Leadership in complexity requires new ways of thinking, acting and learning.
A research partnership
Through our partnership with the Australian National University, we are advancing understanding of what it takes to lead in uncertain and fast-changing environments.
This work connects research and practice, generating insights that inform leadership development across sectors. The Lab plays a critical role in shaping how leadership capability is built for the future.
Why complexity, why now
Progress has also created systems of growing complexity. Decisions made in one sector can have consequences across many others, and technology is reshaping institutions and work faster than societies can adapt.
The complexity of the systems we have created is growing faster than our collective capacity to understand, navigate and shape them.
2025 in focus
In 2025, the partnership's public program included an oration examining how leadership must evolve in response to rising complexity, rapid technological change and the growing influence of AI.
Old models of leadership were not built for this moment, and if you want to understand what leading in complexity actually requires, explore the Complexity Leadership Lab's research alongside the Foundation's work translating it into practice.