The book shines a light on the important work that many people are doing around the world. You may not have heard about them; what they do is rarely in their job description. You may not even be aware of what they do; they tend to act as enablers rather than taking credit or seeking the spotlight. But they are here-working to make a difference in complex social landscapes. We call them systems conveners. Systems conveners enable learning across boundaries, connect people across silos, and convene them to work on what they see can be achieved if a broader range of views are brought to bear. In this, they have a vital role to play in helping us address the complex challenges of the 21st century. The book starts with portraits of systems conveners working in different contexts including doing community development in villages in Zambia, bringing together different groups in a U.S. town to do urban planning, tackling tribal conflict resolution in Nigeria, and undertaking systems transformation in the UK National Health Service. To provide a clear articulation of the role and practice of systems conveners, the book then describes seven aspects of the work they do, with quotes from practitioners to bring these descriptions to life. The book ends with a framework for understanding and guiding systems convening. For many people, being a systems convener is only something that exists in retrospect. This highly readable book does not require familiarity with systems theory or practice. It is for and about people who find themselves doing systems convening simply because it is essential to the difference they care to make. We hope that shining a light on this work will be useful for those who already do it, for those looking for a way in, and for those who are in a position to sponsor the work. If you are a systems convener, we hope you recognize yourself in these pages and see that you are not alone. We hope you gain some language to describe what you do and find some inspiration in the approaches, practices, and strategies of your peers.

This timely Research Handbook provides a comprehensive and transdisciplinary overview of current research in the field of health leadership. Emphasising diverse perspectives and under-explored issues, it calls for a sustainable future embracing social justice, technological innovation and artificial intelligence, patient-centredness of care, and the fair treatment of workers. This title contains one or more Open Access chapters.

This edited book on Faculty Learning Communities (FLCs) explores the ways in which FLCs have expanded across platforms, spaces, and focus while maintaining the core values and elements of original FLCs. The first section investigates ways that FLCs support faculty retention, teaching, and scholarship. The second section offers examples of FLCs focused on teaching that is responsive to student learning. The third section explores the move to online and virtual FLCs. The fourth section explores FLCs that create and foster faculty belonging, communities of care, and the integration of mindfulness. The fifth section looks at multi-year, long-term progression and impact of FLCs. The book’s foreword, by Milton D. Cox, investigates the evolution of leadership of and within faculty learning communities as they expand.

Drawing its origins from the Human Relations movement of the early 20th century and from public leadership orientations emphasising human aspects, human-centred public leadership approaches leadership from a system ́s perspective. It explores societal institutions, organisations, and phenomena as an emergent system structure that manifests its existence through the multilateral and reciprocal interaction of its parts. Systems thinking and the need for systemic change suggest that one can only understand and improve a system by looking at how all the parts interact with each other and how they are integrated. The systemic nature of public leadership refers to dynamic learning mechanisms as they relate to the contents of leadership development tools which are derived mainly from the changing mode of the operating environment, from the leaders’ own experience, from their own personalities, from a learning-by-doing approach to leadership development, and from the ways in which leaders learn and unlearn. This book presents key concepts, approaches, origins, applications, and best practices to understand the evolution and nature of human-centred approach in public leadership. It introduces a new public leadership paradigm that is needed in a complex, internationally interconnected social, economic, cultural, and political environment. Based on scholarly public leadership research in addition to the authors’ professional experience as academics, managers, practitioners and consultants, this volume offers guidance for decision-makers, public, business, and non-governmental sector leaders, managers, and practitioners about how to create a context and contents for human-centred leadership in the age of complex society and turbulent operating environment. It will be of value to researchers, academics, and students in the in the fields of leadership and public management.

If the body of knowledge of a profession is a living landscape of practice, then our personal experience of learning can be thought of as a journey through this landscape. Within Learning in Landscapes of Practice, this metaphor is further developed in order to start an important conversation about the nature of practice knowledge, identity and the experience of practitioners and their learning. In doing so, this book is a pioneering and timely exploration of the future of professional development and higher education. The book combines a strong theoretical perspective grounded in social learning theories with stories from a broad range of contributors who occupy different locations in their own landscapes of practice. These narratives locate the book within different contemporary concerns such as social media, multi-agency, multi-disciplinary and multi-national partnerships, and the integration of academic study and workplace practice. Both scholarly, in the sense that it builds on prior research to extend and locate the concept of landscapes of practice, and practical because of the way in which it draws on multiple voices from different landscapes. Learning in Landscapes of Practice will be of particular relevance to people concerned with the design of professional or vocational learning. It will also be a valuable resource for students engaged in higher education courses with work-based elements.

This is an essential guide for all health and social work practitioners supporting an increasing number of learners, trainees, apprentices and pre-registration students engaging in practice-based and work-based learning. Applying educational learning theory to underpin the role and practice of the contemporary practice supervisor, assessor and educator, this accessible book presents strategies for practice learning and personal development. Acknowledging the problematic nature of learning within the workplace, the authors place the lived experience of the learner at the heart of this text and emphasise the critical importance of an expansive and compassionate learning environment for all. The book includes chapters on the context of practice learning, the role of the supervisor/assessor and educator, learning environments, coaching, assessment and supporting the learner in difficulty, among others. It also spotlights practice learning in a range of settings, from working with children, through social care and maternity care. Each chapter includes learning outcomes and activities, as well as a chapter summary. Designed for nurses, midwives, social workers, therapists and operating department practitioners who support learners in the workplace, this text is particularly relevant to registrants completing practice supervisor/assessor/educator preparation and pre-registration students taking modules on supporting learning.

Today's marketplace is fueled by knowledge. Yet organizing systematically to leverage knowledge remains a challenge. Leading companies have discovered that technology is not enough, and that cultivating communities of practice is the keystone of an effective knowledge strategy. Communities of practice come together around common interests and expertise- whether they consist of first-line managers or customer service representatives, neurosurgeons or software programmers, city managers or home-improvement amateurs. They create, share, and apply knowledge within and across the boundaries of teams, business units, and even entire companies-providing a concrete path toward creating a true knowledge organization. In Cultivating Communities of Practice, Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder argue that while communities form naturally, organizations need to become more proactive and systematic about developing and integrating them into their strategy. This book provides practical models and methods for stewarding these communities to reach their full potential-without squelching the inner drive that makes them so valuable. Through in-depth cases from firms such as DaimlerChrysler, McKinsey & Company, Shell, and the World Bank, the authors demonstrate how communities of practice can be leveraged to drive overall company strategy, generate new business opportunities, tie personal development to corporate goals, transfer best practices, and recruit and retain top talent. They define the unique features of these communities and outline principles for nurturing their essential elements. They provide guidelines to support communities of practice through their major stages of development, address the potential downsides of communities, and discuss the specific challenges of distributed communities. And they show how to recognize the value created by communities of practice and how to build a corporate knowledge strategy around them. Essential reading for any leader in today's knowledge economy, this is the definitive guide to developing communities of practice for the benefit-and long-term success-of organizations and the individuals who work in them. Etienne Wenger is a renowned expert and consultant on knowledge management and communities of practice in San Juan, California. Richard McDermott is a leading expert of organization and community development in Boulder, Colorado. William M. Snyder is a founding partner of Social Capital Group, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.