GSN415 Understanding Leadership and Complexity


To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.


Unit Outline: Flexible Period - 09A 2026, Gardens Point, Internal (Start Date: 24 Aug 2026)

Unit code:GSN415
Credit points:6
Equivalent:GSZ415
Assumed Knowledge:

GSN409

Coordinators:Anne Marie Halton | anne.halton@qut.edu.au
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Overview

In this unit we will explore the concept of leading in complexity. The focus of this unit will be to understand the behaviour of complex systems and improve your capacity to work with others to achieve necessary change. 

This course equips leaders with the mindset, frameworks, and skills to navigate contexts where solutions are not clear-cut, stakeholder views diverge, and systems are resistant to change, drawing on the work of Ronald Heifetz and the fields of adaptive and systems leadership, 

This unit is positioned towards the end the program to build upon and extend your knowledge of leadership that you have already gained in the earlier leadership units GSN497 Personal Leadership and Change and GSN409 Understanding and Leading Others. This unit will complete the triad of awareness (self, others and wider world) that leaders require to analyse, innovate and lead effective organisations.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

  1. Synthesise advanced leadership theories and frameworks to demonstrate how leaders need to respond to complex environments. KS 1.1, HO 2.1
  2. Critically analyse your business environment and identify the competencies needed by leaders operating in this environment. HO 2.1, SL 4.1, SL 4.2
  3. Critically reflect and analyse your own personal leadership approach and link to relevant advanced leadership theories and your understanding of your business environment. HO 2.1, SL 4.1
  4. Create a visual artefact that clearly demonstrates your personal leadership philosophy. HO 2.2, SL 4.1

Content

The content of this unit is designed to further build professional identity through understanding: 

  • The 21st century business landscape  
  • Making sense of complexity  
  • Adaptive leadership in practice 
  • Systems thinking and leadership action
  • Navigating values, perspectives, conflict, and loss 
  • Developing leadership practice 

Course Learning Outcomes (Postgraduate - Executive) 
 
The Graduate School of Business has established the Assurance of Learning (AoL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment: 
 
Knowledge and Technological Skills (KS) 
1.1 Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced theoretical and practical knowledge (including systems thinking approaches, multidisciplinary frameworks and knowledge of research principles and methods) that incorporate recent development in business disciplines and professional practice, and digital innovation. 
1.2 Apply advanced technical and technological knowledge and skills from a range of business disciplines to critically reflect on, evaluate and contribute to developments that enhance innovative, sustainable and effective and transformational business performance in local, national and global business environments. 
 
Higher Order Thinking (HO) 
2.1 Provide evidence of effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation and synthesis of complex data, theories, ideas, issues and situations and trends across multiple contexts and demonstrate knowledge of how research and inquiry can be used to interpret, contribute to and create theoretical and practical knowledge.  
2.2 Provide evidence of higher order thinking including creativity, judgement, cognitive flexibility and critical reflection in designing, planning and implementing transdisciplinary digital strategies and solutions for effective performance in complex business environments. 
 
Professional Communication (PC) 
3.1 Demonstrate advanced use of language and argumentation in written communication, including digital communication, to frame strategic and influential responses to engage, persuade, negotiate, collaborate and lead and transform in diverse and complex contexts and for diverse audiences. 
3.2 Demonstrate advanced use of language and argumentation in oral communication, including digital communication, to frame strategic and influential responses to engage, persuade, negotiate, collaborate and lead across diverse and complex contexts (both physical and digital) and for diverse audiences. 
 
Self and Leadership (SL) 
4.1 Demonstrate adaptive personal leadership and accountability, including self-awareness, reflective practice and foresight in adapting and applying knowledge and skills to inform and influence effective, responsible, innovative and agile practice. 
4.2 Lead, manage and foster the development of collaborative teams that value and leverage the diverse knowledge and skills of others to contribute to the development of adaptable, transformative and sustainable courses of action in contemporary, complex digital environments.  
Social, Ethical and Cultural Understanding (SEC) 
5.1 Demonstrate and apply knowledge of ethical and legal and responsible principles and practices of business, to contribute to responsible organisational governance and citizenship in local, national and global business environments. 
5.2 Apply knowledge and skills to demonstrate, interpret and critically reflect on, appropriate culturally, socially and ecologically inclusive and responsible decisions and actions across diverse social and cultural contexts. 

Learning Approaches

This unit adopts a blended learning approach and as such, includes a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

Intensive face-to-face class sessions and/or webinars are the primary methods of teaching this unit. A textbook and/or readings and a range of digital materials that are designed to support and extend learning prior to, during and after class sessions available in the unit Canvas site supplements the classes and/or webinars. Where appropriate, social media tools and forums will be used to extend learning and build connections with students outside the class or webinar sessions. Given the importance of the unit Canvas site to the teaching and learning strategy used in this unit, a computer and tablet device with internet access is strongly recommended for all students.

The principal purpose of the classes, webinars and readings is to build upon the key concepts that were introduced through the Preparation for Class activities and readings. The purpose of the case study work, experiential learning tasks and assessment tasks is to help the student develop their understanding of the concepts and enable them to be applied within a range of business contexts.

There is an expectation that the student will participate in class sessions and/or webinars, to take advantage of the opportunity to discuss important issues with their instructor and their peers.

It is expected that students have completed all Preparation for Class activities and readings identified in the unit Canvas site prior to coming to class and/or webinar to be able to maximise the learning opportunities of the class sessions.

A variety of learning activities designed to engage students in their learning will be incorporated into the lectures/workshops and webinars. Such learning activities may include short lectures, class discussions, debates, role plays, group work, guest speakers, student presentations, simulations, case study analysis, videos, readings, wikis, media/current events reports, web searches, etc.
There is a commitment to critical inquiry and intellectual debate in regard to the material covered. Students are encouraged to relate the theories and research discussed to situations known to them and will be encouraged to share their experiences relating to the topics explored in this unit with the class to enrich the overall learning experience of all students.

