Systems Leadership Association (SLA)

Systems Leadership (SL) is a coherent and integrated theory of organisational behaviour developed over several decades by Dr Ian Macdonald, Dr Katie Burke, Karl Stewart and others building on work with Elliott Jacques. The SL models have been developed and refined through research and practical application in a great diversity of industries, sectors and cultural settings. The book ‘Systems Leadership, Creating Positive Organisations’ by Macdonald, Burke and Stewart first published in 2006 and now in its 2nd edition (2018) provides a comprehensive outline of SL. Numerous other papers have also been written or published on the subject. A number of consultancies and individuals around the world have successfully built businesses applying to some extent the SL concepts with client organisations. Many of these people and others who have developed a deep interest in SL have now come together to establish a formal interest group as a vehicle for further development of SL, its application and their understanding of both. The purpose of the SLA is to assist each other in the understanding and application of Systems Leadership.