Wading into the mess: Developing social justice leadership through systems psychodynamics

Social justice leaders work to create more equitable social conditions, opportunities, and human rights (San Diego Foundation, 2024). They often work with people— within their organisations and with those they accompany who experience disenfranchisement within existing systems. Thus, they face highly charged conscious and unconscious emotions and demands driven by their own idealism and that of others, by their own identifications, and the identifications of those with whom they work. These leaders seek ways to continue their work through inevitable despair and disappointment as well as identifying and working towards what is possible rather than what is ideal. Systems psychodynamically informed leadership development can support social justice leaders to develop insight into themselves and their organisations, understand more about the intersections between their identifications and the systems they are in, and hone their listening and analytic skills to work more effectively in their leadership roles. The Bureau Kensington Inc. leadership programme is described as a case example of this approach.