Leadership and Character in Vertical Learning

This Grist to the Mill contribution is intended to be somewhat controversial and I’m sure will challenge individual views and values of the 21st Century mind-set. For this, I make no apologies and seek merely to be an agent provocateur in the growing maelstrom of the vertical learning debate.

My contention is that the language and frameworks for describing vertical learning and its place in leadership development is rooted in learning theory and philosophy dating back thousands of years in many different cultures and spiritual traditions. The language of “character development” featured in such texts and in the early part of my career working on personal development programmes with police officers, the term character development was used with freedom. What else would you call personal development in the context of organisational development?

Current cultural and political mores do of course shape our attitudes towards such matters. This begs the question to what extent do our current views on learning and leadership development reflect “mere politics, fashion or political correctness” rather than a true exploration of the innate capacity of humanity to learn, grow and develop in the service of organisation, community and self?

The received wisdom is that there are many and varied leadership styles and philosophies, from situational leadership to transformational leadership to authentic leadership…..and beyond. Goleman introduces us to the six leadership styles demonstrated by the emotionally intelligent leader in “The New Leaders”.

Revered institutions have come into existence in order to train or develop leaders. Many such institutions such as Sandhurst are now ingrained in the cultural fabric of the UK, the former commonwealth countries and beyond.

I had the fortune to hold a senior role at Brathay for several years, founded on the vision of a wealthy benefactor to “build the character of the young apprentices of the cotton mill towns of Lancashire through personal and social development”. (A mission still pursued by this most fabulous organisation with a current focus on the disaffected young people of post-industrial, social media savvy Britain) Brathay ignited much post-war leadership and personal development thinking and methodology, being influential in the spawning of John Adair’s Action Centred Leadership and Meredith Belbin’s team roles.

So whether it’s Sandhurst, Brathay, the traditional public schools, or the ancient spiritual traditions, character development seems germane to leadership development, despite that such a label seems entirely unfashionable today carrying heavy connotations of the playing fields of Eton.

What has this got to do with vertical learning?

Each vertical learning guru is working to put their spin on the idea to create for themselves their own USP in a crowded market. So rather than add another take on it, I refer to what is already out there as “received wisdom”

Vertical learning is:

• A means by which the individual moves away from ego to appreciate other, bigger, less constrained ways of thinking and perspectives through self-awareness.
• A process by which we become more aware of and responsive to the practical and emotional needs of others.
• How we come to be more able to put others needs first in the spirit of “Leaders Eat Last” (Sinek)
• Learning that enables us to pay attention to our own sustainability and resilience under pressure while still having an eye out for the needs and care of others.
• Learning to build emotional intelligence to enable us to connect with ourselves and others in more meaningful, productive ways.
• Becoming more skilful and purposeful in co-creation and collaboration, more ably equipping us to work with and resolve the complex problems of today and into the future.
• Having the personal space and capacity to be a part of, rather than apart from the macro and micro environment that sustains us as an individual and a species.

In thinking about vertical learning, leadership development and character development, the ancient sages again offer the perspective of the long view:

“Those who understand others are intelligent.
Those who understand themselves are enlightened.
Those who overcome others have strength.
Those who overcome themselves are powerful.
Those who know contentment are wealthy.
Those who proceed vigorously have will power.
Those who do not lose their base endure.”

—Lao Tzu (Trans. Derek Lin)

So I return to my contention; that vertical learning is what, in an earlier epoch of personal and leadership development, would without embarrassment or being subject to pointing fingers of derision, be shamelessly referred to as character development.

Beyond politics, fashion and political correctness, what’s wrong with that?

Brian Woodall

True North Partnership

Leadership in Principle

Leadership has been a source of enquiry and writing since 2,500 BC. Lao Tzu was defining the “personal essence of good leadership” around 500BC therefore it’s somewhat ambitious, if not downright presumptuous to think we might uncover the ultimate truth here.

