System-Level Change
Move complex systems forward through clarity, alignment, and adaptive action.
System-level change does not happen by accident. We work with leaders to design the conversations, decisions, and coalitions that move stuck systems.
SYSTEMS IN MOTION
Where hard conversations turn into collective decisions.
In rooms like these, we help diverse stakeholders see the whole system clearly enough to act together, even when interests, history, and pressure pull them apart.
Inside a Systems Change Engagement
We're often brought in when…
Launching a cross-sector initiative where misalignment will be costly if it is not addressed early.
Facing cultural, political, or jurisdictional complexity that is stalling an otherwise sound strategy.
Engaging stakeholders around an issue that is high-stakes, sensitive, or politically exposed.
Recognizing that technical fixes and top-down decisions are no longer shifting the system.
Working through difficult power dynamics and needing a trusted, neutral partner in the room.
Leading a major transition - merger, leadership change, or strategic pivot - that requires real buy-in, not just a communications plan.
What makes us different
We have designed national consultations, supported rebel-to-government transitions, mediated across power divides, and guided leadership teams through major transitions and cultural realignments.
Our team brings experience in:
Peacebuilding and international diplomacy
Public policy and systems design
Cross-cultural negotiation and post-conflict governance
Corporate strategy, leadership development, and organizational transformation
Education, innovation, and complex change management
We do not just map systems - we have led and advised inside them. We help you do the same, building the kind of cross-boundary collaboration that makes change stick.
Through every stage, we stay grounded in the real work of systems change - surfacing what is at stake, making loss discussable, and supporting leaders to hold tension long enough for new solutions and alliances to emerge.
PROGRAMS
Example Systems Change Engagements
Culture Change Processes
Shift the norms and behaviors that shape how people work together, so culture supports the strategy instead of quietly resisting it.
Culture change processes are designed to:
- Help groups define the culture they need to deliver on ambitious goals.
- Shift everyday norms and behaviors across teams, partnerships, and levels.
- Build shared accountability during periods of growth, restructuring, or stress.
We combine practical culture design, leadership development, and systems insight to create environments where innovation, inclusion, and accountability can take root and endure.
Stakeholder & Cross-Sector Retreats
High-impact retreats that bring together diverse stakeholders to build shared understanding and make decisions that no one group can make alone.
These retreats create space for:
- Deep, honest dialogue across institutions, sectors, and roles.
- Trust-building and strategic alignment around issues that cut across mandates.
- Co-creation of shared strategies, commitments, and next moves.
We design and facilitate gatherings that change how stakeholders understand one another, how they read the system, and how they work together when they return to their organizations.
Building Innovation Hubs
Design and launch collaborative hubs where cross-sector partners can experiment, learn, and scale solutions to complex challenges.
Innovation hubs are designed to:
- Create structured spaces for experimentation, reflection, and rapid learning.
- Connect diverse stakeholders around shared challenges and opportunities.
- Move from ideas to prototypes to scalable, system-aware solutions.
We help you build the governance, processes, and culture needed for sustained innovation that bridges sectors and translates into real-world impact.
SPOTLIGHT: A SIGNATURE INITIATIVE IN SYSTEMS CHANGE
The Women Igniting Leadership Lab
The Women Igniting Leadership Lab is a live example of systems change in motion. It is an immersive leadership experience that builds the capacity, relationships, and strategic clarity required to shift ecosystems - with a focus on women leading at the edge of complexity.
By strengthening networks across sectors and geographies, the Lab equips leaders to navigate uncertainty, align diverse stakeholders, and drive system-level impact long after the formal program ends.
WHAT MAKES THE LAB DIFFERENT
Focus on systems-level impact..
Cross-sector cohorts that mirror the complexity of participants’ real challenges.
Action learning grounded in live organizational and ecosystem dynamics.
Peer consultation using the SystemSight Protocol to reveal hidden patterns.
Emphasis on collective power, shared language, and strategic clarity.
TOOLS & METHODS
The Methods We Use to Unlock Insight and Action
Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder Mapping
We create visual maps that reveal the web of relationships, interests, and influence patterns shaping your system.
Helps teams:
- See who needs to be involved - and in what way.
- Understand formal and informal power dynamics.
- Build coalitions and engagement strategies that reflect reality.
Systems Diagnostics
Systems Diagnostics
Through interviews, mapping, and cultural assessments, we diagnose what is really happening beneath the surface.
Reveals:
- Hidden patterns, norms, and dynamics that drive behavior.
- Root causes versus visible symptoms.
- Strategic leverage points where targeted action can unlock wider change.
Collective Genius
Collective Genius
Based on Linda Hill's research, we create conditions where diverse perspectives collide to spark breakthrough innovation.
The three capabilities:
- Creative Abrasion: Generate ideas through robust discourse.
- Creative Agility: Test and refine through rapid experimentation.
- Creative Resolution: Integrate opposing ideas into new solutions.
Surface What’s Really at Stake
We help organizations navigate their most complex challenges by bringing together diverse stakeholders, surfacing what is really at stake, and creating the conditions for honest, disciplined collaboration.
Systems change is not just about better analysis or smarter strategies. It is about how people come together, make sense of complexity, and are willing to move - even when risks, losses, and uncertainty are real.
“Vision without systems thinking ends up painting lovely pictures of the future with no deep understanding of the forces that must be mastered to move from here to there.”
— Peter Senge