Ten skills for agile leadership
Complex challenges are all around us—they impact our companies, our communities, and our planet. This complexity and the emergence of networks is changing the practice of strategic management. Today’s leaders need to understand how to design and guide complex collaborations to accelerate innovation and change—collaborations that cross boundaries both inside and outside organizations.
Strategic Doing introduces you to the new disciplines of agile strategy and collaborative leadership. You’ll learn how to design and guide complex collaborations by following a discipline of simple rules that you won’t find anywhere else.
• Unleash the power of true collaboration
• Learn and master the 10 skills of agile leadership
• Apply individual skills to targeted situations
• Introduces a new discipline of leadership strategy
Filled with compelling case studies, Strategic Doing outlines a new discipline of leadership strategy specifically designed for open, loosely-connected networks.
Table of Contents:
Foreword xv
Introduction xvii
Our Promise xix
Why Are We Confident? The Backstory of Our Work xx
Our Current Work xxiii
Your Guides for This Book xxv
Why This Book? xxvii
Our Credo xxix
Postscript xxix
Note xxx
Chapter 1 You Are Here 1
The Challenges We Face 3
What, Exactly, Has Changed? 7
The S-Curve 15
The Changes We Need to Make 17
Notes 25
Chapter 2 Create and Maintain a Safe Space for Deep, Focused Conversation (Skill 1) 27
Deep Conversations 29
Focused Conversations 30
Deep, Focused Group Conversations 31
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Conversation Guide 35
Case Study: Setting the Stage for Deep Conversations in Flint 36
Note 37
Chapter 3 Frame the Conversation with the Right Question (Skill 2) 39
Adaptive Leadership: One Question, Many Answers 42
Appreciative Questions 44
Developing Questions to Frame Conversations 46
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Questioner 48
Case Study: Reframing the Question at a Community Institution in Rockford 49
Note 51
Chapter 4 Identify Your Assets, Including the Hidden Ones (Skill 3) 53
Assets 56
Guidelines for Identifying Assets 58
Hidden Assets 59
Assets Are Starting Points 59
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Inventory Taker 60
Case Study: Reimagining an IT Department 61
Note 63
Chapter 5 Link and Leverage Assets to Identify New Opportunities (Skill 4) 65
Linking and Leveraging Assets to Innovate 67
Linking and Leveraging Assets Force Us to Think Horizontally 70
Developing Your Ability to Think Horizontally 71
Guiding a Group to Think Horizontally 73
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Connector 74
Case Study: Linking and Leveraging Assets to Build a Cutting-Edge Industry Cluster 75
Note 76
Chapter 6 Look for the “Big Easy” (Skill 5) 77
Decision-Making Methodologies 79
The 2×2 Matrix 81
Dealing with Doubts and Doubters 85
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Prioritizer 86
Case Study: Finding a Way to Jump-Start New Economic Activity 87
Chapter 7 Convert Your Ideas to Outcomes with Measurable Characteristics (Skill 6) 89
Great Ideas Lie Below the Surface 92
Three Questions to Ask 93
Measuring 96
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Dreamcatcher 98
Case Study: Using Metrics to Spur New Workforce Development Strategies in Kokomo 99
Chapter 8 Start Slowly to Go Fast – But Start (Skill 7) 103
Launching Your Learning 106
Qualities of a Good Starting Project 108
Keeping the Team on Track 109
What Next? 110
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Experimenter 111
Case Study: Overcoming the Academic Bureaucracy with Small Wins 112
Chapter 9 Draft Short-Term Action Plans That Include Everyone (Skill 8) 115
Shared Leadership 117
Action Plans for Shared Leadership 119
Micro-Commitments Build Trust 119
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Deal-Closer 121
Case Study: Taking Collective Action to Develop a Hub for Community Health 123
Chapter 10 Set 30/30 Meetings to Review, Learn, and Adjust (Skill 9) 125
Learning Loops 127
Building New Habits 128
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Convener 130
Case Study: Helping a Music Capital Pen Its Next Hits 131
Chapter 11 Nudge, Connect, and Promote to Reinforce New Habits (Skill 10) 133
Nudging 136
Connecting 138
Promoting 140
Putting the Skill to Work: The Agile Leader as Chief Doing Officer 141
Case Study: Turning Micro-Commitments into Larger Innovations 143
Chapter 12 Ten Skills. Got It. Now What? 147
Putting It All Together: Strategic Doing 153
Using Strategic Doing as an Individual 156
Using Strategic Doing in a Small Group 157
Using Strategic Doing with a Large Initiative 159
Final Thoughts 162
Learn More 163
Bibliography 179
Acknowledgments 185
About the Authors 187
Index 189
