Fraendi was invited to work with 30 high-potential Indonesian scientists as part of the Science Leadership Collaborative (SLC) — a 9-month leadership programme aimed at helping scientists collaborate more effectively, both nationally and internationally, and support systems change in science.
From the outset, Fraendi recognised the complexity woven through the scientific, social, and institutional systems involved. We brought three core approaches to the work: Learning as Partnership, Deep Work and Living Systems Thinking.
“The SLC team gave us a really, high quality experience that I won’t forget for the rest of my life. Because it’s truly insightful, creative and a safe space for us to be creative.”
“In this program, I feel that I got complete skills not only as a researcher, but also as a human. Because I think to be a good researcher, to be a good scientist, we should be a good human also. And this SLC provides that training, that possibility. So I’m so thankful for it. It will stay with us forever. It’s not only a temporary effect.”
“And then I also learned to cross my limit. That is very important because I am not a social media person. Actually, I really avoid it because it’s just not my thing. But in this SLC, I learned to cross it. For my Innovation Sprint, I made an educational campaign to be spread through social media that is really not easy for me. But SLC helped me to go beyond my previous limits. So, thank you and I hope we keep collaborating and stay connected in the future.”
“From the SLC, I learned many many new definitions of change, collaborating and also leadership. I really liked the learning environments between the mentor, the coach, the participants and also our key stakeholders. The course became addictive to me, so that I tried to catch the meeting wherever I was, whenever, even in the car during my transition to work.”
“The other thing that I celebrate about myself is that I now start to see myself as being worth more beyond my key performance index. And I think in my job it’s important to do what I love and what makes me happy.”
“I’m also celebrating the faculty because I can see the genuine support from you all that you really want to develop us as a science leader.”
Scientists often work in silos, focused on cold data and isolated expertise. Many lacked the confidence to collaborate, influence policy, or engage in broader systems change. Fraendi didn’t push collaboration but instead offered space — warm, non-judgemental, and generative — for participants to grow. With time, scientists began to show up more fully as themselves, moving beyond job roles and scripted identities to find new confidence and coherence.
Participants engaged with a rich mix of approaches:
- Warm Data: to explore context, interconnection, and relationship
- Future Thinking: to imagine new possibilities and scale ideas
- Fluid Mind & Systems Sight: to help navigate complexity in motion
- Immunity to Change: to uncover internal blocks and adaptive patterns
Alongside mentoring, coaching, and skill-building sprints, scientists gradually shifted their leadership stance. Many moved from isolation to connection, from competition to collaboration. Their presentations became more engaging, their confidence grew, and they began initiating projects together. A sense of genuine community emerged.
This first round of the Science Leadership Collaborative revealed that change in complex systems doesn’t come through force or formulas — it grows through relationships, trust, and shared learning. Fraendi’s role was to hold space for that growth.
The SLC shows what becomes possible when leadership is rooted in relationship, and when scientists are supported to lead as whole people, not just professionals.
📩 hema@fraendi.com
TCID partnered with Fraendi to co-design and deliver a 9-month Leadership Journey
for 30 high-potential Indonesian research scientists and support them in collaborating more nationally and internationally to support systems change and democratise science over time.
Fraendi brought a range of leading-edge methodologies and approaches to support the scientists: interweaving complexity thinking, future thinking and Warm Data (Nora Bateson), 1-1 coaching, an introduction to the theories of Fluid Mind and Immunity to Change (ITC), working with partners delivering innovation sprint work, international mentors, social media influence and impact and grant writing skills. This piloting of new and innovative approaches is a hallmark of Fraendi’s work and at TCID we have learnt and developed a lot through this programme.
“Collaborating with 6 International partners to deliver the programme was complex with significant differences in language, cultural and geographies to name a few. We learnt how to be in deep collaboration ourselves with Fraendi and the other partners to become a fluid and high performing team, in service of the scientists’ growth and development.
As I’ve had the privilege of being part of this scientific journey from its inception, it’s been fascinating to witness the scientists’ remarkable evolution. Over time, they’ve not only grown in self-awareness but have also cultivated a profound sense of collective awareness within the system. Astonishingly, they’ve managed to bridge the gaps between their diverse scientific realms, forming a remarkably cohesive and interconnected community.”