1. Coaching Leaders in Turbulent Times
Dealing with Complexity, Chaos & Constant Change
David B. Peterson, PhD
Coaching in Leadership and Healthcare Conference Harvard Institute of Coaching
September 26, 2015
Copyright © 2015 David B. Peterson, PhD. All Rights Reserved.

2. Why this topic?  Coaching leaders for 25 years. Common challenges:
 People skills, emotional intelligence, dealing with conflict, communications
 Moving into bigger roles that require strategic thinking, building an organization (vs. leading a team), systems thinking, boldness and courage
 Navigating and thriving in face of cmplxt, dsrptv chng, rdcl nnvtn, nprdctblt, mbgt, trtfgrthsnt
 Humans: Not well-equipped to learn in such environments (Kurzweil, 2005; Taleb, 2001, 2012)

3. Key assumptions 1. Things are changing faster faster and better
 Leaders need to learn
2. Different kinds of things are changing  Leaders need to learn different kinds of things faster, in different ways
 We all need to learn new ways to learn different things faster and better…
Coaching leaders in turbulent times
 Agility:
Learning agility, mindfulness, reflection, resilience
 Complexity: Decision making, managing tradeoffs
 Diversity: Experiences, ideas, people, perspectives
 Adversity: Challenge, difficulty, failure, friction

4. 1. Things are changing faster (Hamel, 2012)
The world is becoming more turbulent faster than most organizations are becoming more resilient.
— Gary Hamel —

5. 2. Different kinds of things are changing
(Duke Corporate Education, 2013)
Greater complexity: Problems are multidimensional, interconnected, interdependent
Authority based on influence, not control or position power
Need to lead second-order change rather than just linear change: Disrupts the system; requires new paradigm
Challenges are less predictable; emergent
Knowledge is less reliable
 Shelf-life of information is short
 Tacit knowledge as important as explicit knowledge
 Systemic knowledge is critical to understand & solve problems

6. VUCA A dramatically different leadership context
Volatile Uncertain Complex Ambiguous
Rapid, sudden, constant change
Unclear information and outcomes
Multiplicity of variables and unknowns
Lack of clarity about the meaning of events

7. Leading in VUCA environments is radically different
 In stable environments, leaders will be most successful by optimizing performance around current needs.
 In VUCA environments, leaders will be most successful by sub-optimizing current performance and investing in robust strategies that enhance flexibility and adaptability to enhance future performance.
 Key dilemma: Making the tough choices
 Sub-optimizing the parts to optimize the whole: Requires a broad, systemic view, courage, and a compelling mission
 Managing short-term/long-term tradeoffs: Sub-optimizing short-term performance requires a strong vision of the future and long-term point of view

8. The greatest attribute a producer can have is the ability to see the whole picture. Most artists, when they record something, don’t listen to the whole thing. They listen to what they’re doing. When the music is played back, he’ll be listening to himself. The producer must sit back, view the whole thing in perspective and make sense of it.
— George Martin —

9. Leading in turbulent times
If . . .
 The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior in similar circumstances
 The Future is unpredictable and dissimilar 
VUCA
 Leadership effectiveness (“future behavior”) requires ability to respond to VUCA, unpredictable, emergent challenges . . .

10. Leading in turbulent times
Then . . .
 Past success — especially in stable, linear environments — may be irrelevant or misleading
 Leaders need to aggressively seek opportunities to practice, experiment, and learn in VUCA environments
 Organizations need to change how they evaluate and develop leaders

11. Aggressively seek VUCA experiences
Do one thing every day that scares you.
— Eleanor Roosevelt ―

12. Implications for organizations
Ensure leaders experience a variety of challenges, including VUCA roles
 Leaders who have navigated more diverse and complex challenges are far more likely to be successful in senior leadership roles
Assign key roles based on “greatest opportunity to learn”
 Select the least qualified person — someone who is qualified, but just barely — someone who is likely to learn a great deal and still perform at an acceptable level — vs. the most qualified person