But we can all share in the grist that is offered and learn through the process of “communal milling” in search of the essence of what is ultimately the very personal journey of leadership learning in increasingly uncertain times...both at work and beyond!

The leadership debate rages on but one thing seems to be generally accepted, central to leadership is the essence or character of the individual.

The True North approach does develop skills but we go further. We focus on enabling leaders to uncover their vocation or sense of mission and support them in their ongoing journey of learning transition, change and evolution, at work and beyond.

As social animals we have lived in communities and traded goods and services with each other since the beginning of our species. In this highly complex, inter-dependent world it seems entirely rational that we should be at the top of our learning game to be as effective in doing this as possible.

We contend therefore that Leadership has at its core the intentional act of enabling others learning in the effective pursuit of a shared endeavour.

Organisational development has at its core the intentional process of enabling groups, team’s organisations and communities to be effective in fostering learning, creating shared capability and going beyond.

Contributing to and leading collective human endeavour is a skills set that can be learnt.

Learning is also a process.  Our individual antecedent’s serve us well in helping us learn and make sense of our experience in ways that enable us to function. Equally they get in the way. We often hang on to the past even though in times of rapid change, what was once acknowledged wisdom becomes a ball and chain to progress and adaptation.

We contend that transition is a component of change.  In enabling learning, leaders need to understand the factors involved in personal and organisational transition and be skilful in working with them.

In leading transition, leaders need to be aware of and constructively work with their own and others immunity to change

Awareness is simply a process of fully experiencing our experience and not becoming buried in day-to-day activity.  Although what seems so simple is far from it as the sages form all traditions testify.

…and so we go beyond

At True North we hold the wisdom of the sages such as Lao Tzu sincerely but lightly and work with the essence of leadership being the character of the individual. Therefore we have to go beyond work.

We contend that significant learning goes beyond the accumulation of facts and skills. As we as we experience the world today, facts and skills are vitally important but are an increasingly transitory commodity.

The core conditions for significant learning include awareness through reflection and self-discovery with a thirst for collaborative enquiry.

We are all in transition, at home, at work and with ourselves.  Often our biggest challenges but most profound significant learning happens through the process of transition.

We contend that fully experiencing experience is the key to unlocking our personal potential and the potential of collective human endeavour.

How we feel and what motivates us and those with whom we work is every bit as important in our personal leadership learning journey as our rational, problem solving and strategic brains

All significant learning involves a degree of letting go of ego and supported, managed risk taking.

The mission of True North is to contribute as fully as possible to ensuring our clients have the necessary personal capacity and resilience to accept the learning with which life presents us...at work and beyond.

Brian Woodall, True North Partnership, September 2017

Our Foundation

Grist to the Mill is  'Something that is favourable or creates opportunity' or 'Anything that can be turned in to profit or advantage'.  Grist is unground corn or any grain that would be taken to a mill. It is the act of grinding the grist that produces flour or profit.

“The horse that stands next to the Mill carries all the grist” (William Camden 1605).  

True North offers 'Grist to the Mill' as a space in which articles, provocations and white papers can be posted for 'milling', through argument, discussion and debate, or just appreciation of a different perspective. The aim is to create shared 'profit' through the process of sharing.  

A brief description of the ideas and principles that underpin our approach and way of working with references to give some insight into how we have got to this point:

The start of the start

Experiential Learning: D. Kolb.

Making Experience Pay: A. Mumford. P. Honey.

Freedom to Learn: C. Rogers

How come it is I came through my business degree without ever encountering the work of David Kolb? How come one book, Freedom to Learn, had turned my world upside down? Only when I had become involved in leadership learning and organisational development did I work consciously with Kolb’s experiential learning cycle and Alan Mumford’s “Making Experience Pay”

The learning cycle, along with the principles and practices of vertical learning is the foundation stone for True North. To use Kolb’s words, life is an active experiment. Conscious reflection with feedback the essential tools to fuel the cycle.  Meaning making is the way we interpret our experience of our own actions, how we impact up on the world and the world on us.

Six Category Intervention Analysis: J. Heron.

