Global Leadership Network
An international conglomerate had invested millions of dollars and years of effort in first-class leadership development programs. Individuals found the programs inspiring, and their executives shared scattered stories about careers that had been turned around by innovative training programs and individual coaching.
After ten years, the global community of alumni had grown to several hundred, but they were isolated and lonely in the stress of their emerging leadership positions. The organization wanted to increase its return on investment by creating a network of middle managers who could support each other in their work, continue learning together, and provide on-the-ground insights and advice to the executive team.
One inspired and inspiring leader took on the challenge. He saw patterns of isolated performance and hoped for systemic patterns of generative engagement. He valued the outcomes of strategic projects that were integrated into the training, but he hoped for Adaptive Action that was sustainable over time and across complex challenges.
Working with HSD principles and Associates, he engaged small groups of program alumni to learn what they needed and what possibilities they saw.
The result was an innovative Follow the Sun virtual conference. Beginning in Singapore and ending in Los Angeles, small groups of alumni met at 9:00 their local time, facilitated by local staff and focused on emergent local issues. In the first step (WHAT?) of their global Adaptive Actions, each location began their conversation with the outcomes from the local meetings that went before. In the second step of Adaptive Action (SO WHAT?), each local team explored patterns and found meaning in what had gone before. They completed the Adaptive Action cycle with their own plans for short- and long-term action, and shared their findings and questions with the groups that followed (NOW WHAT?).
What emerged was a migrating Adaptive Action experiment, focused on strategic issues, sharing important information, and setting conditions for a robust network of experienced and committed leadership around the world. The benefits continue for the individuals, teams, executive leaders, the corporation, and its clients and stockholders. While addressing key issues, these creative leaders built their own adaptive capacity and connected with others around the world.
Related Resources
As a member of the network, you will receive weekly notices of events, opportunities, and links to blogs and other learning opportunities. Additionally, you will have the option to unsubscribe at any point, should you decide to do so.