13. Implications for organizations
Evaluate performance over longer time-frames and wider variety of circumstances
 Support leaders through VUCA assignments, regardless of short-term performance
 Factor in the “difficulty level” of the assignment
 Overweight learning agility, resilience, ability to build and lead teams through VUCA, etc.
Differentiate leaders who thrive in VUCA vs. those with deep expertise in specific areas and deploy them in ways that play to their strengths

14. — Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo —14
From the time we formed we have tried to overcome our reluctance to do certain things. A lot of things did not come naturally to us — even singing and guitar solos. As the years go on we look for other ways to push ourselves. We play a lot of other instruments. We keep exploring the possibilities and try not to settle with what we are comfortable with.
— Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo —

15. I start in the middle of a sentence and move both directions at once.
— John Coltrane —
(When asked to describe his style)

16. We are not prepared to learn effectively in a complex, constantly changing world
Confirmation bias – people tend to interpret data in ways that reinforce current assumptions and beliefs
 Yet falsifiability is critical to science and advancement of knowledge (Popper)
Fundamental attribution error
 Tendency to take personal credit for success and attribute failure to circumstances
 Multiplied by lack of appreciation for random factors (Taleb, 2001, 2012)

17. We are not prepared to learn effectively in a complex, constantly changing world
Rarely take time to reflect deeply and identify underlying patterns
 Novices focus on superficial characteristics
 Experts focus on underlying dynamics that are less visible but more relevant
Rarely exposed to enough examples to generalize patterns – expertise requires thousands of hours and conscious effort
Wired to see linear rather than exponential trends: Information and technology change at exponential rates (Kurzweil, 2005)

19. Coaching leaders in turbulent times
1. Agility
Learning agility, mindfulness, reflection, resilience
2. Complexity
Decision making, managing tradeoffs
3. Diversity
Experiences, ideas, people, perspectives
4. Adversity
Challenge, difficulty, failure, friction

20. Learning agility (Mitchinson & Morris, 2012)
Innovating
Question the status quo, challenge assumptions, find new ways of doing things, experiment, view issues from multiple angles
Performing
Address and learn from unfamiliar challenges, be present and engaged, observe and listen, process data quickly, deal with stress and ambiguity, adapt quickly
Reflecting
Hungry for feedback, process info quickly, seek to understand own assumptions & behaviors, generate deep insight into themselves, others, problems
Risking
Venture into unknown territory, pioneers, take risks to explore new opportunities (not merely thrill-seeking), tackle problems where success is not guaranteed, stretch outside their comfort zone
- Defending
Closed or defensive to feedback; finding the right balance of self- confidence, persistence, openness to other views and perspectives

21. I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas
I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.
— John Cage —

22. A moment of reflection
 How quick are you to agree or disagree when you hear really new ideas?
 What are we doing to keep ourselves open to exploring new ideas and implications?
 How do we cultivate an attitude of curiosity and openness in ourselves and our colleagues?
 How do we make sure we expose ourselves to novel, diverse ideas and perspectives and explore them with curiosity?

23. on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”23
“Paying attention
in a particular way,
on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”
Jon Kabat-Zinn

24. Mindfulness
(Langer, 1998, 2011)
Heightened sense of situational awareness and a conscious control over one’s thoughts and behavior relative to the situation
Paying attention consciously, looking for what is new and different and questioning preconceived ideas

25. Mindfulness
 The ability to be fully aware and open to the experience of the present moment; non- judgmental attention (Lee, 2012)
 Three qualities (Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007)
 Present focus: To be present in the current moment; not past or future, not daydreaming
 Awareness: Of external surroundings and internal state, thoughts, emotions
 Non-judgment: Open, accepting attitude; perceiving objectively without evaluation, denial, rationalization, or resentment

