Copyright Forbes
Thomas Lim is the Dean for Centre for Systems Leadership at SIM Academy. He is a Systems Thinking Coach and author of Think.Coach.Thrive! Innovation does not begin with invention; it begins with intention. The most transformative organizations do not innovate by accident; they design for it. They translate guiding ideas into living systems of learning, adaptation and change. We can think of this as a two-part systemic machinery (architecture and essence) where the process first starts with architecting, which is about taking a “guiding idea” through the visible structures, tools and systems for iterative experimentation. When the change mechanisms have kicked in and the innovation becomes a reality for the organization, the second part is about internalizing the minted innovative idea and reflecting on the experience to build new sensibilities and awareness (i.e., the essence of the innovation) so that this becomes a repeatable success formula, rather than being a one-off lucky creative manifestation. For systemic innovation to become embedded as an organizational culture, leaders need to view innovation as a regenerative system that scales meaningfully across individuals and teams and that can be codified for success. One can envisage this as a three-phase flow: Phase 1: Initiating Change: Clarifying Purpose And Framing Approach Every transformation starts with an initial spark, a guiding idea that aligns vision with meaning. It is not a slogan but a shared conviction about what the organization seeks to create in the world. Take DBS Bank in Singapore, for instance—its reinvention included a reframing of banking itself, anchored on its purpose: “a purpose beyond banking” and “reimagining banking through digital to serve people better.” That purpose did more than inspire; it structured how the bank viewed customers, data and innovation. In this phase, therefore, the vision provides the impetus to build the “container” for change. Two foundational acts occur here: 1. Clarify Purpose (Guiding Ideas): Define why innovation matters. DBS turned its corporate purpose into a moral compass, linking innovation to human progress rather than efficiency. 2. Frame Approach (Methods And Tools): Define how innovation occurs. The use of human-centered design, agile squads and journey-mapping tools helps reframe problems from “product” to “experience.” With this in mind, DBS Bank can use various tools to activate the innovation agenda (e.g., conducting internal “makethons”) using the guiding idea to serve people better. Through empathy, collaboration and experimentation, the bank can learn to diagnose workplace friction and reimagine it through systemic design. The process was not construed as an event; it was the organization learning how to think differently within a bounded system. In this initiating phase, organizations must reaffirm their values as stabilizing anchors while cultivating curiosity as a disruptive force. The purpose defines the direction; the framework defines the rhythm. Phase 2: Creating Change: Enabling Systems And Building Capability Once a guiding idea is clear, the next challenge is translating belief into a system. In the creating change phase, organizations move from aspiration to activation, where architecture is put into motion. It is the space where purpose is no longer what the company says but what its systems make possible. The company Grab offers a powerful example. What began as a ride-hailing service was never just about moving people; it was about enabling mobility in the broadest sense: mobility of opportunity, of livelihoods, of daily life. Guided by this purpose, the company architected an ecosystem that integrates transport, payments, food and financial services into a single super app. This shift did not happen by chasing new verticals but by designing the systems that allow innovation to scale. In this phase, we see the following at work: Enabling Systems (Infrastructure) The rideshare company built an adaptive architecture that could evolve with user needs—first connecting drivers and passengers, then merchants, couriers and consumers. Each new service—GrabPay, GrabFood, GrabMart—was not a separate product but a node in a shared infrastructure. The system became the incubator for new ideas, not just their container. Building Capability (Skills) With the infrastructure in place, Grab focused on developing the who. It cultivated a culture of autonomy and accountability; teams were empowered to ideate, prototype and test without waiting for hierarchical approval. The company understands that innovation often comes from those closest to the customer. In essence, the company built a workforce fluent in experimentation. In this phase, the organization learns to convert curiosity into capability. It builds not just better products but better learners, capable of shaping the next iteration of change. Phase 3: Integrating Change: Deepening Insight And Shifting Mindsets At this stage, innovation ceases to be a program and becomes a way of being. In the integrating change phase, organizations internalize what they have learned through experimentation and distill the essence—how transforming practices are codified into structured guidance as a shared belief. The essence of innovation begins to take root when people no longer see it as something they do but as something that defines who they are becoming. The company’s journey aptly illustrates this subtle yet powerful transition. Deepening Insight (Awareness) Innovation creates new awareness about how systems behave and interact. The company’s teams learned that enabling convenience for consumers required deep empathy for multiple stakeholders within an enlarged ecosystem. By continuously observing feedback loops across the ecosystem, the company refined its understanding of the human and operational dynamics that underpin sustainable innovation. Shifting Mindset (Beliefs) Over time, awareness transforms into belief. At Grab, autonomy and accountability evolved from management rhetoric into lived values. Teams no longer waited for approval to act; they assumed ownership as a cultural norm. Leaders internalized humility not as a slogan but as an operational truth: Innovation thrives when decision-making is distributed and learning is shared. In the end, architecting impactful innovation is less about chasing down change and more about cultivating coherence between purpose, structure and mindset. When guiding ideas are translated through enabling systems and then internalized as shared beliefs, organizations unlock a regenerative capacity. Sustainable innovation emerges not from isolated breakthroughs but from systemic alignment where architecture supports essence and essence redefines architecture. This is the real artistry of innovation: designing organizations that learn, adapt and evolve as one living system, where every change strengthens not only what they do but who they become.
