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System thinking helps us explore the dynamic relationship between day-to-day steps and the big picture. Understanding this relationship makes it possible to employ leadership practices grounded in an awareness of long-term effects.

The purpose of this FutureU module is to help leaders enhance their capacity to think in terms of whole systems, understand the leadership challenges and opportunities revealed by systems thinking, and nurture learning organizations capable of dealing with these challenges and opportunities.

With systems thinking as the overall focus, this Module looks at five issues critical to effective leadership:

1. Today's global paradigm shift and the need it creates for a kind of leadership.
2. Leadership characteristics required for guiding an organization through change.
3. The importance of personal vision both to leaders and to those they lead.
4. The integration of personal visions into an effective organizational vision.
5. The guiding of an organizational vision from images into reality.

Participant Profile

Executives and mid- to upper-level managers who may or may not have a background in systems thinking and who want to play a proactive role in guiding their organization through change.

Topics

• An exploration of systems thinking and its impact on the personal vision and professional role of organizational leaders.
• The concept of the "learning organization" and how to create one.
• A vocabulary for talking about organizations that prosper and endure.
• An introduction to the learning disciplines of personal mastery, mental models, shared vision, and team learning.
• The impact of leadership and followership on individual, team, and organizational effectiveness.

Program Design

When delivered online, this module lasts two weeks when offered as part of FutureU 's focused-learning program in Leadership and Continuous Learning. It is also available as a stand-alone, four-week online course. In either case, it requires an average of 10 hours a week of online participation and study time.

Delivery Options

Off-the-shelf or customized to meet your organization's needs. Usually delivered entirely online, via FutureU 's Internet-accessible electronic campus or on your own Intranet. Participants "attend class" from their own desktop or laptop computers, at home or at work, and at whatever time is most convenient to them. Such asynchronous online delivery is especially suited to geographically separated employee groups and those who find it a challenge to fit learning into an already full work schedule. Can also be adapted for on-site delivery.

Customization

Every organization faces a unique set of challenges and opportunities. The FutureU team can customize this module or any other FutureU module or program to address your real workplace concerns and integrate case study material based on your organization's experience. This course can also be modified for "blended" delivery integrating a mix of face-to-face and online work to ease those with little technology experience into the world of online learning.

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