Expanding the awareness of Australian management policies and practices into intercultural and global perspectives is fostered within this unit. Typically, students enrolling in this unit have extremely varied backgrounds. There is diversity of professional background and socio-cultural background. Students are reminded that this is to their advantage and they have much to learn from one another. To this end, students are strongly encouraged to be sensitive to cultural, gender-related and international issues.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Students will receive a variety of formative feedback throughout this unit.

Informally, feedback will be given verbally in class through class discussions and during the debriefing of learning activities.

Direct feedback will be available to those students who request a private or group consultation session with the lecturer.

Formal feedback will be received on both formative and summative assessment tasks through a marking rubric sheet which will also include written feedback on the assessment task. The marking rubric will be available in the unit Canvas site at the commencement of the unit. Students will receive feedback on their formative assessment task prior to their summative assessment task being submitted.

Assessment

Overview

A further Guide to the Assessment Items is available from the unit Canvas Site.

The Graduate School of Business endeavours to ensure the consistent and equitable application of assignment word limits.  The word limit includes all text in the body of an assignment, including in-text references, abstract, tables, images, quotes, and figures. Word count excludes the reference list and appendices, but only the main body of the assignment will be marked. While a word count of up to 10% over the word limit will be accepted, for those assignments that exceed this acceptable limit, the marker will stop reading when the word count exceeds the limit (plus 10% allowance).

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Analysis

A Leadership Competencies Analysis
You are required to form small groups to design, develop and facilitate an analysis of a complex business context for the class, demonstrating the context, strategies and leadership competencies that underpin these.
It is important that your team demonstrate strong linkages to the literature, learnings from modules 1 - 4.
Individually, each student is required to write a 500-word reflection on the key learning about their team leadership role in this exercise and is asked to identify key strategies for strengthening their team leadership in the workplace.

Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative

Postgraduate Executive (AoL goals): KS (1.1), HO (2.1), SL (4.1, 4.2)

The reflection assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.

Weight: 40
Length: 15 mins Analysis plus 500 words individual reflection
Individual/Group: Group
Due (indicative): Week 5
Related Unit learning outcomes: 1, 2

Assessment: Personal Leadership Philosophy

Professional Leadership Philosophy
This assessment task builds upon the Assessment Task 1, and previous assessment tasks completed in former leadership subjects and asks you to think about the leader you want to become, in the context in which you lead, given that you have been introduced to additional ideas and perspectives about leadership and complexity in this unit.

The task has two parts:

  1. Develop and present in visual form a statement of your professional leadership philosophy that clearly represents the leader you want to become. (20%)

  2. Explain and critically evaluate your professional leadership philosophy statement. This explanation and critical evaluation must draw upon and reference the self development plan (from GSN/Z497), the literature and be explicitly linked to what you have learnt about leadership, complexity and context in this unit This essay should also outline the strategies and actions you will take to be able to lead according to your philosophy in your current business context. (40%)

Formative/Summative: Summative

Postgraduate Executive (AoL goals): HO (2.1, 2.2), SL (4.1)

The essay (part 2) assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

The ethical and responsible use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tools is authorised in this assessment. See the relevant assessment details in Canvas for specific guidelines.

Weight: 60
Length: 1500 words plus visual leadership philosophy artefact
Individual/Group: Individual
Due (indicative): Week 7
Related Unit learning outcomes: 3, 4

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Heifetz, R. A. (Ronald A., Grashow, A., Linsky, M., & ProQuest. (2009). The practice of adaptive leadership: tools and tactics for changing your organization and the world. Harvard Business Press

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Standards/Competencies

This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.

QUT Business Capabilities (Postgraduate Executive)

HO (2.1): Critical Analysis

Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Analysis, Personal Leadership Philosophy

HO (2.2): Independent Judgement and Decision-Making

Relates to: ULO4, Personal Leadership Philosophy

KS (1.1): Advanced Discipline and Professional Practice Knowledge

Relates to: ULO1, Analysis

SL (4.1): Personal Leadership, Accountability and Reflective Practice

Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, Analysis, Personal Leadership Philosophy

SL (4.2): Leading and Developing Teams

Relates to: ULO2, Analysis

Course Learning Outcomes

This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.

GS75 Master of Business Administration

  1. Demonstrate and apply integrated and advanced theoretical and practical knowledge (including systems thinking approaches, multidisciplinary frameworks, and knowledge of research principles and methods) that incorporate recent development in business disciplines, professional practice, and digital innovation.
    Relates to: ULO1, Analysis
  2. Provide evidence of effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation and synthesis of complex data, theories, ideas, issues, situations, and trends across multiple contexts and demonstrate knowledge of how research and inquiry can be used to interpret, contribute to and create theoretical and practical knowledge.
    Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, Analysis, Personal Leadership Philosophy
  3. Provide evidence of higher order thinking including creativity, judgement, cognitive flexibility and critical reflection in designing, planning and implementing transdisciplinary digital strategies and solutions for effective performance in complex digital business environments.
    Relates to: ULO4, Personal Leadership Philosophy
  4. Demonstrate adaptive personal leadership and accountability, including self-awareness, reflective practice, and foresight in adapting and applying knowledge and skills to inform and influence effective, responsible, innovative and agile practice in contemporary complex digital environments.
    Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, Analysis, Personal Leadership Philosophy
  5. Lead, manage and foster the development of collaborative teams that value and leverage the diverse knowledge and skills of others to contribute to the development of adaptable, transformative, and sustainable courses of action in complex contemporary environments.
    Relates to: ULO2, Analysis