University Leadership Development: The Leadership Inquiry Series

This case study explores university leadership development. I focus on a leadership development model called "The Leadership Inquiry." I describe the process from inception, through implementation to evaluation.

The approach has many potential applications to corporate leadership and management development. I hope - through this case study - you will see particularly how the approach focuses on new knowledge development. It also develops social capital in the organization.

You should be able to visualize its potential beyond this specific approach to university leadership development.

Background: Leadership Inquiry and university leadership development

This approach to university leadership development, called "The Leadership Inquiry" was born out of my experiences of working with many managers. They want to do an excellent job but are feeling increasingly isolated.

They have few opportunities to talk about the issues they face in their work. They welcome an opportunity to learn from one another.

Many of the current challenges faced by managers relate to leadership and the "soft skills". The workshop character of this approach to university leadership development provides immediate opportunities for feedback and new learning.

In times of change and uncertainty, a forum of trusted colleagues provides a safe space for exchange, learning and practice. It can become a valuable resource both for the managers and for their organization.

This case study reports on the experiences of a group of managers during the piloting of a new approach to university leadership development.

Initiation of the university leadership development project

A large British institution piloted this approach to university leadership development approach with middle and senior managers from across the organization.

The Leadership Inquiry was set up as a "joint venture" with the internal training department. The following is part of an invitation that was emailed to 50 managers together with a more detailed brochure:

"NEW UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROJECT "As part of our ongoing mission to offer a wide range of high quality approaches to personal and leadership development, we have partnered with Mike Bell of Leadership Development Coaching. "We are piloting a new university leadership development model, an innovative way to improve your leadership capability. It's called The Leadership Inquiry Series. "The Leadership Inquiry is not a discussion, debate or presentation but rather a dialogue designed to enable you, as a member of a trusted network, to explore the real issues you face as leaders in a changing organization. "It will create new insights, strategies and actions based upon relevant leadership models, frameworks and research and the collective wisdom of the group."

As a result, we recruited the 16 managers we wanted for the pilot. A few others were disappointed. The training department felt this was an excellent response.

We even attracted some managers who had otherwise been reluctant to participate in "training courses" or use other university leadership development approaches that had been made available to them.

In this approach to university leadership development, themes are grounded in day-to-day experiences

As each manager signed up for the series I contacted them personally. I welcomed them and asked them to identify two or three of their key leadership challenges.

These were analyzed and grouped into three main themes. The themes and some of the specific challenges are listed below:

Emerging university leadership development and management themes

Visionary Leadership

• Developing a strategic vision
• Engaging colleagues with the vision - the troops rather than, say, the Board
• Leading, being visionary, and carrying out the work and managing - are they compatible?
• What leaders have that managers don't

Self

• Being heard and taken seriously without being over-assertive
• Being more assertive in setting goals for others to help achieve
• A reluctance to be confrontational
• All those things around the theme of letting go - negative criticism of me, etc.
• Reconciling what I do and how I appear to others with how I feel inside
• Being more approachable
• Setting clear objectives for myself and others

Others

• Harnessing the skills of the senior motivated members of the organization
• Change management
• Communication/Effective communication
• Leading with one or two disruptive people
• Dealing with difficult employees
• Getting the team to understand its new role in the changing organization

The complete list of challenges was discussed at the first Inquiry and agreement reached to begin with an exploration of visionary leadership.

Review of the 3 Leadership Inquiries that made up the implementation of this leadership development model

Leadership Inquiry One -Visionary Leadership Development

The organization had recently created and published a vision statement and this was a good opportunity to explore in the large group what vision meant and what it might mean to be a visionary leader.

Armed with a short article, participants met in small groups to explore what being a visionary leader meant to them. Their findings were then discussed in the whole group.

At the end of the Inquiry, members were asked for feedback by completing the statement "As a result of this session ..."

Here are some of their responses:

"I have been able to reflect and consider qualities that make for developing a vision for an organization and the environment required for leading with such a vision: in part the need for leading with an inspirational positive view of where we are going." "I will have to consider if my values are transparent to my division (and do they map onto the organization's values)." "I have learned that other colleagues have similar issues, problems and concerns on leadership that I do. Interestingly Core Values came out as a key driver." "I will further consider my own core values and evaluate my performance as a "visionary leader" (or not...)." "I have a clearer sense of why I feel dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the organization"s management. I feel encouraged by the unanimity in the group about core values. I feel empowered to follow my beliefs." "I have clarified some perspectives on the needs for leadership and management within my department and higher level. I will seek to revive some elements of governance structures to address issues surrounding core values and empowerment of staff." "I have shared the sense of the importance of values with colleagues, developing solidarity. I have developed a clear sense of some of the deficiencies that arise in the organization as consequence of the absence of explicit values."

Leadership Inquiry Two -Values

One of the features of this approach to university leadership development is its flexibility ...

The issue of values came so strongly to the fore in the previous Inquiry that we agreed to focus on this topic at this session.