26. Action * Reflection = Learning
Learning Ability
Learn quickly and apply knowledge and skills effectively -- for a given topic/situation
Learning Agility
Learn quickly and adapt appropriately to navigate novel, complex, and diverse situations:
Self-directed learning
Make new connections; apply ideas and skills in new ways across time, topics, situations
Seek new experiences and perspectives

27. Scale the questions proportionately
Reflection Calendar
Scale the questions proportionately
Daily Weekly Monthly Quarterly Annually Decadely
(or Quinquennially)
1 minute
2-3 min.
5-10 min.
20 min.
2 hours
1 day

29. Expanding perspectives:
Three dimensions
Look inward
Look outward
Look forward

30. Look inward  Who do you want to be — as a person? As a leader?
 What values will shape your behavior?
 What principles will guide your life and your choices?
 How will you bring your best self to the work you do?

31. Look outward Industry, profession, organization, society, globally?31
Look outward
 What is happening in the world around you:
Industry, profession,
organization, society, globally?
 What does it take to be successful?
 How do people see you?
 Who will follow you and why?
 Where do you see early signals and small clues that things are changing? 31

32. Look forward  What is your vision/mission? Your agenda? Goals?
 How will you make decisions in face of complexity, ambiguity, uncertainty?
 How will you balance long-term vs. short-term tradeoffs?
 How will you build an organization that can thrive in the future? 32

33. Look forward Skate to where the puck will be, not to where it is.
 Skate to where the puck will be, not to where it is. — Wayne Gretzky 33
Skate to where the puck will be, not to where it is.
— Wayne Gretzky —

34. In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.
— The Great Law, The Iroquois Confederacy —

35. Leadership development framework
Look inward
Enhance insight and self-awareness: Capabilities, style, motivations, passions
Craft a compelling leadership purpose, mission, values
Look outward
Expand knowledge and insight around market ecosystem, competitive dynamics, users/consumers/customers
Enhance strategic thinking and organizational acumen
Look forward
Increase capacity to think creatively, drive innovation, make better decisions in face of complexity, uncertainty, change, and ambiguity
Look around
Assess current state, resources, opportunities
Identify priorities and plans
GDSA
Go Do Something Amazing
L,G,D
Build leadership capabilities, maturity, and perspective
Build learning and meta-capabilities

36. Coaching leaders in turbulent times
1. Agility
Learning agility, mindfulness, reflection, resilience
2. Complexity
Decision making, managing tradeoffs
3. Diversity
Experiences, ideas, people, perspectives
4. Adversity
Challenge, difficulty, failure, friction

37. (Lazar & Bergquist, 2003; Snowden & Boone, 2007)
Complexity and decision making:
Puzzle, problem, or mystery?
(Lazar & Bergquist, 2003; Snowden & Boone, 2007)
Puzzle
One-dimensional, can be clearly defined Has a correct answer, clear criteria Simple – clear cause and effect
Problem
Multidimensional; multiple possible answers, reasonable criteria
Requires judgment, discernment; not more data
Complicated – cause and effect are discoverable
Mystery
No correct answer; emergent, unpredictable Defies definition and suitable criteria
Complex – can’t know effect until you have the cause
Wicked – action produces unanticipated consequences 37

38. Complexity, adaptive leadership, unknown unknowns, wicked problems38
In music, the punctuation is
absolutely strict, the bars and the rests are absolutely defined.
But our performance cannot be quite strict because we have to relate it to our audience.
In other words, we are continually changing the score.
— Ralph Richardson —
Complexity, adaptive leadership, unknown unknowns, wicked problems

39. Coaching leaders in turbulent times
1. Agility
Learning agility, mindfulness, reflection, resilience
2. Complexity
Decision making, managing tradeoffs
3. Diversity
Experiences, ideas, people, perspectives
4. Adversity
Challenge, difficulty, failure, friction

