Adaptive Leadership and Cultures

Two case studies exploring how Tennis Australia and Aurecon have used adult (vertical) development to support leadership development

An incredible resource to support vertical leadership development.

A brief overview of the three conditions that enable vertical development.

I've been fortunate over the last two years to have worked closely with a leadership team. When the team formed, the Executive GM reinforced that the primary responsibility of team members was their role on the leadership team. Their job title (technical role) was secondary to the work they would do on the leadership team, being to build the capacity of the function to deliver, adapt and grow. This was a powerful platform.

Rather than a separate leadership program, we have used the work of the team, as the foundation for vertical development. Learning as part of Working. I introduced the concept of heat and the team came up with the idea of 'hard chats' as a simple way to open up tough conversations to enable/support productive discomfort and encourage multiple perspectives. I have used a range of adaptive facilitation techniques as well - Case in Point, Balcony and Dancefloor (or for the Australian/NZ context, Coach's Box and Playing Field), Immunity To Change and in the moment reflection (i.e. what did we observe in that discussion).

We certainly haven't nailed it, but it has been rewarding to see development really be the work of the team, rather than something separate/extra; developing and implementing strategy, responding to business challenges, diagnosing the culture and implementing a plan for building capacity (evolving culture). There has been a significant shift in the way the team operates.

I have also had to be conscious of how I need to show up, if, when and how to intervene and to hold the work lightly. This process has been as much about my development as it has been the team's.   

In this white paper, Nick Petrie explores the difference between pressure and stress and four steps for mental resilience.

'You can’t always change the circumstances you find yourself in, such as a global pandemic, but you can learn methods and mindsets that help you to feel resilient and confident rather than stressed and anxious' Nick Petrie. 

Nick Petrie shares the 7 most important things he has learned about vertical development.

1. Leaders find it helpful on many levels

2. It is just a model: it is not ‘the answer’ or the only way of understanding humans.

3. Hold the stages lightly

4. You are too complex for any assessment to capture

5. You are not at a stage

6. Higher stages are not ‘better’

7. There are heroes at all stages

In this White paper, Nick Petrie explores the concept of vertical development and some of the insights he has gained from his experiences supporting leaders to build their capacity to lead through complexity.

A key idea for me is the situational approach, with great leaders having range; being able to flex between developmental stages, so they can respond to the needs of the role/task. 

Nick also talks about what can occur if their is misalignment between organisational stage of cultural evolution, role complexity and the individual's stage of development.