Complexity and Systems Thinking

In this part, we will introduce you to some fundamental ideas about the systemic dimensions of sustainability and sustainable change. Most of the course material in this part of the course is provided by Si Network. Si Network is an online collaborative platform for systems thinking and systems change. Working to empower a diversity of individuals and organizations in learning and applying systems innovation ideas and methods towards tackling complex challenges.

To understand the challenges we face with sustainable change, we must understand open systems. This is a vast field, sometimes just referred to as systems theory. In the session on Systems thinking, you will get to know the fundamentals of systems theory. Systems are inevitably linked to feedback and feedback loops, and therefore also Non-linearity. In this second session, we will provide a fundamental introduction to the phenomenon of nonlinearity.

In a third session, we will provide some material on Emergence. Systems theory teaches us that the nonlinear quality of systems makes it impossible to fully predict how a system will develop over time. However, we can to some extent (or sometimes) begin to see how new patterns are emerging.

In the fourth session, we will look at the concept of Wicked problems.

In a fifth session, we will explore the concepts of nonlinearity and complexity in relation to other ways of seeing the world we operate in - linear, yet perhaps complicated. This session is titled 'Complexity and the Cynefin Framework.'

Catalytic Leadership

In this part of the course, we will present and discuss one model of change and leadership - Catalytic Leadership. More than others, this model has been formulated by Jeffery Luke, and we will take a closer look at his ideas and compare them with similar ideas.