Systems Leadership Program

The Systems Leadership Program is an intergenerational course that will help you build a foundational knowledge of systems thinking that can be applied to complex adaptive problems and will help you to develop the skills to generate and build sustainable solutions to complex systemic challenges.

Why Systems Leadership?

Systemic forces like AI and climate change are driving rapid, deep shifts across societies. To navigate these changes, we must anticipate how structures, processes, and behaviors will evolve, and use systems thinking to decompose complex systems, understand the rules and dynamics active within the system to tackle challenges holistically. By seeing how elements are interconnected and focusing on broader contexts, user needs, and long-term impacts, we can craft solutions that endure.

The Systems Leadership Program consists of two courses taught in two modules each. Each module represents two hours of synchronous learning, amounting to eight hours of active class participation to complete the program.

Curriculum

Course 1 focuses on providing learners with the foundational tools of a systems thinker and demonstrating the relevance of systems thinking when solving complex problems:

Module 1: Systems Thinking Essentials
Module 2: Navigating Complex Problems

Course 2 centers on cultivating systems leadership by learning how to engage key stakeholders and effectively lead systems change:

Module 1: What is a Systems Leader?
Module 2: Creating Narratives to Lead Change

Learning Outcomes

Course 1:

Adopt a systems-thinking mindset: break down complex systems, analyze component interactions, spot emergent properties, and trace causality and feedback loops.
Master practical tools to tackle complex adaptive challenges and apply systems thinking for more effective problem-solving.

Course 2:

Build the skills and confidence to drive systemic change, act with agency across diverse contexts, and deliver high-impact results.
Mobilize action through community engagement, leverage narrative power, and cultivate essential systems leadership traits.

Certificate of Study

The completion of the two courses will enable you to adopt the mindset and important skills needed to become a systems leader. You will also receive a certificate of study and a badge attesting that you have completed both courses for a total of 8 hours of learning.