Here you will find a collection of curated resources on systems leadership and facilitation organized by type. Hopefully you find things that are value to you! This is a work in progress 🙂
Systems Leadership/Thinking
Handbook for Systems Leadership, McIntyre, 2019.
This 49 page handbook is a great basic resource on systems leadership. It was written to support systems leaders participating in an intensive training program sponsored by The Wallace Center, it covers the basics of systems leadership, facilitation, and systems thinking.
The Dawn of Systems Leadership, Senge, Kania, Hamiliton, 2015
The original article that opened the dialogue about a new kind of leadership focused on systems thinking, skillful facilitation, and creating positive futures (and not just problem solving).
Introduction to Systems Thinking, Kim, 1999.
This is one of the best introductions to systems thinking I know. If this area is new to you start here.
The Omidyar Group Resources
These folks have produced excellent resources on what they call “systems practice”, the application of systems thinking tools to problem solving. The three resources below are all useful if you want to use systems tools in your work.
People You Should Know
Over the years I have had the chance to meet and work many outstanding facilitators and systems leadership thinker/doers. This list is just a few of these amazing folks:
Katy Mamen, Water Bear Collaborative: Katy and I are long time colleagues. She is one of the best systems thinkers I know and is a leader in the emerging field of equity-centered systems change. Her work is highly recommended!
Rachael Reichenbach, Resist Reimagine: Another wonderful facilitator and systems change consultant who has deep skill in working with groups trying to take a strong anti-racist stance.
Eugene Eric Kim, Faster Than 20: Eugene is a collaboration wizard. His toolkits (all copyright free) are useful for anyone trying to push the edge with effective collaboration. He is a wonderful writer and blogger and I look forward to reading what he is thinking about.
Beth Tenner, New Directions Collaborative: Beth is an amazing facilitator and systems thinker who is working deeply on racial equity. Her work is exemplary and her newsletter informative.
Russ Gaskin, CoCreative: Russ and the entire team at CoCreative at the leading edge of collaboration practice today. Their tools and trainings are outstanding and their consulting practice is dynamic.
Facilitation Training
One of the most frequent requests I get is to recommendation great facilitation training. There are so many wonderful options out there that any list I make would omit someone I love. That said here are a few that I consistently mention:
- Interaction Associates: One of the oldest and most experienced facilitation training outfits in the field. Their founders literally wrote the first books in the field.
- Interaction Institute for Social Change: Founded by Interaction Associates 30 years ago, IISC is a leader in facilitation and collaboration for social justice and social change.
- Community at Work: Another pioneering group, they offer accessible and frequent training building on the book “Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making.”
- Art of Hosting: Offers outstanding training on using dialogue as the foundation for building common understanding. Their approach and suite of tools is accessible, practical, and enjoyable.
- Liberating Structures: Not a training, but a practical toolbox for anyone who wants to work creatively and effectively with groups. Their tools just work.