I have often thought of social impact work as something that needs drive, strategy, and innovation- all equally important. But these conversations offered something deeper: a quiet, powerful invitation to shift how we think about scale, speed, and sustainability. To rethink not just what we do, but how we shape the ecosystems we work in and for the people we build them for.

Networks Are Like Rainforests

Just as an orchestra thrives on the interplay of many instruments, a rainforest flourishes through countless synergies in sync. In rainforests, everything grows in interdependence. Not in tidy rows, not by instruction, but by coexisting and adapting. Similarly, for a network to thrive, it must allow for diverse actors, rhythms, and paths to take their own unique shape while ultimately contributing to the larger vision. It’s the ecosystem that fuels change; therefore, one should prioritise understanding the enabling factors that would organically build these networks over merely assembling components for scale. 

To strengthen these fostered networks and, ultimately, the ecosystem, there must be an emphasis on relational value over transactional value- challenging conventional measures of success based solely on numbers, outputs, or deliverables. Real value lies in who feels seen, trusted, and part of something larger. This aligns closely with the idea of habit stacking, which encourages meeting people where they are, rather than designing from where we want them to be. When we do this, ownership and relational depth emerge naturally- an innate desire to participate and belong takes root. Just like musicians who learn each other’s cues over time, habit stacking nurtures trust and familiarity leading people to improvise, adapt, and contribute meaningfully to shared goals.

The Quiet Power of Agency

There’s something profoundly powerful about agency that rises from within. Not handed down or granted, but sparked when people feel true ownership. Instead of managing, providing, or controlling, it should be about shaping spaces where agency is awakened. Where action comes not from instruction, but from intention. Where people move not because they’re asked to, but because they choose to. No conductor alone can create music; each player must feel their own agency to bring the score to life.

Moreover, the deep dive into the session challenged us to let go of the idea that scaling is about multiplying what works. Instead, it’s about enabling more people to do what works for them. In other words, it’s about designing what works at scale and not scaling what works.  It made me question how often we, even with the best intentions, end up building things for people instead of with them? What does it mean to create systems that empower others to design their own solutions?

The idea that ‘responsibility and indicators must be shared’ speaks directly to this. When people feel they co-own the outcome, they’re more likely to step in and stay in. That’s how movements grow- not through top-down direction, but through shared ownership. And growth does not always have to mean visibility and scale in the traditional sense. For instance, sometimes, the most powerful shift is moving from building a brand to nurturing an identity. Identity is what connects people to a shared purpose. It cannot be designed in isolation or crafted into a perfect logo. It has to be lived, felt, and held together.

Technology as a Flashlight

Technology is often framed as a solution to be delivered. But what if it is more like a flashlight- used in orchestras to help musicians see their sheets, offering clarity, confidence and support to the performance rather than directing it? This approach opens up a different kind of design possibility, one that values guidance over control and flexibility over fixed answers. It is the kind of thinking captured in the simple yet powerful idea: Standards prevail, Prescriptions don’t.

This idea lies at the heart of our work: not just building advanced tools, but ensuring they stem from the realities of our education leaders. We have seen how powerful technology can be when it feels like a natural extension of existing systems. When it is shaped with empathy and designed to ease the workload without demanding unnecessary change, it has far greater impact.

Open standards play a key role in making this possible. They are shared frameworks that allow different systems, tools, and organisations to work together. When defined well, they enable interoperability, flexibility and creativity, helping efforts stay aligned without becoming rigid. Without them, we risk falling into a one-size-fits-all, prescriptive approach where technology becomes unadaptive and disconnected from reality. Adoption follows relevance. When technology fits into people’s rhythms and supports their efforts, it becomes a quiet enabler of agency-meeting people where they are, building ownership and making even a line of code a catalyst for exponential change.

Moving Forward

Real change is rarely loud. More often, it feels like an orchestra pausing before a crescendo or a rainforest growing quietly beneath the canopy. Exponential change begins not with force but by creating environments that make further change possible. The kind of transformation Societal Thinking envisions is layered, organic, and collectively held. It asks us to slow down in order to move forward, to listen deeply before building boldly, and to design not just for people but with them, placing them at the very centre.

And so, I find myself wondering: what if every aspect of our work, from lines of code to communities of practice, was designed as an invitation? Not to follow a single lead but to contribute their own unique note. 

Because the world doesn’t need more conductors. It needs more people who know they belong in the orchestra!