Health Care Organizations are properly considered the most complex ones and there is a growing attention at a complexity perspective in health policy. Leading complex organizations is a crucial task, moving away from a trait and personality background towards the relevance of leadership styles and behaviours.

Based on this assumption, we planned the development of an effective model for leading groups or organizations in health care in order to achieve better outcomes, that arises from a structured observation of Health Care CEOs working in their context. The main clue was the importance of specific behaviour patterns that can be elicited through modeling processes.

Modeling process enables people in the groups and learning organizations to cope through scheduled intervision to verify improvements and to produce continuous feedback. Different techniques based on the so-called ‘sleight of mouth’ procedure were selected to elicit specific leadership patterns, through an observational study, and comparing main indicators of performance, included in Regione Lombardia and Sant’Anna of Pisa networks.

Among the set of behavior patterns investigated through the lens of ‘sleight of might’ technique were: not knowing, active listening, relationships, giving answers immediately, seeking feedback, values bridging, easiness, reframing, sense making, utilizing ‘strange’ attractors, interpersonal management tactics. The conclusive results of the benchmarking analysis and the patterns are ongoing. Impact is valued through the awareness of different levels of learning, recognizing specific patterns of performance, modeling and acting strategies for change.

Learning groups and organizations are powerful setting of improvement, particularly in health care where many variables are at stake. The analysis of the patterns to be elicited related to performance represents a platform for coping and reproducing successful strategies in the realm of leadership.