40. Critical learning experiences for leaders
(Dotlich, Noel, & Walker, 2004)
Career / Work
Life / Relationships / Family
Adversity
Difficulty at work or in leading others
 Responsibility for significant failure
 Bad boss or competitive peers
 Derailing
 Being acquired or merged 
 
Personal upheaval, loss of meaning
End of a meaningful relationship
Debilitating illness or physical challenge
Lowing faith in the system
Facing retirement or end of career
Diversity
Stimulating projects, assignments,
roles
 Joining a company
 Moving into leadership role
 Moving across functions
 Working internationally
 Business unit responsibility
Breadth of life experiences Living abroad or in different culture Relishing the success of others
Developing and living a meaningful credo
Building your legacy

41. It is the stretched soul that makes music, and souls are stretched by the pull of opposites — opposite bents, tastes, yearnings, loyalties.
Where there is no polarity — where energies flow smoothly in one direction — there will be much doing but no music.
— Eric Hoffer —

42. Implications for coaching
 Encourage clients to seek new perspectives, diverse experiences, challenging assignments
 Practice what we preach:
 Seek new perspectives, diverse experiences, challenging engagements
 Constantly experiment with new approaches, tools, techniques
 Avoid optimizing present impact that suboptimizes future impact:
 PI: Warm, cozy experience, likability, cleverness
 FI: Asking tough questions, stretching comfort zone, exploring diverse & adverse experiences

43. Implications for coaching
 Bring the VUCA into the coaching/learning experience
 Simulate messy, real-world VUCA dynamics to make the coaching conversation much more challenging
 Introduce “desirable difficulties” (Bjork, Dunlosky, & Kornell, 2013)
 Repeatedly bring learners to edge of their comfort zone
 Find the right level of stretch/challenge vs. support
 Make follow-up action items simple; lower the cognitive demand required to implement new behaviors in the real world

44. Learning is easy, real change is hard
The crux of the problem is that learning and performance are not the same… procedures that enhance performance during training may or may not enhance long-term retention and transfer; conversely, procedures that introduce difficulties for the learner and impair performance during training may foster durable and flexible posttraining skills.
— Druckman & Bjork (1991, pp ) —

45. Deep practice is key to mastery (Coyle 2009)
Mindfulness Struggle
Intentional action, reflection, self-talk
Operating at the edge of one’s ability, where failure is likely. Forces you to slow down, make errors, and correct them
Repetition
Progressive challenge in new contexts, to reinforce neural pathways
Strategic Feedback
Including self-observation, evaluation, and reflection

46. in the long run, the easiest.
In this age, which believes there is a shortcut to everything, the greatest lesson to be learned is that the most difficult way is,
in the long run, the easiest. 46
— Henry Miller —

47. Reflections, lessons learned, next steps??
 What did you find most provocative or challenging?
 Where are you optimizing current performance at the expense of learning and experimenting?
 Where do you need to step out of your comfort zone to take yourself to the next level?

48. Why cities grow and corporations always die
Geoffrey West:
Why cities grow and corporations always die
 Biological scaling: larger animals are more efficient, live longer, go extinct faster
 As cities grow:
 They become more efficient (2x  15%)
 Dimensionality increases
 “One of the great things about cities is they support crazy people.
You walk down Fifth Avenue, you see crazy people. There are always crazy people. Well, that's good. Cities are tolerant of extraordinary diversity…. This is in complete contrast to companies.”
 As organizations grow, they become more stable, more homogeneous, less creative, less adaptable.
 “crazy people are fired… Maverick people are often fired.”

50. 50

51. This is not the end; it is just the beginning of the journey. . .
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
— Confucius — 51

52. “You have to systematically create
confusion, it sets creativity free. Everything that is contradictory creates life.”
— Jasper Johns —
5522

53. APPENDIX

54. Context: The Development Pipeline
Necessary & sufficient conditions for learning
(Peterson, 2006)
Real- world Practice
Insight
Motivation
Capabilities
Accountability
Are they willing to invest the time and energy it takes?
Do they internalize their capabilities
and feel
accountable to actually improve performance and results?
Do they have opportunities to apply their capabilities where it matters?
Do people know what to develop?
Do they have the capabilities they need?

