Framework First
Stage 01 · DiagnoseintermediateProblem-Solving Frameworks

Systems Thinking — Seeing the Whole

See the whole system, not just the parts, and find leverage points others miss. Causal loop diagrams, archetypes, and intervention design for lasting change.

3 hours 6 modules

The framework

Causal Loop Diagrams + Meadows' Leverage Points

Systems Thinking uses Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) to visualise how variables in a system influence each other over time. Donella Meadows' Leverage Points framework then identifies where in the system structure you can intervene most effectively.

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How you'll learn

Text-first. Practice-heavy. No video lectures.

15-minute text lessons

Short, dense reading you can finish between meetings — not hour-long video lectures.

Hands-on exercises

Apply the framework to a realistic scenario, right in the module where you learned it.

Quizzes & assessments

Check your judgment, not just your memory — most questions are situational.

Certificate on completion

Finish a course and get a shareable certificate, automatically.

About this course

Most problems are symptoms of system structure. Systems Thinking teaches you to map feedback loops, identify reinforcing and balancing dynamics, and find leverage points — places where a small change produces large systemic effects.

The project: Map a Business System

Draw a causal loop diagram for a SaaS company experiencing declining retention despite increasing marketing spend. Identify the top two leverage points and explain why conventional interventions are making the problem worse.

  1. 1

    Events vs Patterns vs Structure — The Iceberg Model

    See below the surface of problems to find system structure.

    25 min· Knowledge check
    Free preview
  2. 2

    Causal Loop Diagrams

    Draw the feedback loops that drive system behaviour.

    30 min· Knowledge check
  3. 3

    Reinforcing and Balancing Loops

    Understand the two fundamental loop types and their dynamics.

    25 min· Knowledge check
  4. 4

    Finding Leverage Points

    Meadows' 12 places to intervene in a system.

    30 min· Knowledge check
  5. 5

    System Archetypes

    Recognise the 10 most common system traps.

    20 min· Knowledge check
  6. 6

    Capstone: Map a Business System

    Draw a CLD for a declining SaaS company and find leverage points.

    20 min· Knowledge check