Mobilizing Change in Public Services: Insights from a Systems Leadership Development Intervention

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the mobilization of systems change through analysis of a place-based ‘systems leadership’ development intervention aimed to develop the capacity of cross-sector partnerships to tackle ‘wicked’ health and social care challenges. Particular attention is given to the role of independent ‘enablers’ in opening up ‘adaptive spaces’ where partners can navigate competing priorities and develop new ways of working. This paper contributes to existing literature by providing an overview of recent developments in the field of public leadership, applying these to the challenge of developing systems leadership capacity and considering implications for future research, development and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Place-based leadership
• complexity
• systems leadership
• integrative leadership
• public value
• adaptive leadership

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank John Jarvis, Debbie Sorkin, Joe Simpson, and John Atkinson at the Leadership Centre for their support in this research. We would also like to acknowledge the contribution of our colleagues Yusuf Ahmad, John Burgoyne, Nick Chapman, Elizabeth Green, David Owen, Ian Smith and Michelle Spirit in the original fieldwork for the evaluation. Finally, we would like to thank the Enablers and stakeholders in localities who gave their time to contribute to this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Leadership Centre through the Systems Leadership: Local Vision evaluation project.