leadership maturity through action learning: …new.wial-usa.org/uploads/attachments/leadership...

Leadership Maturity Through Action Learning: Managing

Dilemmas & Shifting Mindsets Chuck Appleby, Ph.D.

2015 WIAL-USA and Global Conference

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Impetus for Action Learning

“When change is faster than learning, the organism fails...When learning is as fast as, or faster than change, the organism survives and is likely to grow.”

Professor Reg Revans

(Cambridge University)

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It’s a VUCA World

• Volatility – things change unpredictably, suddenly, extremely

• Uncertainty – indefinite, doubtful, unclear about the present situation and future outcomes

• Complexity – globalization, multiple key decision factors, interaction between diverse agents, emergence, adaptation, co-evolution, weak signals

• Ambiguity – the meaning of an event can be understood in many different ways 3

VUCA Imperatives for Leaders

Volatility Vision

Uncertainty Understanding

Complexity Clarity

Ambiguity Agility

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Key Drivers for the Adaptable Organization

• The Challenge: The VUCA World We Live In

• The Opportunity: Shifts in Leadership Development Trends

• The Need: Adaptable organizations and leaders

Implications for Leadership Development

• Shift from horizontal to vertical development • Greater emphasis on innovative learning methods

such as experiential learning • Primary focus on individuals taking ownership of

their learning • Greater focus on collective leadership rather than

individual leadership

Source: Nick Petrie, “Future Trends in Leadership Development,” Center for Creative Leadership (2011)

SOLVE A WICKED PROBLEM OR SEIZE

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

CREATE A LEVER FOR ADAPTING TO

RAPID CHANGE

PROBLEM

CLARITY

DIVERSE

GROUP

POWERFUL

QUESTIONS

REFLECTIVE

PRACTICES

COMMITMENT

TO ACTION

PEER

COLLABORATION

& COACHING

LEADING THRU

QUESTIONS

(21st Century

Leader)

GROWTH

MINDSET

ACTION LEARNING & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT M

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Pro

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Framework for High Impact, Sustainable Innovation Phase Approach/Failure

Rate Primary Method

Primary Source(s)

ONE Innovation Challenge Clarity/ 90%

Action Learning

Reg Revans (Cambridge Univ.)

TWO Breakthrough Solution/ 96%

Design Thinking

d.School (Stanford University)

THREE Sustainable Change/ 66%

Influencing Influencer Switch (Albert Bandura, Stanford University

OVERARCHING APPROACH (MINDSHIFTS)

MINDSETS—BEHAVIORS—IMPACT (Carol Dweck, Jeanne Liedtka, Heidi Halverson, Jennifer Garvey-Berger)

Appleby & Associates

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DISCOVER Action

Learning

DEPLOY Change

Leadership

DESIGN Design

Thinking

Mindsets

Phases/Core Tool

Dilemmas

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Problem Solving Roadmap

Ldr Role Steward Explorer Architect

Problem Framing Landscape

What is the core challenge?

Current Reality

Desired Outcome Core Challenge

(Gap)

Limiting Mindsets

External Context (+/-)

Dilemmas Assumptions

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Vertical Development (Leadership Maturity Model)

• Expert

• Achieve

• Catalyst

• Source: Bill Joiner, Leadership Agility

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QUESTIONS TO PURSUE

• What are the questions that emerge for you as a result of this discussion of action learning and leadership maturity?

• Example: How can we use action learning to shift from a fixed to growth mindset? (Carol Dweck’s work)

• Example: How can I use action learning to help leaders develop a catalyst mindset (Bill Joiner’s work)

• Develop several questions at your tables

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Chuck Appleby Appleby & Associates, LLC [email protected] www.applebyandassociates.com www.actionlearningsource.com www.designthinkingsource.com 703 915-0292

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http://www.actionlearning

BACK UPS : MINDSETS

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“Mindsets are just beliefs – powerful

beliefs. They’re something in your mind

and you can change your mind. “

What is a Mindset?

Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (pg. 16)

FIXED MINDSET:

GROWTH MINDSET:

Two Types of Mindsets

Individuals who look at ability as something that can be developed

Individuals who look at ability as something inherent

Carol Dweck, Mindset the New Psychology of Success

FIXED vs. GROWTH

SUCCESS OF OTHERS

Feels threatened by the success of

others

Finds strength & lessons in others’

success

FIXED GROWTH

FIXED GROWTH

Achievement… means you’re smart. means you’re learning and stretching.

Being smart… means that you’re making no mistakes.

means that you’re confronting a challenge and making a progress.

A setback or mistake… leads to a loss of confidence.

Indicates an area for growth.

Failure… leads to humiliation means that you’re not yet fulfilling your potential

FIXED vs. GROWTH

FIXED GROWTH

The need to ask for help… Indicates a weakness or deficiency which should not be admitted.

Is a useful strategy for growth.

Stereotype threat… Is high due to fears of confirming negative stereotypes.

Is low, a stereotype is simply someone else’s inaccurate view of their abilities.

Talented peers… Becomes grounds for feeling threatened or jealous.

Are a source of inspiration.

