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Key Assumptions Underpinning a Systems Approach to Leadership

In: A Systems Approach to Leadership

Author

Listed:
  • Geoffrey W. Coffey

    (Total Business Transitions Pty Ltd)

Abstract

This chapter outlines eight key assumptions underpinning a Systems Approach to Leadership. These are (1) that high complexity and uncertainty are primary features of organisations and their environments today; (2) a naturalistic world view is effective for working in highly complex and uncertain environments; (3) the dynamics of how an organisation functions ‘in actual practice’ are key to its performance, these dynamics consist of how all elements within the organisation behave as well as the rich and deep net of interactions between them; (4) individuals are the fundamental unit that give life to all forms of organisational entity and cognition plays a key role in individual functioning; (5) a useful structure for examining organisational situations consists of three levels of simplicity (activity, process and whole system); (6) holistic thinking and systems methods are useful to simplify high complexity as they enable an overall description of an entity, a balanced representation of all factors influencing it, and a projection of its future viability; (7) considering an entity as a singular (resource limited) system enables it to be optimised for a particular purpose within the constraints that exist; and (8) your own practice is the starting point for creating a high performance organisation as it is all anyone has to influence any aspect of the outside world.

Suggested Citation

  • Geoffrey W. Coffey, 2009. "Key Assumptions Underpinning a Systems Approach to Leadership," Springer Books, in: A Systems Approach to Leadership, chapter 0, pages 5-15, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:sprchp:978-3-642-01194-8_1
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-01194-8_1
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