Founders of Human Systems Dynamics

Glenda Eoyang & Royce Holladay

Glenda Eoyang is the founder of Human Systems Dynamics. Along with Royce Holladay, she established the HSD Institute that certified over 900 HSD Professional Associates and worked all across the globe sharing the work of HSD to help people take the next wise steps as they deal with wicked issues of all sorts. Using Simple Rules, Inquiry, Pattern Logic and Adaptive Action, HSDP Associates are prepared to deal with complex challenges at work, in life for today and the future.

From 1986 to 2003, Glenda established a theory and practice based on complexity theory. Her own leadership led her to write, writing led to teaching, teaching led to consulting, and a doctoral program led to research. In 2003, she founded the Human Systems Dynamics Institute to build a foundation for continuing inquiry and practice.

Since then, the Human Systems Dynamics field, the Institute, and the network of HSD Associates have emerged as powerful forces for change:

  • Interdisciplinary community of scholars and practitioners who develop and test HSD theory and practice, and continue to push the boundaries of thought and action

  • More than 900 certified HSD Professionals supporting their colleagues and clients to influence human systems dynamics

  • Clients around the world use Adaptive Action and Pattern Logic to leverage uncertainty in their own environments and respond to intractable issues for individuals, teams, organizations, and communities.

Glenda Eoyang

Co-Founder of the HSD Institute

Founder OF HSD

Glenda H. Eoyang, PhD, works with public and private organizations to help them thrive in the face of overwhelming complexity and uncertainty. She is a pioneer in the applications of complexity science to human systems, and she founded the field of human systems dynamics (HSD) in 2001.

She is founding Executive Director of the Human System Dynamics Institute, through which she led a global network of over one thousand scholar-practitioners. They apply HSD to wicked problems ranging from early childhood education to violent extremism, public health, and corporate futures and strategy. Her theory and practice provide a roadmap for anyone who chooses to work at the intersection of order and chaos.

As a pioneer in the field of Human Systems Dynamics, she applies principles of self-organizing systems to help people thrive in unpredictable environments. Since 1988, she has provided training, consulting, coaching, research, evaluation, and facilitation for complex change in public and private sectors.

Her blog posts, short articles, and webinar videos can be found at HSDServices.org

published books
Coping with Chaos: Seven Simple Tools (1996)
Facilitating Organizational Change: Lessons from Complexity Science (2003)
Voices from the Field: An Introduction to Human Systems Dynamics (2003)
Adaptive Action: Leveraging Uncertainty in Your Organization (2013)

Royce Holladay

Co-Founder of the HSD Institute

Founder OF HSD

Looking at the world through multiple lenses, she hunts for patterns and unexpected perspectives. Gathering them to explore and catalogue, she shares them as new connections and ideas in the poetry, stories, books, and essays she writes. Royce enjoys experiencing slow, growing recognition of an idea, as well as great bursts of ideas that are slightly new, creating a greater understanding of reality.

Royce is a leader among Associates around the world who use Human Systems Dynamics. She’s a teacher, consultant, and coach with individuals, groups, and organizations. Well-grounded in theoretical foundations of HSD, she brings a practitioner's voice to applying the theory, models, and methods to everyday opportunities and challenges.

Her blog posts, short articles, and webinar videos can be found at HSDServices.org

published books
Adaptive Action: Leveraging Uncertainty in Your Organization (2013) 
Simple Rules: A Radical Inquiry into Self (2011)        
Influencing Patterns For Change: A Human Systems Dynamics Primer For Leaders (2013)
and Create the Future Together: Family Field Guide for Hope (2024)

HSD Global Association

Join the HSD Global Community

HSD Global Association

HSD Field in Expansion

Since the creation of the HSD field by Dr. Glenda Eoyang, more than 14000 practitioners worldwide continue to develop and expand the body of knowledge of Human Systems Dynamics.

In 2025, upon the retirement of the founders of the HSD Institute, HSD Global was created, to nurture the HSD community and carry on the HSD field of study.

HSD Global consists of HSD Services, providing access to the HSD Body of Knowledge to the practitioners worldwide, and HSD Community, as a worldwide platform for developing and expanding the HSD field through both, theory and practice.

  • Glenda Eoyang completed her PhD thesis, “Conditions for Self-Organizing in Human Systems”, with The Union Institute and University, Vermont. During 6 years, Glenda’s research dives deep into the complexity sciences. She gathers insights from many interdisciplinary fields, as all as from her practice. Her work generated a new way to see, understand, and influence change in human systems. And, since it didn’t fit into existing academic containers, a new field has emerged to balance theory and practice - the Human Systems Dynamics.

  • Finding a Fit with the Future.

    Glenda realizes complexity is no longer a surprise: many people are talking about it, but few are able to offer solutions. She decides to launch the Human System Dynamics Institute to be a source of learning and research over time. 

    Glenda and Royce and reflect on the question: how their own patterns, as well as those of the HSD Institute, can become fit to be true and useful in the future?

    From this reflection emerges the HSD Simple Rules. They establish the HSD Institute's structures for decision making, accountability, communications, and governance, using the Simple Rules as the foundation. 

  • The HSD Institute is opened in Circle Pines, MN, USA. It has since certified more than 900 HSD professionals around the world.

    Through the HSD Institute, Glenda and Royce work with people locally and globally to address issues ranging across a number of fields, including healthcare, education, philanthropy, manufacturing, government, poverty, and climate change.

  • The first certification is a ten-day, face-to-face training program to introduce principles of HSD, integrated into the practice of the course attendees.

    Glenda and Royce realize HSD could be a powerful force for good in the world, but both the HSD theory and practice introduce differences in language and application that are challenging for people.

    So, they decided to write books and run monthly Live Virtual Workshops to get the ideas out there.

  • First, the Teaching Associate role was tasked to be in the room for each of the ten days of classroom work. Teaching Associates contributed to conversations, supported individuals as they learn the new concepts and work to integrate them into their own work- and homelife.

  • HSD Certification goes online, starting with a hybrid program of 5 days of face-to-face instruction, followed by four months of online reading, application, and small-group learning.

    It was at this point that the Teaching Associates were named as Praxis Partners, and their roles expanded to provide greater support in the online learning time. Just prior to the beginning of the Pandemic, they experimented with programs that were all online, with 5 days of online instruction and conversation, followed by the 4 months of online reading, application, and small-group learning.

  • Glenda and Royce begin offering Adaptive Action Labs. These Labs are shorter, less intensive dives into the field of HSD, using HSD's foundational principles to focus on particular topics of application. Adaptive Action Labs offered over time include: Intro to HSD; HSD Coaching and Consulting; Use of HSD to create a useful personal/professional Narrative; and HSD Leadership, Teaching and Learning, and Generative Engagement. 

  • In about 2019, Glenda and Royce host a process of foresight to identify possibilities and direction for the HSD Institute. By engaging with colleagues, and Associates around they globe, they focus on the question:  What is the role of HSD in the world in the year 2051? As a result of that work, the current Vision and Simple Rules emerge.

  • HSD Services is created from the HSD Institute to support the free access to the HSD Body of Knowledge, as well as further development of the on-line community channels, as Glenda and Royce step back from global leadership of the Institute. They join HSD Associates and others as members of the greater community of HSD professional pactitioners.

  • Launch of the HSD Global Association - a global community of the HSD professionals to help develop and expand the HDS field across industry sectors, communities and research institutions worldwide.