Our Public Library
The public library contains a wide-ranging selection of material about Systems Leadership Theory and its application. All these documents are publicly available or have otherwise been released by Macdonald Associates Consultancy for general use.
These documents can be disseminated freely, providing that they are not altered in any way, and providing that the source and copyright are acknowledged as being the property of Macdonald Associates Consultancy.
Case Studies
Mining and Construction
The Century Story
by Joe Grimmond
How Systems Leadership modelling was used in the context of building a major open cut mine in Australia.
Information Technology
Organising Corporate Computing: A History of the Application of Theory
by Catherine G. Burke and Daniel L. Smith
How the ideas can be used in the context of IT work which, although is concerned with technical knowledge, can only be successful if people understand their work.
Finance
Effective Leadership Programme, Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)
by Geoff McGill
How the ideas were used to develop and build a successful culture of leadership and teamwork in one of Australia’s major banks.
Mining Maintenance
Inco Limited Divisional Shops
by Fred Stanford
How members of a large company’s component repair shop in Canada transformed their productivity through applying the ideas and eventually successfully competed with external source providers.
Education
‘A Journey to the Reality of Accountability’
Western Cape College: The First Three Years
by Derek Hunter
How the ideas were applied in the context of state education including a high proportion of indigenous students.
Metals Industry
The Return to Work Process at Kaiser Aluminium
A Case Study in the Practical Application of System Leadership Modelling
by Phillip Bartlett
After a bitter strike, the return to work process designed by SLT principles avoided the expected conflict and poor productivity.
Education
The Leadership Programme at Kormilda College
by David Dadswell and Derek Hunter
Description of a training programme used with staff and students to build a new understanding of leadership and teamwork across cultures.
Metals Industry
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited
by David Brewer
An account of a full application of SLT to bring about one of the most significant changes in New Zealand’s work practices and industrial relations extending to highly significant production savings and improved working relationships.
Mining
Building New Mythologies: Countering Negative Views of “The Management”
Organisational Development Strategy in Pacific Coal
by Phillip Bartlett
Using the ideas in a highly traditional and historically adversarial “them and us” culture to challenge established behaviours and assumptions.
Church
Parish life in the Anglican Diocese of Perth, Western Australia
The Bellevue-Darlington Story
by Michael Evers and Philip Biggs
A use of the concepts in a highly sensitive Church context where two parishes merged successfully and avoided many usual pitfalls.
Technical Engineering
Working Together with Engineers
by Roy Feltham
Using the ideas to help a highly knowledgeable technical group to improve their working relationships and “people skills” to become even more effective.
Short Papers
Our People: Perceptions and Values
In order to build and maintain effective, cohesive teams, leaders need to understand what their team members value.
The Process of Culture Change
It is one thing to create a cohesive team, but as a leader you must be leading people somewhere.
Tools of Leadership
Systems, Symbols & Behaviour
The Role of Dissonance in Culture Change
To change the culture, leaders must introduce changes that create dissonance
Work Complexity
How does the different work at different levels in an organisation add value?
Authority and Accountability
If I am to hold someone accountable for their work, what authority do they need?
Our People: Capability
How do we know that a person can do the job?
Our Behaviour: Teamwork
Effective teamwork is essential to any organisation achieving its vision.
Task Assignment
Both those assigning tasks and those to whom tasks are assigned want the tasks completed. How can that best happen?
What is Work?
Do we know what we mean by work?
Understanding Organisational Change
Leadership: A New Direction
Cultural Transformation: Real Change