Leading in Complex Systems: 10 learning points for developing multi-agency leadership teams

Over the last five years Aqua has worked intensively with health and care system leaders across the UK to design and implement new models of place-based integrated care as a means to transforming health outcomes for local people. We have seen first hand the challenge of leading in complex systems and the wicked problems that leaders face. We have learned a lot through experimenting with different ways to build both distributed and team based local leadership capability, and there is no magic formula!

We share our observations with the intention of helping others involved in designing similar initiatives and offer:

• ten learning points and development opportunities for senior leadership teams involved in large scale complex change
• a description of our change model that blends the theories of system leadership, complexity science, improvement science and large scale change (Fig.1) to support multi-agency leadership teams
• links to more detail on the theory and application for those who want to explore further.

Thank you to…All of the participants in Aqua’s Leading Complex Integrated System Change programme 2014-15 and to leadership teams with whom we have worked elsewhere in the UK for their willingness to share their experience of leading complex change, for their honesty and for their passion to improve health and care for their local communities. We’d like to acknowledge the contribution to this work made by many partners, including the Office for Public Management who evaluated the original Leading Complex Integrated System Change programme and whose observations were invaluable. We are very grateful to Aqua colleagues and Fellows for their constructive critique and peer review.

Download – Leading in Complex Systems: 10 Learning Points For Developing Multi-Agency Leadership Teams