Leadership and Management Programmes

Reflect on Module 2 and what you have noticed in terms of typology of issues, clumsy solutions to wicked issues, ladder of inference – and your strategies for reflection on your patterns,  and for advocacy and inquiry. Reflect also on your biggest learning from the Art of Brilliance Masterclass, and how you got on with what you were going to do differently at work and at home following it. You will share your reflections at the start of Module 3.

As with the two previous modules, it is important that you read the following articles and prepare your questions and comments about them:

• Creating Breakthrough: The Leadership of Transformational Change - Bakens by Malcolm Young - an article specially written for the Leading for the Future programme which provides a theoretical overview.
• Short article on the “Shadow Side of Organisation Culture" prepared by Malcolm Young.

In addition:

• Review the Bakens – Making sense of our leadership context slides.  You will write your own ‘Bakens’ – a copy of the first slide - in an exercise in module 3 working on your own, which you will then discuss with a partner.  You are welcome to do this in advance if you wish, and you can add to it during the exercise in the session.  Use the second slide to guide you on what to put against each of the headings.  You might need to leave some of the ‘Bakens’ blank – and this is OK. 

Past participant feedback is that you will benefit from reviewing the documents for a second time the night before and we would strongly encourage you to do this ahead of module 3. 

A note about any book resources - for ease, the links to any books are made to Amazon, but the books will also be available through other retailers and local bookshops, including World of Books (https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb), which has high quality second hand and reasonably priced new books.

"Bakens" and Action Planning

As you focus on creating vision and momentum for change on the "wicked" or complex issues you may be facing, it is helpful to consider the use of action planning tools.  In the programme, we will continue to explore the use of "Bakens" for this purpose (see the pre-work) and you may wish to consider Quality Improvement Tools   or action planning tools of your own alongside this model. 

Systems Thinking

The Bakens model is incredibly helpful in supporting your thinking about your wicked issue. If you are interested in reading more about "systems thinking", then you might find the following resources useful:

• Articles and resources on The Systems Thinker
• "A causal model of organisational performance and change" by W. Warner Burke and George H. Litwin. (Journal of Management. Sep92, Vol. 18 Issue 3, p523. 23p.), which can be accessed on the Knowledge Network through the link.
• Systems Thinking in the Public Sector: The Failure of the Reform Regime and a Manifesto for a Better Way John Seddon (2008), a book which you can purchase.

Shadow Side

For further perspective on the Shadow Side, you can purchase Working the Shadow Side: A Guide to Positive Behind-the-Scenes Management by Gerard Egan (1994).

To reflect on the impact of our own, individual shadow side, there are these short reads in The Systems Thinker:

 The Power and Peril of "Thinking Without Thinking".

Transforming Leadership: The Story of Robert Greenleaf

Chaordic Organisations and the Chaordic Path

 Also in the The Systems Thinker, there is a short read on The nature and creation of chaordic-organizations by Dee Hock, or, if you want more, you can purchase the original book Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock (1999).

Go to module 4