Leading Transformation: From the Balcony to the Dance Floor
A program designed to equip leaders with the skills and mindset needed to navigate and lead organizational transformation, focusing on self-transformation, understanding change forces, and creating a culture of continuous learning. This program distills key insights from Stephen Colony's Melbourne talk in 2024, emphasizing experiential learning and personal growth.
Program Modules
Understanding the Forces of Change
Explore the primary forces of change impacting organizations today. Learn to identify and navigate strategic uncertainty, rising stakeholder expectations, accelerating decision cycles, technical complexity, organizational interdependencies, and budgetary pressures.
Reflect on Change Forces
WeeklyReflect on how each of the six change forces impacts your organization and leadership role. Consider specific examples and potential challenges.
“Everything seems fragile, nothing is sort of impermanent.”
Team Discussion: Change Forces
WeeklyDiscuss the change forces with your team to foster shared understanding and alignment. This activity promotes open communication and collaborative problem-solving.
“Leaders have to figure out how to deliver rising stakeholder expectations.”
Leading from the Balcony and the Dance Floor
Explore the concept of leading transformation by simultaneously having a big-picture view (balcony) and being actively involved (dance floor). This module emphasizes self-transformation as a prerequisite for leading others.
Self-Reflection: Transformation Goals
WeeklyIdentify areas in your leadership style that require transformation to effectively lead change. Articulate specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
“If I'm going to lead a transformation, it might require me to transform myself.”
Active Listening & Empathy Simulation
WeeklyEngage in active listening exercises to better understand the perspectives and concerns of your team members during times of change. Practice empathy and build stronger relationships.
“You have to be on the balcony and you have to be on the dance floor and you have to just simultaneously now.”
The Learning Organization: Agency of Change
Explore how to create a learning organization that equips individuals for transformation. Focus on experiential learning, best-self principles, and a culture of feedback.
Experiential Learning Audit
WeeklyAssess current training programs and identify opportunities to incorporate experiential learning activities. Develop a plan to enhance experiential learning within your organization.
“Our senior leaders hate to be taught but love to learn, and therefore we knew that the answer to how are we going to transform our leaders...had to be experiential and immersive learning.”
'Best Self' Feedback Exercise
WeeklyConduct a feedback exercise where team members share stories of when they saw each other at their 'best self'. This activity fosters a positive and supportive environment and promotes prosocial behavior.
“Best self really is about helping us understand that high bar for each of us.”
What You'll Accomplish
- Understand the key forces driving organizational transformation.
- Develop a leadership style that balances strategic oversight with active involvement.
- Cultivate a learning organization that equips individuals for continuous transformation.
- Enhance emotional intelligence and self-awareness to lead with authenticity.
- Foster a culture of feedback and continuous improvement.
Full program access + updates