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News & Events: SoL Global Forum 2025

Featured by sheilasingapore

A Gathering of Presence, Purpose & Potentiality From September 26–28, 2025, you’re invited to join a generative global gathering in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, where systems awareness meets community connection, and new futures begin.    Personal Mastery for Collective Impact; Generating Connections and Actions Toward A Flourishing Future, This unique convening brings together seasoned practitioners and emerging … Continue reading News & Events: SoL Global Forum 2025

THE GREAT LABOUR MISALLOCATION:

by sheilasingapore

The global attention economy is reshaping employment dynamics, particularly for youth, who increasingly divert their focus from foundational sectors to unstable digital careers. This shift leads to an oversupply of creators, low income stability, and potential societal impacts, threatening essential economic capacities and exacerbating issues like unemployment and mental health crises.

“Human–Wildlife Conflict” – “Nature’s Balancing Reflex: When Stress Calls Forth the Female.”

by sheilasingapore

🌿 Why It’s Important for Our Human–Wildlife Conflict Study

Elephants under anthropogenic stress (poaching, translocation, drought) and humans under social stress (conflict, famine, instability) may exhibit the same systemic correction mechanism.

The apparent “increase in female births” is not random — it’s the system seeking stability.

Therefore, conservation and policy interventions that misread this as “healthy fecundity” risk reinforcing instability; the real signal is stress recovery at work.

“Not Enough Manpower”

by sheilasingapore

The case study examines the misconception that organizations face a manpower shortage, attributing it instead to flawed perceptions of effort and efficiency. It highlights how hiring cycles create an illusion of scarcity, ultimately draining energy through procedural compliance. A shift towards systemic understanding and learning is proposed as a sustainable solution.

“Urgent Files”

by sheilasingapore

A Case Study of the Fixes-That-Fail Archetype (STRLDi Compendium of System Archetypes — Draft Edition) “THE LEADERSHIP MIRROR” Every leader believes they are solving problems.Few notice that the problems are quietly solving them. The more effort they invest, the deeper the pattern takes hold — until exhaustion feels like purpose and urgency feels like success. … Continue reading “Urgent Files”

Introducing the Compendium: Exploring The Fifth Discipline’s Impact on Leadership

by sheilasingapore

The System Archetype Compendium reveals the structural patterns behind recurring crises in nations and organizations, emphasizing that awareness rather than funding drives transformation. It compiles case studies to encourage national dialogue and learning about systemic issues, providing tools to prevent crises and foster governance through understanding.

When Seeds Take Root Across Continents

by sheilasingapore

**Twenty-five years ago, two teachers changed the way I see the world.**

This tribute is for **Daniel Kim and Diane Cory** — mentors and catalysts who shaped how I understand *The Fifth Discipline*, and how I have carried it across continents and generations.

From our first sessions together in Singapore to the work unfolding today through **STRLDi in Africa**, their influence continues to echo — in every system mapped, every dialogue convened, and every leader learning to see anew.

I wrote this piece to honour not only their memory, but the larger *Learning Organisation* community that keeps their work alive — in boardrooms, classrooms, and ministries alike.

🕊️ *“There are teachers who change what we know, and teachers who change how we see.”*
Daniel and Diane did both.

Read the full reflection here:
👉 [When Seeds Take Root Across Continents – A Tribute to Daniel Kim and Diane Cory](https://strldi.weebly.com/strldi.html)

Understanding Botswana’s Horticulture: Profit Dynamics Explained

by sheilasingapore

The economic dynamics of a kilogram of beetroot illustrate complex interdependencies among farmers, retailers, caterers, consumers, laborers, and the state. Price changes create ripples affecting all layers, often leading to inflation and diminished profits. Effective coordination and productivity improvements, especially through regenerative practices and STEM, are vital for stability and growth in Botswana’s horticulture. From a P5 beetroot to a P40 plate—see why profits don’t grow without a coordination spine, and how STEM + regen can change the economics.

I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows: What Botswana’s Horticulture Needs Beyond Funding & Allocations

by sheilasingapore

The parable “I Can Sleep When the Wind Blows” illustrates the importance of preparation, mirrored in agricultural practices and national budgeting. Effective industry planning, guided by STEM principles, ensures sustainable growth and stability. Without this backbone, the system falters, leading to volatility and inefficiency, hindering farmers and economic progress.

Horticulture Farmers Can’t Plant Blind: Why Botswana Needs a National Horticulture Coordination System

by sheilasingapore

She had done everything right. Bought the seeds. Paid for inputs. Hired labour. Measured every drop of water. Watched over her crop with the kind of personal care only farmers understand. After weeks of nurturing, her cherry tomatoes gleamed on the vines — plump, red, and ready. She took them to the retailer who once … Continue reading Horticulture Farmers Can’t Plant Blind: Why Botswana Needs a National Horticulture Coordination System

Builders or Bystanders? Three Strategic Scenarios for Botswana’s STEM Future

by sheilasingapore

Your thinking is incisive — and it touches a painful global fault line. ✳️ Introductory Paragraph: The world is not waiting. Nations are restructuring their economies, education systems, and regulatory frameworks to meet the demands of an AI-powered, STEM-led global future. That shift was happening as far back as 200 years ago. In the span … Continue reading Builders or Bystanders? Three Strategic Scenarios for Botswana’s STEM Future

When Matchsticks Meet Megawatts: Why STEM Matters in Regulation

by sheilasingapore

Public servants’ regulatory styles adapt based on their understanding of systems, scale, and causality, influenced by their STEM training and the public’s literacy. STEM-trained regulators prioritize design-based control, while non-STEM counterparts often overregulate for self-preservation, risking bottlenecks and stifling innovation in agriculture and manufacturing.

