Hidden in Plain Sight: Systems Intelligence in Arts Leadership

This paper explores arts leadership through the lens of systems intelligence, one leadership strategy that offers new ways of thinking and behaving applicable to a rapidly changing landscape. The authors employ a systematic literature review to 1) establish a foundation and then 2) examine this knowledge through the lens of systems intelligence to fill gaps in arts leadership theory and practice. The research concludes with a conceptual model and three leadership capacities that emerge from the convergence of foundational arts leadership literature and the systems intelligence frame: shared leadership, managerial creativity, and systems-based relationship building. Ultimately, this research offers collective foundational knowledge and advances emerging theory related to the conceptualization of arts leadership.