A worldview is a ‘pre-analytic assumption’, like a viewpoint from which we observe, interpret and sense-make the world. It’s a paradigm, a lens which shapes how we meaning-make, how we perceive, understand and respond to experiences and to our surroundings. It’s an unconscious filter that we see the world through.
We are often taught specific worldviews during the course of our education and professional practice – these then influence how we see the world as leaders, as we progress to more senior medical and public health roles.
Here are four worldviews originally described by Pepper (1942)
Here are four worldviews which were described quite a long time ago now! Do you resonate with any of these lenses?
The Pattern Recogniser
The pattern recogniser (‘formism worldview’) focuses on the patterns, forms, structures around us, understood through their similarities and differences. The pattern recogniser categorises, creates analogies, and classification systems to help us to understand our environment. These could be disease patterns, individual differences such as personality traits, different fruits – or many other ways we recognise patterns in the world. Each pattern has its own unique form to be understood in its own right.
The Living System Transformer
The living system transformer (‘organicism worldview’) has a perception based on interconnectedness of living organisms – integrated living systems which are constantly undergoing organic development. Stability equates to stagnation and getting stuck – the world is a dynamic, interdependent network. Seeds mature into trees with favourable condtions. People evolve yet can fail to achieve their full potential towards becoming fully conscious, caring, self-actualised, fulfilled beings.
The Mechanic
The mechanic (‘elemental realism worldview’) perceives surroundings as a machine of discrete parts assembled into a whole. The machine is a metaphor, and remains at rest until energy is provided from outside. Outcomes are predictable and relate to the functioning of these discrete parts within a whole, cause and effect are predictable and stable.
The Functional Contextualist
A Functional Contextualist (‘contextualist worldview’) is both action oriented and dynamic: everything is wholly dependent on context. Is the event being studied effective in its context: do our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours functionally relate to desired outcomes?
The benefits of different lenses
We can hold multiple worldviews, they are not in direct competition with each other and one does not refute the other. Each worldview offers a different lens to look through, contributing insights and limitations: just like different camera lenses allow different photographs to be taken. Having access to a diversity of perspectives allows for a more multifaceted and nuanced understanding of the complexity of our world and hence more effective leadership.
These worldviews are often taught as part of a specific ontological approaches to science and specifically to human illness prevention, and health promotion and protection. Epidemiologists are experts at pattern spotting. Living system transformers are often programme leaders. Doctors are taught to be mechanical in understanding certain conditions. Functional contextualists (including process trained coaching psychologists) show up when seeking to understand the ‘workability’ of a clients’ internal processes, or leaders seeking to understand the behaviour of a direct report in a specific context. None is wholly right and none is wholly wrong, but each adds value to our ability to effectively lead to improve desired health outcomes.
Could holding more worldviews benefit you?
If you associate strongly with one of the four above worldviews, try looking at a tricky workplace situation through one of the other lenses. Does it help you to transcend and include how you previously approached a particular challenge?
Can you integrate multiple worldviews?
Part of learning how to lead in complexity means growing the infrastructure of your brain, enabling you to hold dialectics (seeming opposites) and polarities comfortably, and still being able to navigate a way forward. Coaching psychology is full of techniques to help you to learn how to intentionally change the shape of your brain and to progress to more advanced stages of adult development in order to lead effectively in complex and chaotic context.
Enjoy the process of experimenting with different lenses and let me know what you find!
Reference: Ciarrochi J et al. Process-Based Therapy: A Common Ground for Understanding and Utilizing Therapeutic Practices. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration 2024, Vol. 34, No. 3, 265–290
Dr Fiona Day is the world’s only Leadership Coach with advanced coaching psychology, medical and public health qualifications (MBChB, FFPH, BPS Chartered Psychologist in Coaching Psychology, EMCC Master Practitioner Coach & Mentor) and is in a unique position to help you and your teams to flourish. Fiona specialises in coaching medical and public health leaders, is a coach Supervisor, and an EQA Foundation Award Holder. Get 3 hours of FREE CPD with Fiona’s Health Career Success Programme here. Book a free confidential 30 minute Consultation with Fiona here. Subscribe and listen to her Podcast ‘Transformational Thinking for Health Leaders’ here.
