Leadership in Chaos and Complexity
Susan Basterfield
Transformational Leadership Partner
Stefan Morales
Decision-Making in Complexity
Lead with clarity in increasingly uncertain times.
This isn’t leadership theory - it’s a rewiring.
You’ll learn how to stay clear, composed, and creative when everything around you is shifting.
Over three focused weeks, you’ll explore what great leaders do when there are no easy answers - how they think, decide, and move with others when the stakes are high and the path isn’t clear.
You’ll walk away with:
A sharper way to see what’s really happening beneath the noise.
Simple moves that turn confusion into momentum.
A calmer, steadier center - no matter what’s unfolding.
A network of peers who lead with courage instead of control.
This is about learning to thrive where others freeze - to become the kind of leader people trust when things get uncertain.
What you’ll learn
Confidently lead with clarity in increasingly uncertain times.
Differentiate what’s stable, shifting, or unknown in fast-moving situations.
Evaluate options using a simple lens that reduces hesitation and noise.
Select next moves that fit the moment and reinforce calm, decisive leadership.
Design flexible plans that can evolve as new information emerges.
Prioritize actions that maintain alignment without locking into rigid paths.
Adapt your strategy using a lightweight roadmap that reduces confusion.
Facilitate productive dialogue so differing perspectives become assets.
Clarify what’s “good enough” so teams can act without overthinking.
Implement a simple alignment process that accelerates momentum.
Frame ambiguity so teams focus on essentials while exploring new ideas.
Generate small, safe experiments that turn hunches into shared insight.
Synthesize learning quickly so teams can iterate without losing direction.
Detect subtle shifts and weak signals hidden in day-to-day activity.
Anticipate emerging risks and opportunities before they intensify.
Act early with smaller interventions that prevent costly crises later.
Regulate your presence to remain grounded when uncertainty rises.
Invite shared sensemaking so the burden of clarity isn’t on you alone.
Establish rhythms of action that strengthen trust through consistency.
Who this course is for
Leaders in motion guiding your teams through rapid growth, transformation or constriction while the ground keeps shifting.
Leaders in corporate, nonprofit, or public sectors facing external pressures that shape decisions and resources, requiring adaptive change.
Experienced leaders evolving their presence moving from control and certainty to calm, adaptive confidence.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Susan Basterfield & Stefan Morales in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.
Course syllabus
Week 1
Apr
17
Week 1: Leading in Complexity: Experimentation, Discovery & Intelligent Action
Week 2
Apr
21
Week 1: Open Studio
Apr
24
Week 2: Leading Into the Future
Schedule
Live sessions
2-3 hrs / week
Fri, Apr 17
12:00 AM—2:00 AM (UTC)
Tue, Apr 21
12:00 AM—1:00 AM (UTC)
Fri, Apr 24
12:00 AM—2:00 AM (UTC)
Projects
1-2 hrs / week
Async content
1 hr / week
In the form of guidance material (how-to instructions, frameworks) and short videos (if necessary)
Testimonials
"Thanks to both Susan and Stefan — this was awesome. For me, this material is quite new, and it definitely opens up a lot of blind spots for me. One thing became clear: as soon as I get into the pressure to perform, I am not leading from the heart. And I’m losing my creativity. This course actually freed me up, helped me realize I can be my own kind of a leader. I learned I was internalizing certain things that I was chasing externally. Now I know that I can find them internally: I’ll solve it out, I’ll figure it out. I got a lot out of it, and I can get a lot more out of it if I just keep working on the material that is here. It's clear to me that many of my challenges will be solved by developing my team."
Prashant Tripathi
Senior Manager, EY"The format is great: the 2-hour session and then the 1-hour was great. The sessions always go really fast (in a good way), because we’re learning about interesting topics, everyone’s engaged, and suddenly the time’s gone. I also loved all the little gems and side resources: super applicable and awesome. There’s no prep: I can just show up, participate, and learn by doing. As a leader with a lot on my plate, that's huge. The big one for me has been reframing the chaos and complexity: “yeah, there’s ambiguity there… cool, that’s what we’re dealing with. I know some tools that can help us think this through. etc." That step is really big. And honestly, the lovely part is the facilitation: you two are awesome. Hands down the best aspect of this. Awesome, awesome! Thank you, Susan and Stefan."
Tessa Flaws
Co-founder, Hoffcon- What I experienced is so powerful and so amazingly done. This cohort helped me to make another step toward my purpose. Really, really a great way to learn, interact, meet interesting people and stay engaged in the learning and practice.
Massimo Lavelli
Co-Founder, Indaco Susan is an inspiration for us. She completely follows what she believes in and is one of the most empathetic and caring people I know. We have the honour and blessing for having her as our guide who keeps us on track to becoming more and more people centric within our organisations. We look forward to many years of learning with her.
Ved Krishna
CEO, Pakka- There are several places you could seek support, inspiration, and change, but few training opportunities where you will be so thoughtfully shepherded toward brave new possibilities. Susan and Stefan are expert facilitators, balancing their training sessions with clear and accessible instruction, hands-on praxis, and ample time for reflection.
Kelley Abell
Lead Project Manager, Woollard, Nichols & Torres - Susan and Stefan are a wonderful duo -- gracefully bouncing off of one another, and modeling true collaborative facilitation and healthy colleagueship! Learning from their facilitation style was an unexpected yet major value-add for me. I can't wait to continue learning with and from them.
Stephanie Soussloff
Steward & Facilitato, Foster
Frequently asked questions
$695
USD
2 cohorts