From Institutional Stability to Retail Growth: Unlocking Botswana’s Horticulture Potential

by sheilasingapore

Botswana’s professional horticultural farmers face growth limitations, reliant on institutional markets for stability. Retail and hospitality hold vast potential, necessitating structured partnerships, particularly with Sefalana. The proposed trial aims to increase local sourcing and empower farmers, enhancing aggregation and processing capabilities, ultimately positioning Botswana as a horticulture hub.

When the World Speaks … Africa & STEM

by sheilasingapore

The essay explores Africa’s complex relationship with STEM, differentiated into four voices: stewardship, obedience, reactive, and restorative. The stewardship voice reflects Africa’s historical contributions to STEM, while the obedience voice signifies colonial influences that framed STEM as foreign. The reactive voice depicts contemporary fears rooted in this colonial legacy, whereas the restorative voice emphasizes reclaiming and celebrating indigenous knowledge and innovations. The essay argues that Africa can redefine its STEM identity by recognizing historical legacies, enhancing education, and fostering local innovation to reclaim leadership in global STEM discourse.

When Nature Speaks … His-story of Cattle Production in Botswana

by sheilasingapore

The content details the historical and contemporary dynamics of cattle populations in Southern Africa, focusing on the impacts of rinderpest, land policies, and disease control. The article traces cattle population trends in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, highlighting challenges such as malnutrition, drought, and socio-cultural values in cattle ownership, influencing production systems in the mind of the cattle farmer in Botswana.

When Economy Speaks … Regional Shared Production Planning – SADC

by sheilasingapore

The post discusses the challenges and opportunities for enhancing trade and production collaboration between Zambia and Botswana. It explores historical barriers such as colonial infrastructure and national self-sufficiency mindsets. The call for shared production planning emphasizes regional interdependence, addressing food security and economic resilience, while leveraging frameworks like AfCFTA for sustainable development.

When the World Speaks … Governance Las Pinas, Phillippines

by sheilasingapore

Las Piñas City, once a coastal settlement, now faces pivotal growth challenges and opportunities. With over 54% of its land residential, it seeks to diversify economically, particularly through the 2025 political transition. Strategic pathways include enhancing mixed-use development, improving workforce skills, and increasing public green space, aiming for dynamic regional contributions by 2035.

Centrally Coordinated Agricultural Production – What That Means For Botswana

by sheilasingapore

The content discusses a model of centrally coordinated agricultural production, distinguishing it from nationalization. It highlights countries successfully using this approach, emphasizing collaboration between governments and farmer associations to meet national and export demands. The text outlines challenges faced by countries like Botswana in adopting similar systems, proposing a 10-year transformation map for improved agricultural coordination.

Addressing Persistent Unemployment in Botswana: A Systems Thinking Approach (Part 2)

by sheilasingapore

Botswana’s unemployment crisis is rooted in systemic issues like labor absorption gaps, skills mismatches, and household instability. Solutions require rebalancing educational priorities towards STEM, improving family structures, and fostering cross-sector economic coordination. A holistic design is essential to energize key sectors, ensuring sustainable employment and economic resilience amidst persistent challenges.

Addressing Persistent Unemployment in Botswana: A Systems Thinking Approach (Part 1)

by sheilasingapore

Botswana has faced decades of investment without addressing the structural causes of high unemployment. This study employs systems thinking to highlight key systemic failures in absorbing the workforce, underperforming sectors, and value circulation. Solutions lie in redesigning economic structures for sustainable growth and job creation, challenging existing policies and practices.

Practicing Mentals Models – A Self Discipline

by sheilasingapore

The content emphasizes the importance of mental models in self-discipline and personal transformation. It highlights that true change requires individual introspection, supportive guidance, and shared experiences. A personal journey illustrates how unresolved beliefs can hinder progress and how reframing these beliefs can reinvigorate one’s ambition and sense of value.

#13: Testing the Limits of Each Thinking by Situation Series: Manipulation

by sheilasingapore

The content discusses the concept of manipulated mental models, emphasizing how controlling narratives maintains power across social layers. It argues that transparency can undermine authority and highlights the importance of recognizing the difference between protection and manipulation. By addressing hidden agendas, trust and empathy can improve relational dynamics.

#12: Testing the Limits of Each Thinking by Situation Series: Zero-Sum Assumption

by sheilasingapore

The concept of “Winner Takes All” highlights the detrimental effects of zero-sum thinking within teams, leading to inward competition and information withholding. Successful collaboration requires challenging this mindset, fostering mutual purpose and interdependence. Various developmental frameworks illustrate the need for deeper dialogue and systemic reframing to promote shared success rather than individual victories.

#11: Testing the Limits of Each Thinking by Situation Series: Regions

by sheilasingapore

The content discusses the concept of manipulated mental models, emphasizing how controlling narratives maintains power across social layers. It argues that transparency can undermine authority and highlights the importance of recognizing the difference between protection and manipulation. By addressing hidden agendas, trust and empathy can improve relational dynamics.

#10: Testing the Limits of Each Thinking by Situation Series: Nations

by sheilasingapore

The post criticizes the exclusion of the informal sector from social protection frameworks, which often view aid as charity, fostering dependency. It calls for challenging assumptions about productivity by reframing inclusion as essential for national resilience and shared investment, promoting empathy and understanding among diverse community experiences.

#8: Testing the Limits of Each Thinking by Situation Series: Large-scale organizations

by sheilasingapore

The developmental map for large-scale organizations outlines how biases in promotions persist due to entrenched mental models. It highlights beliefs about leadership fit and assumptions of vision’s exclusivity, which resist innovation. By questioning these models, organizations can foster shared meaning, feedback, and ultimately, greater adaptability and agility.