55. Development Pipeline + Partnership
A Sixth Necessary Condition For Helping Relationships
Development Pipeline + Partnership
 The coaching/helping relationship
 Trust
 Understanding
 Accept and support the person’s agenda
(Peterson, 2010)
Relation- ship
Capa-ies RReeaall--wwoorrlldd
Account-
InInssigighhtt
MMoottiivvaattiioonn Capabilit
Accountability
bilities
PPrraaccttiiccee
ability
 Social connections and support: compassion, love
Community, caring,

56. Views from other perspectives56
GAPS
Insight & Motivation
Where the person is now
What matters
Abilities
How they see themselves
Goals & Values
What matters to the person
The person’s view
Perceptions
How others see the person
Success Factors
What matters to others
Views from other perspectives
(Peterson, 2010) 56

57. Four directions for learning
Reflection:
Four directions for learning
(Peterson, 2010)
Look inward
Who do I want to be?
What am I trying to accomplish?
What matters to me: Principles, values?
Look outward
What does it take to be successful? What matters to others?
How do others see me?
Look back
What new things have I tried? What worked? What didn’t?
What have I learned so far?
Look forward
What will I do differently?
What do I need to do to keep learning?

58. Reflection calendar (Peterson, 2010)
Daily (1 min.): What new thing did I do today? What did I learn? What one thing will I do differently tomorrow?
Weekly (2-3 min.): What progress did I make last week? What do I need to focus on next week?
Monthly (5-10 min.): How am I doing on my learning objectives? What do I need to do to keep growing? How will I get meaningful feedback?
Quarterly (20 min.): What do I need to do to manage my personal growth and professional development more effectively? What is most important for me to develop going forward?
Annually (1 hour)
Am I living my life the way I want to? Am I on a path to become the person I truly want to be?
Where do I stand relative to what truly matters to me?
Where do I want to be a year from now and how do I get there?
How do I make sure I’m not missing something important?
Decadely (One day every 5-10 years)
Who do I want to be? What values do I want to live by?
How do I connect to my deepest mission and purpose?
What do I need to do in the next 5 years to accomplish what matters most?

59. References & recommended readings

60. References & recommended readings
Bjork, R. A., Dunlosky, J., & Kornell, N. (2013). Self-regulated learning: Beliefs, techniques, and illusions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64,
Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 211–237.
Collins, J., & Hansen, M. T. (2011). Great by choice: Uncertainty, chaos, and luck: Why some thrive despite them all. New York: HarperBusiness.
Colvin, G. (2006). What it takes to be great. Fortune, October 19.
Colvin, G. (2008). Talent is overrated: What really separates world-class performers from everybody else. New York: Portfolio.
Corporate Leadership Council. (2005). Realizing the full potential of rising talent. Washington, DC: Corporate Executive Board.

61. References & recommended readings
Coyle, D. (2009). The talent code. New York: Bantam. De Meuse, K. P., Dai, G., Hallenbeck, G., & Tang, K. (2008). Global talent management: Using learning agility to identify high potentials around the world. Los Angeles: Korn/Ferry International.
Dotlich, D. L., Noel, J. L., & Walker, N. (2004). Leadership passages: The personal and professional transitions that make or break a leader. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Druckman, D., & Bjork, R. A. (1991). In the mind’s eye: Enhancing human performance. Washington, DC: National Academy.
Duke Corporate Education. (2013). Leading in context. Author.
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Random House.
Eichinger, R. W., & Lombardo, M. M. (2004). Learning agility as a prime indicator of potential. Human Resource Planning, 27(4),

