The Changing Face of Leadership Learning & Development

The Changing Face of Leadership Development

Leadership is more important than ever before.

I believe that we need leaders to shift how they lead. This may be an understatement for some readers. This summer I’ve been asking myself, how can I contribute to this shift with even more gravity?

If I think that leaders need to shift then I need to shift first.

What’s within my control? My mindset, where I put my attention, and how I approach my work. To achieve a grand vision of shifting leadership globally, I need to shift how I support and create leadership development and learning.

Let’s recap. Leaders used to be able to give commands and everyone would comply. A commanding leadership style meant giving orders, expecting immediate compliance without context, controlling the situation tightly, and providing punishment if employees failed to deliver. According to Goleman, Boyatzis, and McKee (2001), this style of leadership is only acceptable in a few instances such as for brand-new people who need clear direction and emergency situations. And this style only creates harmony if the leader can empathize with others and is aware and in control of their emotions. That’s a big ‘if’. Being fully aware of our emotions is easy to say and understand but very challenging to do.

The world has changed and the old way of doing things no longer works. The world is one of complexity, uncertainty, and continuous change where collaboration and compassion are key. Rapid changes and crises in our world have made it essential for leaders to build connection, commitment, courage, and a sense of purpose in their teams and themselves quickly. Leaders need to be creative and change their approach based on the ever-changing environment, situation, and person.

And, the concept of “Leadership” itself is on the edge of Precipice.

As organizations seek to reimagine the future, keep up, do more with less and retain talent, leadership isn’t about a role or position, person, or thing you get. It’s bigger than that.

Leadership is a choice.
It’s a verb, not a noun.
We can choose to lead from any position.
We can also choose not to lead despite having the title of “CEO”.
Development needs to expand beyond traditional hierarchies and limitations of direct reports.

Leaders need to be different and so does how we develop leaders.

I can’t command and control development and learning by delivering heavy slide decks full of knowledge and expect to ‘tell’ leaders how to lead. Information on leadership development theory, best practice, and advice is everywhere. My leadership style has to shift along with the world. This means hosting conversations, not as an expert, but as a curious guide who wants to create a space for courage, connection, celebration, and commitment. I have always favoured spirited, grass-roots movements, and what could be more “bottom-up” than focusing on what is available to all of us – conversation and connection.

With traditional approaches to development, I always regret the lack of time for in-depth exploration and conversation, even if the material is excellent. In each conversation I’ve hosted throughout all programs I’ve delivered, there’s loads of knowledge to be found by listening to the learners.

There’s loads of knowledge in every learner and incredible stories. Working with cancer patients and families in healthcare, I learned that every person has a life-changing story. Stories engage the heart, teach us how to be human, and create the momentum for change. We simply need to slow down so that we have space to share them with each other.

The ability to have more room and time to harvest the wisdom in the room has been a long-standing desire of mine. It’s not easy to put away the ego and instant gratification that comes with dumping tons of fancy knowledge on others. I am passionate about supporting skill development to succeed in today’s uncertain world and learning how to evolve in constantly changing environments.

I am ready to jump, how about you?

Navigate the skies at your own altitude,
with Jess & Kerri

Kerri, Co-Founder & Strategic Lead at Precipice (she/her)

As Co-Founder and Strategic Leader of Precipice, Kerri drives innovation and growth. With an MBA and Certified Coach designation, she brings a strong academic foundation. Her forward-thinking vision has been instrumental in integrating design thinking into Precipice’s unique approach. Her career spans from precision machining to diverse sectors like Oil & Gas leadership and community health at Community Natural Foods and Alberta Health Services in both front line and corporate leadership roles. Noteworthy roles include leadership in medical equipment planning for facilities like Calgary’s Bridgeland Riverside Continuing Care and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. Kerri’s versatility shines in collaborations with Precipice’s clients, from facilitating change management to creative strategic planning. A dedicated learner, her adventurous spirit extends to creative hobbies.

Jess, Co-Founder and Creative Experience Designer at Precipice (she/her)

Jess excels in crafting unique client experiences, collaborating with Kerri to develop transformative programs for leading organizations. Since 2019, Precipice has led diverse leadership initiatives, from steering leaders through acquisitions to creating year-long development experiences for departments in Alberta Health Services. Jess proudly created the Conflict Agility program and swiftly tackled pandemic challenges with the “Cultivating Resilience” webinar series. Precipice has also proudly collaborated with the University of Alberta on two multi-day leadership development programs and initiatives on creating a culture of care. Jess’s background in acting and theatre adds a unique touch to her work, leading to innovations like the Conflict Lab—a blend of theatrical practice and conflict resolution that has benefitted many clients, including a pilot with J5 Design. Jess’s passion extends beyond work; from previously being a yoga instructor to a Spinning and F45 enthusiast, she even started out as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator in her varied career!

Client Feedback

Testimonials

I cannot say enough about the people behind Precipice Development and the work they do. I have worked with Jess and Kerri to co-design two comprehensive leadership programs at the University of Alberta. The content they bring forward is thoughtful, context-aware and well researched; their facilitation, authentic and engaging yet humble. Jess and Kerri live the practices they teach and it shows. It has been such a pleasure to work with and learn from them.

Our organization was grateful for Jess & Kerri's ability to hold space for challenging and brave conversations - it really set us up for success for the next year and I'm excited to see how we can continue to engage them in this work.

“Jess & Kerri, thank you so much for taking the time to help me with my mindset and perspective on my peers. Your techniques started working within the first 10 minutes. Amazing! The meetings became productive and stress-free.”

"The work you do makes a difference not only in the productivity of employees but in the lives of individuals. There are many challenges around us but if we remain curious and open, we can see them as opportunities for growth and deeper understanding. Your energy, thoughtfulness, and amazing ability to stimulate others to ‘see’ is so valuable in this journey. Keep up the great work – although you may not see it, even if it changes one parent’s spirit when they come home to their spouse and children, just imagine what a difference that can make."

“I wanted to thank you for a very fun and interesting day yesterday at the course… I learned some things about myself. You were very entertaining in your delivery and made the day whiz by.”

“I just wanted to thank you sincerely for the coaching course. I thoroughly enjoyed this session as it was highly relatable to my future endeavors.”

“You are such a great coach and bring the best out of people. Working with you has been a great growth opportunity for me!”

In our Relationship Coaching sessions with Jess we feel like we enter a bright room, and everything hard, confusing and painful gets lit up in a higher way, bringing immediate clarity and lasting compassion, for ourselves and each other. She has a gift for asking potent questions that unravel inner wisdom. She is loaded up with tools to share, many of which have completely changed how we handle conflict, bringing us out of exhausting blame & shame cycles, into elevated conversations rich with vulnerable sharing and compassionate listening, that lead to lasting positive change. Investing in Jess as your coach is an investment in the joy, health and peace of your relationship, and therefore your entire life. If it's not already abundantly clear, we could not recommend her highly enough. Thank you Jess!

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