Abstract To search for leverage is to use systemic design to find ways to accelerate progressive systemic change. The theory of leverage was first conceptualized by Donella Meadows with “Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System” in 1997. Yet while Meadows’s typology of leverage points is popular and influential, little has been done to critique or substantially advance her ideas since they were first published. As a result, we lack a modern theory of leverage. In this article, I relate systemic change to the search for leverage and outline why leverage matters. I present a brief overview of Meadows’s original work. Then, I synthesize the major contributions that have built on Meadows’s theory of leverage in the last 25 years. Next, I present a critique of Meadows’s original work, highlighting what we know about leverage and what we have yet to learn. This includes the development of a framework identifying how the degree of leverage relates to the acceleration of progressive (or retrograde) systemic change. Finally, I organize these ideas into a research agenda featuring four areas: dimensions of leverage, methods for leverage, strategy with leverage, and execution on leverage. Meadows wrote about the metaphor of “dancing with systems.” By advancing leverage theory, I believe we can better learn to “dance with systemic change.” From Finding (a theory of) Leverage for Systemic Change: A systemic design research agenda: https://systemic-design.org/contexts/vol1/v1004/

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John Carlos Baez (johncarlosbaez@mathstodon.xyz)'s status on Thursday, 07-May-2026 03:10:00 JST

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Some, but by no means all, of these leverage points can be neatly framed in the language of system dynamics. This is easiest for items 5-9. Parameters and the strengths of positive and negative feedback loops can be read off a stock and flow diagram. Similarly, positive and negative feedback can be read off from a causal loop diagram. What Meadows calls “material flows” are simply what we call “flows” in a system structure diagram, while her “information flows” are called “links”. On the other hand, items 1-4—paradigms, goals, distributions of power and rules—are not visible in any of the diagrammatic models used in system dynamics. They are more difficult to precisely define.

Meadows described her list as hastily drawn up, based on personal experience, and subject to revision [Me2]. Given this, we might hope for it to be merely the seed for an extensive theory of leverage points, rigorously formulated and experimentally tested.

Unfortunately this is not yet quite the case! While her ideas have been further developed [Mu,MuJ], there is still much to be done to understand leverage points.

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[Me2] Meadows, D. H. (1999). Leverage points: Places to intervene in a system. Hartland, Vt., The Sustainability Institute, 1999. https://donellameadows.org/wp-content/userfiles/Leverage_Points.pdf

[Mu] Murphy, R. J. A. (2022). Finding (a theory of) leverage for systemic change: A systemic design research agenda. Contexts: The Journal of Systemic Design 1. https://systemic-design.org/contexts/vol1/v1004/

[MuJ] Murphy, R. J. A., & Jones, P. H. (2020). Leverage analysis: A method for locating points of influence in systemic design decisions. FormAkademisk 13(2), 1–25.

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