Tilburg University Practices of relational leadership in action learning teams Moore, S.A. Publication date: 2014 Document Version Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record Link to publication in Tilburg University Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): Moore, S. A. (2014). Practices of relational leadership in action learning teams. Tilburg University. 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Download date: 14. mrt.. 2023 Practices of Relational Leadership in Action Learning Teams Proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan Tilburg University op gezag van de rector magnificus, prof. dr. Ph. Eijlander, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van een door het college voor promoties aangewezen commissie in de Ruth First zaal van de Universiteit op maandag 10 november 2014 om 14.15 uur door Sidney Allen Moore geboren op 27 juli 1956 te Birmingham, AL, USA. Promotores: Prof.dr. K. Gergen Prof.dr.ir. G.M. van Dijk Abstract The problem statement that set the course of action for this study was: how could we re-frame leadership in a way that would support greater organizational capacity for facing the complex challenges of the contemporary world? In this paper, I summarize literature regarding the ongoing transformation of worldview from the enlightenment to the postmodern era, as well as key concepts from systems theory. Then, I review a range of literature related to the way organizations and researchers theorize leadership. From the broader field of published study, I select and present the theory of relational leadership as a basis for my research project. The purpose of my project was to document the praxis associated with leadership when viewed from a relational perspective. I set out to construct a study where I could observe and be a part of relational leadership as it unfolded; as groups gave meaning to it through their dialog, interactions, and practices. With that purpose in mind, I framed my research question as: How does relational leadership unfold and emerge over the course of a project? What are some of the key practices that enable and comprise relational leadership? The project spanned three years, during which I observed 29 action learning groups in programs created to foster relational interaction rather than traditional team and leadership structures. In addition to my observations, I collected narratives from participant interviews and written surveys. My qualitative analysis of the information employed elements of method from narrative inquiry and grounded theory, as well as the epistemology of systemic-constructionism. The outcome of the study is presented as a discussion of five practices which emerged in these groups as they evolved their coordinated and effective action: weaving a web of lateral relationships, working in service of the whole, meaning-making through dialog, converging on purpose and direction, and iterating design of the path and the destination. This study suggests that by engaging in relational practices, participants can enable leadership as a collective capacity for addressing adaptive challenges. Given that the relational view shifts attention from individuals to relational practices, this study contributes to the literature in that it provides insight on the specific interactions and narratives that helped to unfold and construct some of those practices. i Acknowledgements A relational approach to leadership shifts our focus from what it is that we do as individuals to what it is that we create together. I express my sincere gratitude to all those who have supported me on my journey: my family, my dear friends and colleagues, my teachers and advisors, and all the learners who have danced with me over the years. UBUNTU I am what I am because of who we all are; I am because we are. ii Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................ i Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................. ii Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 The End of Normal ............................................................................................................... 1 My Role As An Observer ....................................................................................................... 1 Outline of the Dissertation ................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1: Implications for a New Era............................................................................ 6 The Narratives of History Unfold .......................................................................................... 6 Rise of the Machine Age and Modernism .............................................................................. 7 Order: .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Reductionism: ................................................................................................................................. 9 Determinism: .................................................................................................................................. 9 Postmodernism .................................................................................................................. 11 Contemporary Challenges for Business Organizations ......................................................... 14 Four Stories: Narratives of Complex Business Challenges in a Postmodern World ................ 18 Story 1: Financial Services................................................................................................... 18 Story 2: The Fashion Industry ............................................................................................. 19 Story 3: The Food Services Industry .................................................................................... 20 Story 4: High-Tech R&D / Manufacturing ............................................................................ 20 Four Stories Reflections ...................................................................................................... 21 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 2: Systems and Complexity ............................................................................. 25 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 25 Systems thinking is a shift to holistic perspective: ....................................................................... 25 Systems thinking attends to connections and relationships ........................................................ 26 Systems thinking includes context and environment: .................................................................. 27 Systems Thinking for Organizations .................................................................................... 27 Complexity and Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) ............................................................... 28 Properties of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) ................................................................... 29 Collective: ..................................................................................................................................... 30 iii Interconnected; Interdependent: ................................................................................................. 30 Dynamic, Self-Organizing: ............................................................................................................. 31 Open Systems: .............................................................................................................................. 31 Adaptive and Emergent: ............................................................................................................... 32 Table 2-1: Attributes of a Complex Adaptive System, or CAS ........................................................... 33 Implications for Organizational Leadership ......................................................................... 34 Diversity: ............................................................................................................................................ 34 Independent participants, interconnected, interdependent, and self-organizing ............................ 35 Interaction with context .................................................................................................................... 35 Adaptation ......................................................................................................................................... 36 A Systems Story ................................................................................................................. 37 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 3: From Leaders to Leadership ........................................................................ 41 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 41 Leadership As The Individual Leader ................................................................................... 44 Distributed and Shared Leadership in Groups...................................................................... 48 Shared Leadership............................................................................................................... 49 Distributed Leadership ........................................................................................................ 50 Systems and Relational Theories of Leadership ................................................................... 54 Complex Systems Leadership Theory ................................................................................... 56 Relational Leadership .......................................................................................................... 58 Primacy of relationships, not individuals ...................................................................................... 59 Knowledge as socially constructed and socially distributed ......................................................... 61 Relating as a processes, dialog, and interaction ........................................................................... 