DNP 716 Module 2 Complexity Leadership Discussion Example

Reviewed by Ingrid Vasterling, MSN, RN Arizona State University Updated October 2026

This DNP 716 Module 2 sample is the complexity leadership discussion in Leadership of Innovation in Health Care, part of ASU's Doctor of Nursing Practice. ASU DNP 716 asks students in this module to compare traditional leaders with complexity leaders through reflection and written dialogue. The composite ICU nurse manager tests the comparison on one real kind of event, a night when three nurses called out sick. She describes what a traditional, command-based response would look like, then what complexity leadership theory would suggest, reflects on which one she actually used, and replies to two classmates who raise fair concerns about control and accountability.

CourseDNP 716 Leadership of Innovation in Health Care
ModuleModule 2
Paper typeReflection and discussion post with replies
LengthAbout 437 words, 4 pages
FormatAPA 7 student paper
SchoolArizona State University
ProgramDoctor of Nursing Practice
UpdatedOctober 2026

Free sample paper for DNP 716 Module 2

1

The Night We Lost Three Nurses: Traditional and Complexity Leadership in One ICU Shift

Student Name

Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, Arizona State University

DNP 716: Leadership of Innovation in Health Care

Instructor Name

Month Day, Year

What this page is doingThe title anchors an abstract comparison in a single night, the example the post uses to test both approaches.
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The Night We Lost Three Nurses: Traditional and Complexity Leadership in One ICU Shift

Initial Post

Last winter, three nurses called out before a night shift in our 20-bed ICU. The traditional response, which I used for years, was to take control: I called the staffing office, reassigned patients myself, and told each nurse what to do. It worked in the narrow sense that the shift was covered, but it depended entirely on me and left the charge nurse waiting for instructions.

Complexity leadership theory describes leadership differently. Uhl-Bien et al. (2007) separate three functions: administrative leadership, which works through formal structures to plan and coordinate; adaptive leadership, which is not a person but an emergent process in which people interacting produce new solutions; and enabling leadership, which makes room for that adaptive process and keeps it in workable tension with the formal system. A hospital unit fits their idea of a complex adaptive system, in which people act in ways that cannot be fully predicted and each person's actions change the context for others (Plsek & Greenhalgh, 2001).

On the night with three call-outs, I tried something closer to enabling leadership. I gave the charge nurse three constraints, keep the sickest patients at one-to-one where needed, protect breaks, and call me if anyone feels unsafe, and asked the nurses on shift to propose assignments. They found a solution I would not have: the nurse on the step-down float list could take two stable patients, and a respiratory therapist offered to cover ventilator checks for an hour. The plan emerged from the people who knew the patients best.

Much of the course's leadership text describes what an individual leader does (Northouse, 2022), and I do not think traditional leadership is wrong. Administrative structure, such as the staffing office and policies, made the night safe. What I took from that night is that, in a complex system, leading is less about having the answer and more about setting simple rules and protecting the space where others find it.

Question for the group: where is the line between enabling and abdicating?

What this page is doingThe post defines the three functions of complexity leadership accurately, then applies them to one night shift, so the comparison with traditional leadership rests on an actual event rather than on definitions.
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Reply to a Classmate (Nurse Executive)

You argued that complexity leadership can sound like a way to avoid accountability. I agree there is a risk. In my example, I stayed accountable for safety and set the constraints; the team chose how. Does your organization make that division explicit?

Reply to a Classmate (Nurse Practitioner)

Your point that clinics need standard work more than emergence is fair for routine tasks. Maybe complexity leadership matters most when standard work breaks down, as it did on my night with three call-outs.

What this page is doingThe replies concede what is fair in each classmate's view and then sharpen it, which reads as discussion rather than agreement.
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References

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage.

Plsek, P. E., & Greenhalgh, T. (2001). The challenge of complexity in health care. BMJ, 323(7313), 625-628. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7313.625

Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(4), 298-318. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.04.002

What the DNP 716 Module 2 instructions ask for

The posted syllabus grades two discussion boards at 30 points each, described as reflection and discussion. The first belongs to Weeks 5 to 6, the module on complexity leadership, whose outcome asks students to critique leadership theories and compare the roles of traditional leaders and complexity leaders. Faculty provide the prompts in Canvas, and a required text on complexity and the nexus of leadership supports the module. Expect to reflect on your own practice, apply complexity concepts accurately and engage classmates in written dialogue. A single, well-chosen example from your work will make the comparison concrete. Read the module's assigned chapters on complexity before posting, since faculty expect the discussion to use the course texts, not only outside sources.

How the DNP 716 Module 2 example is put together

The post compares the two approaches on the same event rather than in the abstract, which makes the differences visible. It defines the three functions of complexity leadership theory precisely and cites a definition of a complex adaptive system. The example shows enabling leadership in action, with constraints set by the leader and a solution produced by the team. The writer does not dismiss traditional leadership, which shows balance. The post ends with a hard question. Replies acknowledge classmates' concerns and refine the argument rather than defending it. The writer is candid that she used the traditional approach for years, which gives the comparison credibility and shows genuine reflection rather than a performance.

Reading the DNP 716 Module 2 grading rubric

Faculty grading this dialogue look for complexity concepts used correctly, thoughtful comparison of traditional and complexity leadership, honest reflection on the student's practice, critical engagement with classmates, and scholarly writing. Showing complexity principles at work in one real situation is what lifts a post. Recognizing the value and limits of each approach shows critical thinking. Replies that take objections seriously advance the dialogue. Clear definitions with sources show careful reading. Keeping the post focused on one example makes the reflection deeper. Posts that end with a question the writer cannot answer alone invite stronger replies than posts that close with a neat conclusion.

DNP 716 Module 2 help: mistakes that cost marks

Posts on complexity often stay abstract, full of terms like emergence and nonlinearity with no example. Pick one event from your practice and analyze it. Another weakness is presenting traditional leadership as simply bad; show where structure helps. Define each term you use. For help with the complexity post, the desk only needs the faculty prompt and a line about the example you plan to use. Read the required text's chapter on enabling leadership before writing, and reply to classmates who disagree with you, not only those who agree. Answer replies to your own post as well; faculty often count those as part of the dialogue, and they show that you are listening.

Write yours, or have the desk draft it

This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Arizona State University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.

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More DNP 716 and Doctor of Nursing Practice sample papers

DNP 716 Module 2 questions, answered

Where can I find a free DNP 716 Module 2 sample paper?

The complexity leadership discussion above is complete: traditional and complexity leadership compared on one ICU staffing crisis, with replies on accountability and standard work.

How many discussion boards are in DNP 716?

The syllabus lists two discussion boards at 30 points each.

What are the three functions in complexity leadership theory?

Administrative, adaptive and enabling leadership.

How does a complexity leader differ from a traditional leader?

A complexity leader sets conditions and simple rules so solutions can emerge from the team, rather than directing every decision.

Is traditional leadership still useful in health care?

Yes. Administrative structure supports safety; complexity leadership adds adaptability when standard work breaks down.