Again we had a large group inquiry into values -what they were, where they were present or not in the organization and the value of values.

Small groups explored examples of value statements from similar organizations.

Members identified the personal and organizational values that they felt were needed. They reported these back to the whole group.

In response to the question "As a result of this session ..."

People said:

"Think even more about how to "reward" behaviour which demonstrates values in action." "I arrived quite late but don"t think I have gained much. I was pleased to be reminded of the importance of looking first at oneself in any situation." "I have a great despair about the ability of others to lead! There was too much of the personal and not enough about how to make others and an organization work." "I will use the issues raised and much of the information discussed as part of my efforts to develop core values for the department." "I will name the values I want my department to have and discuss these with a view to roll out/adoption." "I shall discuss with my Executive Board about identifying core values for my department." "Learned more about the perceptions/experience of senior staff within the organization. Still not sure that all of the behaviour/culture I experience in this new job is as bad as is described by members." "It focused my views around the issue of values which was incredibly timely given work on office mission and objectives." "I will re-evaluate my core values and think about how they align with the actions of myself and my division."

Leadership Inquiry Three - Communication

Distilling the original challenges under the themes of Self and Others, this session looked into the question "Are you sometimes too aggressive or not assertive enough?"

Again, the flexibility of the Leadership Inquiry as a response to the specific university leadership development needs came to the fore ...

In the large group we explored examples of aggression and non-assertiveness from people's work. We discussed an Assertive/Responsive model as a way to make sense of some behaviours.

In small groups people explored the model further in relation to specific work examples and their own behaviour.

In response to the question "As a result of this session ..."

People said:

"I will think more and practice different ways of interacting with people; I think I am rarely assertive, but often aggressive and non-assertive in almost equal measure and on different occasions. I know this but I don't seem to change my behaviour that much anyway." "I will endeavour to spend more time trying to change the non-assertive character of some of my colleagues." "I will review my previous "assertiveness" training and techniques. I will also try to figure out why some staff behave the way they do." "I will think more about how I can influence interactions and will reflect on the Assertive/Responsive Model." "I will work in Assertive to move my team members in Non-Assertive as a priority rather than allowing this to affect the team. Thank you for today's session it has been helpful." "I shall discuss with my Executive Board about identifying core values for my department." "I will review my own approach to communications with staff who work for me and with whom I sometimes have difficulties. And look at "listening' more than talking and resisting the urge to jump in." "I have reflected on communication and benefited from others views." "I have been able to identify and verbalize some of the processes involved in communication between individuals." "I'll carry the suggested model with me to meetings in the future -very helpful. Also gives me the ability to reflect on my behaviour/ approaches in relation to outcomes."

Recommendations or support for the use of this leadership development model

Participants where asked if they would recommend the Leadership Inquiry to their colleagues in the organization. All would be happy to except one who felt the format might be too "risky'.

Here are some of the reasons why they would recommend this approach:

"This is a forum to hear the ideas of others. It can highlight common thought but it can also point to areas of difficulty." "Good opportunity to explore key issues with colleagues from across the institution. A valuable forum to provide framework for self-evaluation." "The opportunity to take time out to reflect on your own stances / values / life experiences and apply to work context experience." "Thought provoking, examining important issues, chance to spend time discussing these with colleagues in a structured way." "It is a valuable forum for stimulating thought and insight." "A forum to discuss important questions that are otherwise not addressed within the organization." "It makes you think "out of the box'. Gives a better insight into the thoughts of colleagues in different part of the organization."

Review of this leadership development model

In the busy-ness of today's organizations, managers rarely have the opportunity to look deeply into the issues they face.

It can be difficult to make sense (or not!) of what is happening to them, around them ... and to their teams, divisions and the organization as a whole.

This particular approach to university leadership development - The Leadership Inquiry - helps reduce some of the isolation managers feel. They see that others have similar feelings.

It helps them to explore together, through substantive and purposeful dialogue, the compelling issues they face.

They learn new approaches that they choose to take away and try out themselves.

In this example, the client was impressed by participants' claims of what they would do as a result of the leadership development workshop.

We were not in a position to follow these up formally. However, we have anecdotal evidence that many where being put into practice.

We also learned that the Leadership Inquiry is not for everyone - some people prefer a much more structured approach.

We understand of organizations as - for the most part - social structures. A model like the Leadership Inquiry is useful adds some glue to build a stronger community and increase social capital.

Whatever the organization, whenever the leadership development model needs to deliver this kind of outcome, the Leadership Inquiry approach should be considered.

The increase in social capital - as evidenced by this particular instance of university leadership development - is a strength of the approach.

In a knowledge economy we now largely accept that those organizations that can create and share new knowledge the fastest are most likely to succeed. The Leadership Inquiry elevates the quality of conversation about key leadership issues, and generates more knowledge capital.

It also ensures that capital is disseminated quickly through the organization. It is grounded in the participants lived experience of leading and managing.

Informal relationships from members of different divisions provide future support networks.

"University Leadership Development"

by Mike Bell, February 2004

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