62 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 64 Chapter 4: Design of the LEAD Program ....................................................................... 66 Client Challenges, Wicked Problems and Social Messes ....................................................... 66 A Crucible of Individuals, Relationships, and Context .......................................................... 68 Vertical Development – How to “Complicate” Leaders ........................................................ 71 Cognitive Complexity .................................................................................................................... 71 Appropriate Challenge .................................................................................................................. 72 Ill-Structured Yet Important Problems ......................................................................................... 73 Designing for Vertical Development .................................................................................... 74 iv Design Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 74 Description of the LEAD Program ........................................................................................ 76 Pre-Program Activities ........................................................................................................ 76 Selection and Kickoff ..................................................................................................................... 76 Insight Instruments ....................................................................................................................... 76 Development Planning Meeting ................................................................................................... 77 Session Subjects and Activities ............................................................................................ 77 Business Simulation ...................................................................................................................... 77 Content Knowledge, Tools, and Application ................................................................................. 78 Contracting, Reflection, Feedback, and Coaching ........................................................................ 78 Executive and Peer Networking .................................................................................................... 80 Action Learning Project ....................................................................................................... 80 Post-Program Activities ....................................................................................................... 80 Development Planning Meetings .................................................................................................. 80 Ongoing Group Activities .............................................................................................................. 81 Chapter 5: Research Design and Methods .................................................................... 82 Systemic-Constructionist Epistemology ............................................................................... 82 Unit of Analysis: Collective Practices ................................................................................... 84 Research Strategy .............................................................................................................. 86 Research Methods ............................................................................................................. 87 Narrative Inquiry ................................................................................................................. 87 Grounded Theory ................................................................................................................ 88 Construction of the Study – The LEAD Program ................................................................... 91 Origin of the Research Questions ........................................................................................ 91 My Questions for Inquiry..................................................................................................... 93 Sampling Frame and Data Collection ................................................................................... 95 Participant Interviews ......................................................................................................... 95 Business Context - Stakeholder Interviews .......................................................................... 96 Chapter 6: ................................................................................................................... 97 Emergent Themes & Practices ..................................................................................... 97 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 97 Research Question: ............................................................................................................ 98 v Summary of Practices ......................................................................................................... 98 • Weaving a web of lateral relationships ............................................................................... 98 • Working in service of the whole .......................................................................................... 98 • Meaning-making through dialog: ........................................................................................ 98 • Converging on purpose and direction: ................................................................................ 98 • Iterating design of the path and the destination ................................................................ 98 Weaving a Web of Lateral Relationships ............................................................................. 99 Working in Service of the Whole ....................................................................................... 106 Meaning-Making Through Dialog ...................................................................................... 111 Converging on Purpose and Direction ............................................................................... 118 Iterating Design of the Path and the Destination ............................................................... 126 Chapter 7: Summary and Conclusions ........................................................................ 131 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 131 Aims of This Study ............................................................................................................ 131 Discussion of Findings ...................................................................................................... 132 Summary of key findings ................................................................................................... 132 Correlation with systems and relational leadership theory ................................................ 134 Transverse themes in the practices ................................................................................... 136 Struggles in letting go of the familiar to embrace the new and unknown ...................................... 136 The importance of shared purpose for integration ......................................................................... 137 Trust: the fundamental elements of relationship apply .................................................................. 138 Differentiating themes .................................................................................................................... 139 Implications for Practice ................................................................................................... 140 Significance, Limitations, and Further Research ................................................................. 142 APPENDIX A: Interview Questions ............................................................................ 144 The Written Narratives / Surveys ...................................................................................... 146 Narrative Questions .................................................................................................................... 146 Bibliography of References ........................................................................................ 147 vi Introduction The End of Normal To say that we live and work in turbulent times is an understatement. The world is rapidly evolving from a mechanized, industrial-based economy with leaders in positions of command-and-control authority to a more interdependent, complex knowledge exchange that requires new perspectives on leadership. The interactive forces associated with globalization and technology are moving business organizations toward a new worldview, or perhaps multiple worldviews, to help us make sense of our reality. In this new era, how can organizations shift their emphasis beyond individual leaders to a more collective, systemic, and relational construction of leadership – one which is more relevant to contemporary business challenges? Transcending the command, control, and predictability paradigms of classical management science with newer theories of complex adaptive systems and relational leadership, organizations and researchers are attempting to construct shared meaning around the dynamic and collective inter-action that is essential for successful, sustainable businesses. We have a desire to change the conversation in a way that allows us to invent new options for action that were not available before. This can be done by letting go of previous definitions and assumptions about leadership, and being open to new ways of interacting as a relational community. As both a researcher and a business leader, I want to contribute to that purpose. My Role As An Observer My interest in a systems point of view began many years ago with my studies as an undergraduate, working in the field of biomedical electronics. Immersed in the world of physiology, I was fascinated by cellular components, and the ways these microscopic entities could interact to bring the emergent property of life to an organism. Later, I E