1. Leading Change: Three Ways to Get Out Ahead
Executive Director Consortium
Texas Council of Community Centers
11/1/2012
Erin O’Toole Murphy
Collaborative Action

2. 3 Levels of Organizational Challenges
Technical Challenges
Strategic Challenges
Adaptive Challenges
Degree of Complexity
Speed of Change
Adapted from Ronald Heifetz & Donald Laurie, 1997
Organizational challenges are becoming increasingly adaptive in nature. As we move toward greater complexity, our challenges retain aspects of the previous levels.
©Collaborative Action 2012,

3. The Path of Adaptive Challenges
Stability
Instability
Reintegration
Disintegration
Collaboration
High Trust
Learning
Risk Tolerant
Joint Problem Solving
Feedback Seeking
Local Control
Allow Emergence
Diversity
Open Relationships
Connectivity
Testing
Admit weakness
Clear Direction & Alignment
Identify Problems
High Standards
Results
Hierarchical Control
Confusion
Secrecy
Denial, Blame, Justify
Sabotage/Self-Protection
Isolation
Duplicated Efforts
Fear & Distrust
Hoarding
Holding On To Old Ways
Mistakes Not Tolerated
Conflict Rampant or Suppressed
Low Commitment
No Accountability
No Results
©Erin O’Toole Murphy, 2008
Spiraling paths aren’t pretty paths. The strength of the predominate cultural attributes determines whether an organization adapts or not.
©Collaborative Action 2012,

4. 3 Levels of Leadership Agility
Co-Creator & Synergist (~5%)
Catalyst (~5%)
Achiever (~34%)
Articulate an innovative, inspiring vision
Facilitative by bring together right people to generate creative solutions
Develop other in a culture of participation
Expert (~45%)
Strategic, outcome oriented
Motivated through big-picture challenge
Level of Agility
Tactical, problem-solving
Respected for authority & expertise
Pre-expert (~10%)
Focus
Accountability
Direction
Engagement
Compatable Challenge
Leadership influences culture. Because each leadership level is best suited for a specific type of challenge, catalyst leadership best fosters adaptive culture.
Joiner & Josephs, Leadership Agility, 2006
©Collaborative Action 2012,

5. 3 Leadership Communication Practices
Clear Accountability
Compelling Direction
Facilitative Dialogue
EXPERT
ACHIEVER
CATALYST
Technical Challenge
Strategic Challenge
Adaptive Challenge
Effective leaders employ the communication practice that suits the challenge. Adaptive challenges demand all three practices at some point.
©Collaborative Action 2012,

6. 3 Leadership Communication Practices
Provide:
Clear desired result
Measurement
Level of importance
Level of authority
Resources available
Others involvement
Communication frequency / mode
Due date
Background/Context
What must end
The cost of continuing
The ideal future state
The benefits of the future state
What’s next
Foster:
Advocating for one’s point of view
Inquiring into understand other’s point of view
Inviting inquiry into your own assumptions
Resolving differences
Clear Accountability
Compelling Direction
Facilitative Dialogue
Strong leaders improve their communication skills and expand their range of practices.
©Collaborative Action 2012,

7. What To Do Now As you increasingly face adaptive challenges…
Understand the type of challenges you face
Know your default leadership approach
Get better at a wide-range of leadership and communication practices
©Collaborative Action 2012,