System Leadership

This presentation explores an emerging approach to systemic leadership, questioning whether current interpretations adequately connect leadership practices to the real-time state of systems. While mainstream systems leadership often emphasizes individual skills and interpersonal behaviours, Gavin argues that such perspectives risk overlooking the structural and dynamic conditions that actually shape outcomes. Drawing on training experiences, iterative practice, and dialogue with systems theorists, the talk introduces a framework grounded in the viability principle—balancing cohesion and autonomy, and stability and adaptation. This principle is translated into accessible tools, including a four-space mapping model and corresponding leadership personas (e.g., cohesion weaver, autonomy guardian), alongside their “shadow” counterparts when taken to excess. Through workshops with over 200 participants, the approach has demonstrated value in helping leaders and organizations rapidly locate their current systemic state, explore alternative trajectories, and align leadership behaviours with systemic needs. The session highlights both the promise and provisional nature of this work, inviting further exploration, critique, and collaborative development toward a more grounded and adaptable model of systemic leadership.