Overview:

Think Systematically. Communicate Strategically

In today’s fast-evolving environment, leaders must navigate multifaceted and interconnected challenges. Without a systems perspective, communication and decision-making risk being misaligned or short-term. This 2-day Systems Leadership Foundation programme equips participants with essential frameworks and tools to think systemically and communicate strategically. It builds the foundation for leaders to plan, structure, and present ideas with impact in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Programme Outline:

Day 1: Systems Thinking Foundations for Strategic Communication

• Systems Thinking vs Analytical Thinking: Introduction to systems as a mindset for synthesis and influence
• Mapping Complexity and Leverage Points: Recognising interdependencies and identifying systemic leverage
• Hierarchy of Choices: Aligning vision, scope, and action to communicate with logic and coherence
• Creative Tension: Understanding the nature of structural gap and how that can lead to vicious or virtuous cycles of intervention
• Levels of Perspective: Reframing diagnostic content to suit diverse stakeholder mental models to evaluate systemic structures causing the patterns and events

Day 2: Structuring and Delivering Presentations with Systems Intent

• Translating Systems Thinking into Presentation Framing: From systemic insight to communication clarity for collaboration
• Executive Messaging and Narrative Design: Using story arcs and message maps to engage logically and emotionally through Quality of Conversation
• Audience Mapping for Persuasion: Matching tone, content and data to the thinking style of decision-makers and activating Double-Loop learning
• Slowing Down and Decision Making: Understanding logical leaps and making better decisions through Ladder of Inference
• Connecting the Narrative: Understanding the inter-relatedness of Systems Models.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the programme, you will: 

• Understand how synthesis (systems thinking) complements analysis in communication
• Use Levels of Perspective to align messages to different stakeholder mindsets
• Apply Hierarchy of Choices to structure logic across scope, strategy, and implementation
• Understand the nature of structural tension using the Creative Tension Model
• Translate complex systems into systemic narratives for collaboration and co-creation

Who Should Attend:

• All business leaders
• C-Suite executives
• Directors and Managers in the Public Service
• Private and Social sectors.

Overview:

Move from firefighting to strategic design. Learn to pinpoint leverage points within your organisation’s systems, enabling you to implement interventions that resolve recurring issues and drive sustainable, positive change across the board.

This 3-day Systems Leadership Extension expands upon the existing 2-day Foundation Course, integrating additional systems leadership models and application exercises to create a comprehensive learning journey. The extension builds on Complexity Mastery, Collaboration Mastery, and Creation Mastery, equipping participants with tools for systemic diagnosis, leadership development, and strategic execution. Participants will utilise additional Systems Models to map real-world applications and engage stakeholders with elevated strategic thinking through Theories of Success and Vision Deployment.

Programme Outline:

• Foundations of systems leadership – Core capabilities, role and impact of the system leader
• Skills for facilitating generative conversations and improving the quality of collective thinking
• Apply collective learning tools and skills to help others surface assumptions deepen thinking
• Apply systems thinking tools to gain fresh perspectives on seemingly intractable problems and begin the process of identifying more fundamental solutions

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of the programme, you will learn to:

• Map Causal Loops to find leverage points
• Use feedback loops to optimise decisions
• Recognise key Systems Archetypes and avoid pitfalls
• Bridge strategy and execution with the Vision Deployment Matrix
• Address decision biases with diagnostic tools
• Use Archetypes for strategic foresight
• Lead effective team conversations to shift thinking

Who Should Attend:

• All business leaders
• C-Suite executives
• Directors and Managers in the Public Service
• Private and Social sectors.

Overview:

Our signature 5-day Systems Leadership Programme empowers you to Master Complexity, Cultivate Collaboration, and Create the Future by building a strategic narrative that connects individual teams to the larger organisational purpose, driving shared understanding and commitment to achieving key strategic imperatives. Leaders, particularly those with strategic oversight, must move beyond isolated objectives and short-sighted solutions, due to the growing interconnected challenges facing organisations in today’s rapidly changing technological and global environment.

This intensive programme equips you with the essential tools, models, and perspectives to navigate intricate system interdependencies, foster seamless collaboration across all levels, and drive sustainable creation within your organisation. Develop the capacity to think systemically, address root causes, leverage opportunities for sustained impact, and transform your leadership and decision-making capabilities.

Programme Outline:

Complexity Mastery

• Understand and apply Complexity Mastery practices to navigate organisational challenges
• Build alignment through Collaboration Mastery tools, fostering stakeholder engagement and shared purpose
• Utilise Creation Mastery frameworks to bridge the gap between current reality and desired future states
• Develop systemic insights to map interdependencies and identify leverage points for transformation

Collaboration Mastery

• Building Alignment and Driving Stakeholder Engagement
• Apply the Core Theory of Success to align organisational efforts with strategic outcomes
• Master the 4-Player Model to improve team collaboration and communication
• Use the Ladder of Inference to address biases and improve decision-making

Creation Mastery

• Visioning and Bridging Current and Future States
• Leverage the Creative Tension Model to connect vision with actionable strategies
• Use the Hierarchy of Choices to prioritise actions that align with strategic goals
• Explore the 5 Roles of a Systems Leader to guide organisational transformation

Integrated Perspectives and Practical Application

• Integrate Complexity, Collaboration, and Creation Mastery practices into a cohesive framework
• Diagnose and Co-create Systemically using the Vision Deployment Matrix
• Apply Systems Mapping to identify interdependencies and leverage points within organisational systems

Learning Outcomes:

Attain Systems Practitioner competency to formulate Strategic Imperatives at Team and Organisational levels.

• Understand and apply Complexity Mastery practices to navigate organisational challenges
• Build alignment through Collaboration Mastery tools, fostering stakeholder engagement and shared purpose
• Utilise Creation Mastery frameworks to bridge the gap between current reality and desired future states
• Develop systemic insights to map interdependencies and identify leverage points for transformation
• Integrate systems thinking models to address challenges in dynamic and evolving contexts

Who Should Attend:

• All business leaders
• C-Suite executives
• Directors and Managers in the Public Service
• Private and Social sectors.