From our experience of working with corporate and public sector clients we are noticing clear challenges and patterns relating to leadership and organisational culture that can be addressed through the Leadership in Action programme:
- Values driven individuals with torn loyalties;
- Multiple decision-making systems but slow shift from decision to action;
- Intellectual strength but people concealing what they really feel;
- High power distance and reluctance to speak truth to power;
- Excitement for change and fear of the unknown;
- Low psychological safety with fear at all levels driving behaviours;
- Time poor, work-based stress and wellbeing challenges.
The Leadership in Action Programme has evolved since the inception of the Action Learning Question method in 2001.
It started with early adopters in the UK banking, financial services and construction sectors. It has since been adapted in various forms across commercial, government, educational and social enterprises.
Richard Hale reflects on the case for Leadership in Action
- Leadership is not just about individuals, personalities or performative display;
- Self-appointed subject matter experts on leadership topics don’t make a real difference to organisational leadership;
- Leadership cannot be taught with sterile case-studies or lectures: see Reg Revans and Henry Mintzberg on this;
- The idea that a normative set of leadership behaviours can be applied to all organisations is fundamentally flawed and discriminatory to neurodivergent people.
- Leadership is best developed by putting business priorities and challenges at the forefront and setting groups of leaders to work on them;
- Learning and personal development will follow from real action in the ‘here and now’;
- Real leadership is evidenced and developed as a collective and collaborative effort;
- Leaders who do this deserve recognition for making a difference and the Higher Education system should recognise this.
Leadership in Action Programme Structure
- The business defines those aspects of its vision and strategy that are on the ‘important but too hard to tackle’ list.
- This forms into a series of Action Learning Questions that are tackled by leaders in the business or spanning across organisational boundaries.
- Qualified Action Learning Facilitators support leaders through a structured ALQ process as they move from scoping to research, action and impact review.
- Within 6-9 months evidence is presented of a tangible return on investment and personal and organisational learning.
Examples of where the Action Learning Question method has worked
Action Learning Questions: Making Sense of Organizational Chaos - Hale & Bowerman
View publicationDr Richard Hale and Professor Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and Partner, The RBL Group discuss the future of leadership with Action Learning Questions as a way of facing mysteries rather than solving puzzles.
View publicationFundamentals of Action Learning and basis of the ALQ method.
View publicationKey steps in the Action Learning Question process.
View publicationCase study of a global childcare organisation which deployed the Action Learning Facilitator Accreditation programme to create internal capability to enable culture change which led to significant impact on both business results and safety and care impact.
View publicationAction Learning Questions being used to make CPD meaningful in emerging and new professions.
View publicationCivil Service Organisation Development - From nurturing the H in HR to developing the D in OD – systemic benefits where action learning and organisational development combine.
View publication
