the new can emerge. The old can then find its place again, albeit in a different way or form.

The Logic of System Inversion: The New Requires Temporary Space

System inversion occurs when behavior essential to an organization’s primary processes becomes a hindrance during second- or third-order changes. These changes demand a fundamental shift in perspective and approach. What worked before—such as speed, efficiency, or control—now clashes with the need for things like slowing down, listening, and creating space for uncertainty.

Take healthcare as an example. Doctors and nurses are trained to act quickly and assertively—skills essential in life-saving situations. However, during a transition toward more preventive and patient-centered care, the process requires a different attitude: slowing down, co-discovering, and granting patients greater autonomy. This doesn’t mean that speed and authority become irrelevant. On the contrary, these qualities remain indispensable in acute care situations. It’s a matter of temporarily giving space to the new without completely letting go of the old.

This pattern repeats across various sectors:

• Police: Quick action and authority remain crucial in crisis situations, but community-oriented policing requires temporary emphasis on dialogue and collaboration.
• Financial Sector: Risk management and efficiency are essential, but room for experimentation is needed to drive sustainable innovation.
• Industry: Perfection and standardization are vital, but a circular approach demands flexibility and tolerance for mistakes.

In these examples, it becomes clear that the old doesn’t have to disappear but rather shifts to the background temporarily to make room for the new.

The Psychology Behind System Inversion

What makes system inversion complex is that the behavior in question is deeply embedded in the identity and culture of the organization. It’s not merely a process but a way of thinking, acting, and being. The patterns once embraced as guiding principles for success are seen as self-evident and indispensable.

Take the education sector, for example. Teachers have traditionally been the source of knowledge and answers. This behavior aligns perfectly with the primary process of knowledge transfer. However, as the sector evolves and calls for co-creation with students and parents, as well as for asking questions instead of giving answers, friction arises. This new behavior lies outside the repertoire of many leaders and professionals because it conflicts with what made them successful.

The paradox, therefore, is that this deeply ingrained mechanism of success can hinder itself. Instead of rejecting the old, it helps to see it as a foundation upon which something new can be built. Just as a tree must occasionally be pruned to stay healthy and grow, organizations and their leaders can learn to temporarily let go of patterns in order to return stronger later. The old may still exist but in a more limited role, ensuring it doesn’t obstruct the new.

Honoring Old Patterns, Embracing New Ones During Change

What does this mean in practice? It requires leadership that acknowledges the value of both poles: the old as a foundation and the new as a necessary expansion. It’s not about choosing between old and new but about a temporary shift in focus.

For example:

• In education: The tradition of knowledge transfer remains valuable, but during times of change, co-creation with students and parents must take center stage. Later, both approaches can be balanced.
• In industry: Standardization is crucial for efficiency, but during a circular transition, space for experimentation that challenges the standard is necessary.

The new is not a threat to the old but a complement to it. It’s a movement from “either-or” to “both-and.”

The Paradox of Growth: A Balancing Act

System inversion is an opportunity to reflect on what truly drives an organization forward. It invites reflection on the paradox of growth: what makes us strong can also hinder us. What was once important can sometimes block the emergence of the new. But this paradox is not an enemy—it’s an opportunity. When we learn to deprioritize the old temporarily to give space to the new, a fertile dialogue can emerge within the organization.

This often requires an explicit period of slowing down, reflecting, and experimenting. This period allows the new to take root without completely replacing the old. Once the transformation is complete, the old can be reintegrated in an adapted form. As with any paradox, there is wisdom in the tension: it’s not “this or that,” but “this and that.”

System inversion reminds us that growth is not linear but cyclical. It asks us to let go, embrace, and begin anew—again and again.