Leverage points

Four core concepts for expanding a systems view to system dynamics

By Andrei Savu.

andrei-savu
Andrei Savu (biography)

Once you understand the basic concepts underpinning systems, what other concepts are key to understanding system dynamics?

While systems thinking teaches you to see and shape system structure, system dynamics focuses on understanding nonlinear behavior over time. An additional four key concepts are added to five core concepts in systems thinking described in a companion post.

The four additional key concepts for understanding system dynamics are: stocks, flows, delays and dynamic behavior patterns.

Stocks and flows

Stocks and flows are foundational concepts, essential for analyzing and designing effective systems.

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Five core concepts for understanding systems

By Andrei Savu.

andrei-savu
Andrei Savu (biography)

What concepts are key to understanding systems?

A system is a set of interdependent elements whose coordinated interactions give rise to an outcome none of the pieces can deliver alone. The key word is relationship: change the relationships and the behavior of the whole shifts, even if every component remains identical.

Five core concepts for systems thinking are: purpose, boundary, feedback, leverage and emergence.

Purpose and boundary

Every system exists to fulfill a purpose, defined by boundaries that separate internal elements from external factors. These two fundamental concepts—purpose and boundary—determine how we understand, analyze, and influence systems of all types.

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Combining subjectivity and objectivity in systems thinking: The SOS sandwich

By James Stauch and Daniela Papi-Thornton.

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1. James Stauch (biography)
2. Daniela Papi-Thornton (biography)

In seeking to understand, map, and then act to intervene in a system, how can we make the best use of both subjectivity and objectivity? How can we effectively toggle between facts and norms, between what is true (or at least broadly verifiable) and what is valued (or valuable)?

In the book that this i2Insights contribution is based on (Stauch et al., 2025), the case is made for people to spend far more time understanding a problem, and proportionally less time acting to “solve” the problem. To help frame this approach, the SOS (subjective-objective-subjective) sandwich is used as a simple heuristic to show where subjectivity and objectivity can be taken into account when dealing with a system.

In this work, objectivity is considered as a vector, not a destination, with true objectivity always out of reach, as we can never be completely objective in our approach to research. That said, we can strive for it by recognizing our biases and seeking diverse viewpoints.

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Key systems thinking lessons from Donella Meadows

By Geoff Marlow

geoff-marlow
Geoff Marlow (biography)

The book “Thinking In Systems: A Primer” by Donella (Dana) Meadows (2008) offers a useful entry point into systems thinking via seven lessons.

Lesson 1: Systems are always more than the sum of their parts

Feedback loops are pivotal, as is looking beyond the players to the underlying rules of the game.

Meadows (p. 13) offers guidance as to “whether you are looking at a system or just a bunch of stuff:

  • Can you identify parts? . . . and
  • Do the parts affect each other? . . . and
  • Do the parts together produce an effect that is different from the effect of each part on its own? . . . and perhaps
  • Does the effect, the behavior over time, persist in a variety of circumstances?” 

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Three principles for co-designing intervention strategies

By David Lam

author-david-lam
David Lam (biography)

What processes are involved when researchers and local actors co-design context-specific intervention strategies? This ‘how to’ knowledge is outlined in the three principles described below. Local actors can include non-governmental organisations, local leaders, community groups and individual activists.

Principle 1. Explore existing and envisioned initiatives fostering change towards the desired future 

This has 3 key steps:

  1. Identifying existing initiatives and knowledge working towards the desired future
  2. Identifying who is involved and leading different existing initiatives
  3. Analysing how existing and possible future initiatives from local actors contribute to changing the state of system elements that need to change for reaching the desired vision or up to an intermediate state.

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Strengthening the ecosystem for effective team science: A case study from University of California, Irvine, USA

By Dan Stokols, Judith S. Olson, Maritza Salazar and Gary M. Olson

authors_dan-stokols_judith-olson_maritza-salazar_gary-olson
1. Dan Stokols (biography)
2. Judith S. Olson (biography)
3. Maritza Salazar (biography)
4. Gary M. Olson (biography)

How can an ecosystem approach help in understanding and improving team science? How can this work in practice?

An Ecosystem Approach

Collaborations among scholars from different fields and their community partners are embedded in a multi-layered ecosystem ranging from micro to macro scales, and from local to more remote regions. Ecosystem levels include:

  • individual members of teams;
  • the teams to which they belong viewed as organizational units;
  • the broader institutional contexts (eg., universities, research institutes) that support multi-team systems; and,
  • their community and societal milieus (eg., science policies and priorities established by national and international agencies and foundations).

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