FIXED vs. GROWTH

One Model of Change:

Carol Dweck’s 4-step Process for Shifting Mindsets

1. Learn to hear your fixed mindset “voice.”

Examples of fixed mindset thinking : “I’m not smart enough; talented enough; skilled enough…” “What will people think of me if I fail” “I told you, you shouldn’t have tried ______ (fill in the blank)” “Who do you think you are? You can never be as good as _____ (fill in the blank)” Or if when you hear constructive criticism you think to yourself: “I’m really a disappointment.” “I should never have tried.” “Nobody ever appreciates what I do or the effort I make.

Carol Dweck’s 4-step process

Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

2. Recognize that you have a choice

How you interpret challenges, setbacks and criticisms is your choice.

You can interpret them with a fixed mindset:

(your talents and abilities are static).

or a growth mindset:

(you have an opportunity to stretch and expand your abilities).



3. Talk back to it with a growth mindset voice

Examples of how to change the inner dialogue: FIXED-MINDSET: What if I fail? Then I’ll be a failure. GROWTH-MINDSET: The most successful people had failures along the way. FIXED-MINDSET: If I don’t try, then I can protect myself from the embarrassment of failure. GROWTH-MINDSET: If I don’t try, then I’m giving up and where’s the dignity in that? FIXED-MINDSET: It’s not my fault if I fail. GROWTH-MINDSET: If I don’t take responsibility then I can’t fix it or learn from it.



4. Take the growth mindset action.

Take on the challenge wholeheartedly.

Learn from your setbacks and try again.

Hear the criticism and act on it; it is now in your hands.



BACKUPS: DILEMMAS

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Organizational Dilemma Definition

• “A dilemma is a pair of contradictory goals, both of which are value to the organization. These goals are in tension—moving one goal „up‟ tends to move the other goal „down.‟”

• A poorly managed dilemma leads to conflict…or the pendulum effect

Source: Geoff Ball and Jerry Talley, Edgewise Consulting, Dilemmasweb

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Leadership and Dilemmas

• The core role of leaders is to manage dilemmas…

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Dilemma Thought Leaders • Barry Johnson (Polarity Management)

• Blake & Mouton (The Managerial Grid)

• Fons Trompenaars & C. Hamden-Turner (Dilemma Reconciliation)

• Roger Martin (Opposable Minds)

• Rushworth Kidder (Moral Dilemmas)

• Marc Burger (Dilemma Elicitation)

• Robert Quinn (Competing Values)

• Kim Cameron (Paradox and Transformation)

• Charles Handy (The Age of Unreason)

• Alex Lowy (The Leaders‟ Dilemma)

• Geoff Ball and Jerry Talley (Managing Dilemmas)

• I Ching

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Dilemmas I Have Known

• “How do we keep Scitor, Scitor as we grow?”

• “Should I be in the castle…or leading the charge…why can’t they make up their minds?”

• “I can grow the company or develop a high performance culture…but not both!”

• “At the end of the day…the people said, we did it ourselves.”

• “Those guys on the waterfront don’t know how to transform our manufacturing process.”

• “The will to succeed and the grace to compromise.”

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The Eight Archetype Dilemmas • Head and Heart

• Inside and Outside

• Cost and Benefit

• Product and Market

• Change and Stability

• Know and Don‟t Know

• Competing Priorities

• Content and Process Source: Alex Lowy: “The Leaders Dilemma Agenda,” Strategy & Leadership 36/1 (2008)

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“Definition” of Action Learning

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"...the acid test is whether the people concerned

are helping each other to take action on their problems and challenges,

and whether they are learning from the work".

Facilitating Action Learning, Pedler and Abbott, p. 20, 2013.

Key Elements in Action Learning 1. Problems / priorities

2. Group – 4-8 people

3. Facilitation (tasks or role)

4. Questioning / coaching

5. Commitment to actions

6. Commitment to learning

Many different “schools”

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Single-Project (SPAL)

• All work on same priority

• Usually in same org.

• Usually assigned to them

• Owned by the client

• Supported by sponsor

• Can include professional development

• Managing change

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Project

Action

Action

Action

Action

Typical Uses of SPAL

• Organizational problem solving

• Team building

• Strategy development / alignment

• Leadership development

• Learning organizations

• Creativity and innovation

• Coaching skills

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Multi-Project (MPAL)

• Each works on different priority

• Each member usually selects priority

• From different areas?

• Primary focus on individual development

• “Peer coaching groups”

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Project

Project

Project Project

Project

Typical Uses of MPAL

• Multiple problem solving

• Coaching skills

• Transfer of training

• Networking

• Support groups

• Coaching cultures

• Ensuring execution of plans

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Hybrid

• Combination of

• Individual and organizational development

• SPAL and MPAL format

• Requires careful

• Clarification of goals

• Program management

• Identification of actions and learning

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Facilitator Involvement

Introduction of Content

Number of Priorities Coached Per Meeting

Source of Priorities

Minimal

External

Frequent

Active Throughout Program

One Many

Individual Organization

Combination

Facilitation Mode

Self-Facilitation

Minimal

Continued on next slide

Group Composition

Voluntary Mandatory

Intact Team Across Multiple Organizations

Many One

Number of Group Meetings

Number of Groups

Program Context

One Many

Free-Standing Integrated With Other Programs

Terms of Group Membership

Across Organization

Other design parameters include, e.g., program’s outcomes and applications, communication modes, learning methods, means to manage learning, evaluation plans and program management.

See Action Learning Source at ActionLearningSource.com

leadership maturity through action learning: …new.wial-usa.org/uploads/attachments/leadership...

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