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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s System Orchestration at play

When I describe the Centre for Exponential Change as a network of support for those who practise system orchestration, the first question I hear is “But, what is system orchestration?” Is it magic, is it a superpower … and how would you know when it is being done?

Here’s my attempt at discovering what system orchestration looks like through the people I have met in my life and the lessons I have learnt from them: how system orchestration has helped unlock stuck systems, forged unlikely alliances, created pathways where there were none, sparked innovation and got things done … sometimes at scale.

My first lessons in Harmony: Tuning a motley crew

Imagine this: a chaotic school band, a full set of musicians on strings, keyboards, windpipes and singers – all decent at their own craft, but together … let’s just say, stuffing cotton in the ears wasn’t enough. Then, one leader walked up to our motley crew, offered a shared vision – a symphony – spotted our strengths (and weaknesses). Together, we figured out how to coordinate better, and eventually found some harmony. No dictated notes, no controlling individual styles, but figuring out ways for everyone to come together and adapt. Here I learnt the power of coordination over control.

Composing with openness: What the Internet taught me about abundance

In my years working in the technology sector, I saw more instances of orchestration – some to balance economic gain with equity, some to create monopolies in the garb of openness and some to create an explosion of innovation by letting go of control. Tim Berners-Lee – the Internet’s OG conductor – built the Internet not as a product to own but as open protocols that showed us how global innovation can be unlocked at scale. Jimmy Wales orchestrated Wikipedia to be the world’s largest knowledge engine – not by writing articles himself but by crafting a shared narrative that mobilises 300,000+ volunteers working on millions of knowledge pieces on a monthly basis. Linus Torvalds set conditions of openness that brought an ecosystem of 20,000+ developers and 1,500+ companies that power much of our lives today. I saw how orchestration can help build the rails that can create an abundance of innovation. 

Navigating complex melodies: Dominoes of change in India

Many of these tech systems were new and made disruption easier. With my foray into the social sector, I saw entirely different systems, ones that were messier – old, slower-moving, complex, involving many actors (governments, markets, civil society, communities), each with different ideas and motivations. I met many people trying to make a dent, but struggling. I wondered what could move these seemingly unmovable mountains. 

Then, I heard the tale of Aadhaar (1.3B + identities) and UPI (700M+ daily transactions in April 2026) from Nandan Nilekani, the architect of India’s digital rails. How orchestration through government systems created these digital rails that enabled people, governments, banks, merchants … and created unprecedented abundance at societal scale. 

I looked around to see if there were more such examples of orchestration in the development sector. Over the last 8 years, I have found many. 

Rhythms I see in the development sector

I attended a chaupal by Goonj, and learnt how interconnected rural poverty and dignity are to cloth. Women hide during periods (because there are no sanitary pads, among other reasons); villagers lack the very basics that urbanites discard as “waste”. Goonj didn’t parachute supplies, they flipped the narrative: inculcate the habit of everyday giving” in urban areas and create an economic bridge such that dignity and agency are brought to villagers. Goonj’s “Cloth for Work” program brought “passive” communities together and turned them into “active” participants who are able to care for their own issues – a vast ecosystem of solvers that keep the change going. 

At an event, I met Gary Cohen of Health Care without Harm and was regaled by the tales of his “once-upon-a-time hippie life” running a roadside restaurant in India in the 70s. Little did I know, I was sitting with a master of system orchestration who was creating a global health crescendo. Health Care Without Harm built a shared narrative of “health care should do no harm” with a vast ecosystem of 500+ organisations across 53 countries. Together, they created a global symphony that propels waves of change like phasing out mercury thermometers globally, carbon-neutral green health care systems and more. 

On weekends, I see my cousin practising orchestration of a different kind. Along with thousands of unnamed/Invisible orchestrators, she conducts a food symphony as Robin Hood Army. This, to me, is peak decentralised systems orchestration – 220K+ volunteers, 400+ cities, 118M+ meals served across 14 countries. What keeps it going is a shared narrative and an empowered Robin who orchestrates a mini system around her – collecting food, identifying who needs it most, distributing efficiently. Rinse, repeat.   

The Orchestration lens

Now that I look back at these examples that showcase the potential of creating energy that moves the system forward one step at a time and towards a new equilibrium, I see some common patterns in system orchestration. Do you see them around you too? Are you orchestrating like this?

1. Obsessed with solving the problem and not just focused on a solution 
2. Letting go of custodianship to spark the equivalent of a Cambrian explosion of innovation. 
3. Building a shared narrative so that the idea sustains, not from the effort of one, but many. 
4. Enabling an ecosystem of solutions, not by being in the centre, but by building rails that make coordination easy and efficient. 

For change leaders, the practice of system orchestration is as much inward as it is systemic. It requires a belief in holding complexity, shifting systems, and shaping a new paradigm. How are some efforts able to sustain momentum towards shifting and shaping systems at scale, while others fizzle out? Catch more on this exploration at Centre for Exponential Change’s Leader’s Lab network. 

This article has been written entirely based on the author’s lived experience, insights and journey. They have used AI for structural outline, improved readability and SEO optimisation.