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Emerging Knowledge

We need to rethink the design of leadership development programs so they reflect how people really learn. There is increasing evidence of training's limited success in achieving its goals of sustained individual growth and lasting organizational change. McDonald summarizes the current research, including data from his own leadership development consulting practice, and its implications for effective leadership development program design. SoL member Grady McGonagill offers a comment, proposing that McDonald's findings are well accepted. So why do we continue with ineffective practice? What if "folks responsible for all that classroom training, like me, are aware of and even endorse the above principles, yet continue to ignore them. In that case we need to look deeper into how leadership developers make choices about how to approach their craft." Grady offers some reflections on what might be driving his own choices, and the underlying beliefs we must address. Read Full Article

Feature

In the face of alarming environmental and social imbalances, the growing push for sustainability has given hope to many thoughtful practitioners. But John Ehrenfeld, a leader in the emerging field of industrial ecology, questions the conventional approach to "sustainable development." Creating true sustainability, he argues, requires radical solutions, not quick fixes. The process begins by examining our own behaviors and assumptions regarding consumption, personal satisfaction, and technology. Ehrenfeld suggests ways to achieve a deeper vision of sustainability. Read Full Article

Commentary by Greg Roscoe

Commentary by Bob Tierney

Feature

With so many social systems – families, companies, governments, communities and societies – in disarray, it often seems that the future does not look promising. The scenarios we imagine most easily reveal our worst fears rather than the legacy to which we aspire. What can we do? Based on extensive research, first-hand experience, and a multi-year dialogue, Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers – authors of the new book Presence: Human Purpose and the Field of the Future – have concluded that in order to “create the world anew” we will be called to participate in changes that are both “deeply personal and inherently systemic.” Given SoL’s mission to support the interdependent development of individuals and their institutions, we are delighted to share highlights of the authors’ exploration into the essence of generative learning. The article that follows is based on the introductory chapters of their book. Read Full Article

Commentary by Darcy Winslow

Commentary by Elena Diez Pinto

Commentary by Robert Fritz

Emerging Knowledge

Although corporate culture is seen as a significant contributor to strategy and business planning within a firm, it is often ignored during merger integration efforts. Culture is as important as technology, structure, mission, boundaries, or process, all of which may change following an alliance. Culture is the key to changing all the rest while preserving the essence or core of the organization. The author reports her research comparing the practices of two leaders and the impact on the culture and effectiveness of their groups. While defining culture as a self-organizing learning system, she also argues that an organization that waits for culture to evolve or combine may experience fragmentation and disconnection from the larger community or organization. Read Full Article