Leading for the Future
In Module 5, you will look at balancing Advocacy and Inquiry, and Courageous Conversations. As for the previous modules, please complete this pre-work before joining the session:
Reflection
Reflect on what happened with your biggest learning from Module 4 and what you were going to do differently in relation to Public Value and the Three Horizons. You will share your reflections at the start of Module 4.
Ladder of Inference – with a focus on Advocacy and Inquiry
Coming full circle returning to where we started, watch again the Ladder of Inference video (5 mins 23 seconds) to refresh on this, and then review the Ladder of inference – advocacy and inquiry and observe yourself in conversations:
You will discuss your reflections on this in pairs during the session.
Courageous Conversations
Think through a conversation you have had recently which you found tricky or difficult or didn’t go as you expected (it may have been better than expected). Complete the Left-hand / right-hand column hand-out in advance of the next module and reflect on the following questions, as you will discuss these with a partner during the session:
Afternoon section
In the first half of the afternoon of Module 5, you will work in your Adaptive Learning Set as your sixth Set member presents their wicked issue.
For the second half of the afternoon, one week before Module 5, see Option A or Option B below and post your preference in the Teams channel for your Set.
Option A - Request a second opportunity to present an issue to your Set, i.e. have a second round, like you did in Module 4
Option B - Prepare for the Immunity to Change Masterclass, and discuss/revisit the tools and experiences you have had
If your Set chooses Option B, review and reflect in advance on the Leading for the Future - Tool Graphics 2026.pdf. This displays the three core theories in full and has another slide that overlays many of the tools on the programme, including those from the Skills Development Workshop and the Masterclasses.
If it is your preference to take notes on the slide pack, and to see the full agenda in advance, and when the breaks will be, you can download the slides from the Resources section below. This is optional and not a requirement.
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.
"Left-hand / right-hand column"
An example and further explanation of the "Left-Hand Column" approach can be found on page 246 of The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook: Strategies for Building a Learning Organization (1994) by Peter Senge et al. The Fieldbook also has chapters on Mental Models and Systems Thinking. To understand how this book may be used, read https://thesystemsthinker.com/the-fifth-discipline-fieldbook-a-guide-to-the-learning-organization/.
If you found the "left-hand / right-hand " approach enlightening, then you might want to explore a bit more around the concept of effective "dialogue". In working on our "wicked" and "adaptive" challenges, many of the difficulties we face relate back to conversations which do not go as well as we had planned or expected. You may this 5-page Systems Thinking and Dialogic Leadership article helpful, in its exploration of Dialogic Practices and David Kantor's Four-Player Model.