Systemic risks are embedded in the complex networks of an increasingly interconnected world. Achieving the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change 2015 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development require that risk mitigation involves not only experts but ‘power-brokers’ – those with the power to act. Impactful risk assessment and mitigation development requires high levels of ownership of the assessment and mitigation strategies, and so needs to be done fast and involve relatively small amounts of the power-brokers time. This requirement means that the analysis of the risk system will need to be transparent and relevant. We describe a method employing causal mapping with experts and power-brokers stakeholders. These stakeholders interactively undertake a qualitative systemic risk assessment and subsequently develop and agree strategies for risk mitigation explicitly considering (i) the direct purpose of mitigation (the other risks that are likely to be at least partly mitigated – the risks that are directly linked from the mitigated risk), and also (ii) the negative goals that will be mitigated.