Applying critical systems thinking through phronetic pluralism: Learning from human learning systems and the adaptive learning pathway

Contemporary governance challenges require both systemic leadership and adaptive learning to navigate effectively. Yet systems theory and systems thinking remain on the relative margins of management praxis, subject to accusations of theoretical remoteness or impracticality. In this paper, we explore how concepts central to Critical Systems Theory (CST) can be impactfully carried into practice. We discuss the genesis and operation of Human Learning Systems (HLS), a recent complexity-informed development in public service reform, and the Adaptive Learning Pathway (ALP) for systemic leadership, as two such exemplars. Through these two illustrative cases, we highlight the significance of pragmatism and pluralism in applying CST in practitioner-orientated and policy contexts and consider the implications for knowledge production and academic relevance. We describe how a spirit of ‘phronetic pluralism’ may act as an appropriate translational device for integrating systems theory in practice and help realise practical improvements in the public policy and management landscape.