62. References & recommended readings
Gladwell, M. (2013). David and Goliath: Underdogs, misfits, and the art of battling giants. New York: Little, Brown.
Hamel, G. (2012). What matters now? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Hulsheger, U. R., Alberts, H.J.E.M., Feinholdt, A., Lang, J.W.B. (2013). Benefits of mindfulness at work: The role of mindfulness in emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98,
Hunter, J. (2011). Cultivating the executive mind: Is mindfulness the key to 21st century economic survival? Webinar, 9/28/11, Center for the Contemplative Mind.
Johnson, S. (2010). Where good ideas come from: The natural history of innovation. Riverhead Books.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Kahneman, D., & Klein, G. (2010). Strategic decisions: When can you trust your gut?
McKinsey Quarterly, March.

63. References & recommended readings
Kaiser, R. B., Hogan, R., & Craig, S. B. (2008). Leadership and the fate of organizations. American Psychologist, 63,
Kizilos, M. (2012). Framebreaking leadership development: Think differently about work experiences to achieve more, faster. Experience-Based Development Associates.
Kurzweil, R. (2005). The singularity is near: When humans transcend biology. New York: Viking.
Langer, E.J. (1998). The power of mindful learning. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo. Langer, E.J. (2011,June). Mindfulness. Presentation at the ADC Future Summit.
Melbourne, Australia. Video available at
and-leadership-ellen-langer-3512.
Lazar, J., & Bergquist, W. (2003). Alignment coaching: The missing element of business coaching. International Journal of Coaching in Organizations, 1(1),

64. References & recommended readings
Lee, R. A. (2012, January). Accelerating the development and mitigating derailment of high potentials through mindfulness training. The Industrial- Organizational Psychologist (TIP), 49(3),
Lehrer, J. (2012). Groupthink: The brainstorming myth. The New Yorker, January 30.
Leonard, G. (1992). Mastery: The keys to success and long-term fulfillment. New York: Plume.
Maister, D. H. (1997). True professionalism. New York: Free Press.
Martin, J., & Schmidt, C. (2010). How to keep your top talent. Harvard Business Review, 88(5),
Mitchinson, A., & Morris, R. (2012). Learning about learning agility. Columbia University and CCL. Downloaded from

65. References & recommended readings
Peterson, D. B. (2006). People are complex and the world is messy: A behavior-based approach to executive coaching. In D. R. Stober & A. M. Grant (Eds.), Evidence- based coaching handbook: Putting best practices to work for your clients (pp.
51-76). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Peterson, D. B. (2010). Executive coaching: A critical review and recommendations for advancing the practice. In S. Zedeck (Ed.), APA handbook of industrial and organizational psychology: Vol. 2. Selecting and developing members of the organization (pp ). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Peterson, D. B. (2010). Good to great coaching: Accelerating the journey. In G. Hernez-Broome & L. A. Boyce (Eds.), Advancing executive coaching: Setting the course for successful leadership coaching (pp ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Peterson, D. B. (2011, January). New perspectives on identifying and developing high-potential leaders. Pre-conference workshop, Society for Consulting Psychology, Las Vegas.

66. References & recommended readings
Ready, D. A., Conger, J. A., & Hill, L. A. (2010). Are you a high potential? Harvard Business Review, 88(6),
Shadrick, S. B., & Lussier, J. W. (2009). Training complex cognitive skills: A
theme-based approach to the development of battlefield skills. In K. A. Ericsson (Ed.), Development of professional expertise: Toward measurement of expert performance and design of optimal learning environments (pp ). New York: Cambridge University.
Snowden, D. J., & Boone, M. E. (2007). A leader’s framework for decision making.
Harvard Business Review, November,
Taleb, N. N. (2001). Fooled by randomness: The hidden role of chance in life and in the markets. New York: Random House.
Taleb, N. N. (2012). Antifragile: Things that gain from disorder. New York: Random House.
Tan, C.-M. (2012). Search inside yourself: The unexpected path to achieving success, happiness, and world peace. New York: HarperCollins.