Leadership development by working on real social issues
Managers 'behind the wheel’ of their own learning process
An international Insurance Company wants its managers to show powerful leadership, entrepeneurial spirit. ‘Leadership with guts’ as they call it. They were looking for a development programme for its top 150 leaders, that would be different from most programmes. Managers had already experienced training with Powerpoint sheets, lectures, role plays... Effective though these may be, it was not the type of intervention the organisation was looking for this time. They were looking for something that would give a real boost to the entrepeneurial spirit of the group. An approach that would challenge managers, invite them to step out of their comfort zone and develop ‘leadership with guts’.
Together, Kessels & Smit consultants and people from the client organisation came up with an idea for a learning process of a highly organic and experimental nature for all involved. A persistent, complicated societal problem formed the backbone of the programme. A group of managers was asked to develop a structural, sustainable solution. We dubbed the approach: The Challenge...
Directing your own learning process
A new name for a new type of leadership programme. It looked simple from the outside: participants jointly worked on a societal project that they feel really involved with. They managed their own learning process, driven by their individual learning needs. After all, every manager faces different challenges in his personal growth towards leadership.
The power of the approach is its simplicity and transparency. Both make it inevitable that everyone ‘steps in’ and actively engages in the learning process – if no one does anything, there is no learning programme... We faciltated the process in a number of ways. For instance by coaching participants in uncovering their learning questions and in taking charge of their own learning. But also by supporting the group in finding an approach to tackle the project. And by facilitating the group collaboration and safeguarding time for reflection. So learning and working would go hand in hand.
Working on social issues and on personal development
Over the years, seven groups of managers contributed to finding solutions for problems like housing of elderly people, juvenile unemployment, homeless youths, illiteracy, safety and health issues. Each group created totally different dynamics, different collaborations, different learnings. Many participants mentioned a feeling of powerlessness at the start of the search process and a feeling of empowerment, pride and inspiration in finally tackling the daunting issues.
The insurance company greatly values the Challenge: the programme helps managers to stand strong as an individual leader and be connected at the same time. People who participated look for more interaction with their own superiors and create strong relations with other managers and employees. Tackling problems with leadership and guts makes an impact both outside and inside of the organisation.
The Challenge was nominated for the Dutch Consultancy Award by the Dutch Council for Organisational Consultants and the Association of Organizational Scientists and Consultants.