On Becoming a Person: C. Rogers.

What’s the Use of Lectures? D. Bligh.

Design for Learning: J. Kilty

So I’m going to intervene in groups as a consultant and facilitator.  I’m going to have one-to-one conversations and do follow-up coaching and support for workshop participants and managers. It seems sensible to have a notion of the core conditions for learning and what I can say or do to be helpful. I quickly found giving lectures had little impact on significant learning.

In doing this, my own reflective practice to build my conscious competence seems an important discipline to apply to myself if I’m asking others to do it. I found a peer action learning group through work really helps too. And a supervision group through my post-graduate programme at Surrey University.

For your own Good: A. Miller

A realisation that my past has shaped the kind of person, leader and consultant I am and want to be.

The next steps

The Skilled Helper: G. Egan.

Process Consultation: E.Schein. “

If You Meet the Buddha on the Road, Kill Him: S. Kopp.

Experiences in Groups: W.D. Bion

Post-privatisation BT and a significant change process in place with my role leading and supporting senior managers in undertaking very new and culturally challenging ways of working. We have to bust a few myths about hierarchical behaviour and get a good handle on senior team and organisational processes. I have to coach and facilitate…..a lot!!!.....and train coaches and facilitators…..a lot!!!!

Organisational Learning: C. Argyris, D. Schon.

Organisational Transitions: R. Beckhard and R. Harris. 

The Psychoanalysis of Organisations: R. De Board.

A senior role in the Costain Group leading the talent and change agenda with a couple of colleagues.  In a very commercially challenging and challenged sector with a highly macho culture, my fundamental question and raison d’etre was how to make the leadership development and change agenda gain traction and be seen to be having quick commercial gain?  The EI and NLP world was also burgeoning as was the search for excellence. The new corporate mantra became “Do more with less” as business process re-engineering was rattling through boardrooms.

And so into the world of external consulting

Strategic Alignment: N. Chorn.

Consulting for Real People: Cockman and Evans.

The Bottom Line series: A. Warner

The change to being an external consultant for me was driven by other disciplines about which I needed to be consciously competent.  The primary one being to focus on the clients agenda rather than being the agenda leader as an internal change agent and manager. So identifying and working with organisational culture and the whole area of aligning strategy, values and behaviour to commercial or political ends becomes the focus.  The key challenge, that of balancing personal learning and growth with the commercial or political imperatives while hanging on to the ethical compass of my own personal and professional standards.

The Hungry Spirit: C. Handy. 

The Intellect Industry: M.Scott.

Transitions: W. Bridges

Charles Handy was leading the debate about change, uncertainty, unreason and the search for meaning in the workplace as we crossed the threshold into the new century. The professional service firm is becoming an important part of the employment market, and I’m in one, and about to set one up, and working with a few as clients.

Recently and onwards towards True North

Personal and Organisational Transformations: D. Rook, B.Torbert, D. Fisher.

Organisational Consulting: E. Nevis.

The Old Ways: R. McFarlane

At this stage of life in the VUCA world, my calling is to focus and spend time and energy on the essence of what I have come to realise is really important to me and important to this chaotic world. Leadership learning remains at its core. The natural environment and music have been constants throughout.

Vertical learning is not the panacea to all ills, but I’m convinced it has a big contribution to make.

The active experiment continues. Others that have helped along the way and stuck with me:

Music and the Mind: A. Storr.          

Finding Sanctuary: C. Jamison.

Confessions of a Janus Brain: J. Heron.     

Anum Cara: J. O’Donohue

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: R. Pirsig.

The Tao Te Ching: Lao Tzu.

The Fear of Freedom: E. Fromm.

The Magus: John Fowles.    

Touching the Void: J. Simpson

The Celts: P. Beresford Ellis

The Hanged Man: S. Kopp

An Autobiography: M.K. Gandhi.

Jonathan Livingstone Seagull: R. Bach.

Small is Beautiful: E. Schumacher

Brian Woodall

True North Partnership

September 2017