The Age of Agility Building Learning Agile Leaders and Organizations

The Age of Agility: Building Learning Agile Leaders and Organizations focuses on learning agility, one of the most important trends in the business world during the past decade. Surveys have found that learning agility is the most frequently used criterion to measure leadership potential. Yet despite this popularity there is a need to more systematically examine the construct. This volume brings together more than 50 authors with backgrounds in both academic research and talent management practice to address crucial questions such as: What specifically is learning agility? How many facets or dimensions does it have? How do we measure it? And how can it be developed in leaders and organizations? This book enhances our knowledge of learning agility, distilling and synthesizing scientific evidence with best practices and examining the construct through both practical and scientific lenses.

Veronica Schmidt Harvey is founder and principal of Schmidt Harvey Consulting, and supports organizations in building strong healthy leadership pipelines through assessment, coaching, development of learning agile leaders, and holistic leadership development processes. Over the course of her 30 year career, she has worked with organizations across a wide range of industries to implement leadership best practices.

Kenneth P. De Meuse is founder and president of the De Meuse Leadership Group LLC, a global network of more than 250 coaches certified on the TALENTx7? Assessment. He is a global thought leader on the assessment and development of leadership, and has presented his research on learning agility, leadership competencies, and succession planning at many professional conferences and business meetings around the world.

Foreword
Dave Ulrich

Backword Glance by the Founders of Learning Agility
Michael M. Lombardo
Robert W. Eichinger

SECTION I: FOUNDATIONS OF LEARNING AGILITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO LEADERSHIP
1. Learning Agility: The DNA for Leaders and Organizations in the 21st Century
Kenneth P. De Meuse
Veronica Schmidt Harvey

2. Learning Agility and the Changing Nature of Leadership: Implications for Theory, Research and Practice
Guangrong Dai
Kenneth P. De Meuse

3. The Role of Learning Agility in Identifying and Developing Future Leaders
Allan H. Church

4. Measures of Learning Agility
Christine E. Boyce
Anthony S. Boyce

5. The Neuroscience of Learning Agility
Kim E. Ruyle

Section II: Strategies and Habits that Develop Learning Agility
6. Developing Learning Agile Behavior: A Model and Overview
Veronica Schmidt Harvey
Raphael Y. Prager

7. Cultivating Learning Agility through Mindfulness Training: A Framework and Recommendations
R. Andrew Lee

8. Stepping to the Edge of One's Comfort Zone
Cynthia D. McCauley
Paul R. Yost

9. Seek and Ye Shall Learn: Exploring the Multiple Links of Learning Agility and Feedback-Seeking
Seymour Adler
Rachel Neiman

10. Reflection: Behavioral Strategies to Structure and Accelerate Learning from Experience
Frederik Anseel
Madeline Ong

11. Being In Learning Mode: A Core Developmental Process For Learning Agility
Peter A. Heslin
Leigh B. Mellish

12. Learning Agility, Resilience, and Successful Derailment
Paul R. Yost
CodieAnn DeHaas
Mackenzie Allison

SECTION III: ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES THAT SUPPORT AND ENHANCE LEARNING AGILITY
13. The DNA of VUCA: A Framework for Building Learning Agility in an Accelerating World
David B. Peterson

14. Becoming a Learning Agile Organization
Kim E. Ruyle
Kenneth P. De Meuse
Charles W. Hughley

15. Building Learning Agility Through Psychological Safety
Lorraine Stomski
Kelly Jensen

16. Developing Learning Agile Leaders: What We Can Learn from the Top Companies for Leaders
Jessie Leisten
Jim Donohue

17. Sensemaking in a VUCA World: Applying Vertical Development to Enhance Learning Agility
Laura Heaton

18. Learning Agility and Whole Leader Development
Robert B. McKenna
Emily Minaker

SECTION IV: LESSONS AND APPLICATIONS
19. What We Know, What We Need to Know and Where Do We Go From Here?
Veronica Schmidt Harvey
Kenneth P. De Meuse

20. Case Studies

Case Authors

A. Ultimate Software: Nurturing a Growth Mindset in Our Leadership Pipeline
Tanya Castiglione Andrews
Julie Maloney

B. P&G: Fostering Learning Agility in the Next Generation of Leaders
Silke McCance
Ann E. Schulte
Brian J. Ruggeberg
Joshua D. Bush
Sharon A. Stratton

C. Using the TALENTx7 to Identify Potential School and System Leaders
Lianne Sipsma
Yolanda de Beer

D. IBM: Incorporating Learning Agility into Front-Line Manager Selection
Alison M. Hartmann

E. J.M. Huber: Using Learning Agility for Succession Planning and Leadership Development
Marilyn Buckner

F. Developing Learning Agility: Through the Lens of a Leader
Sarah E. Thomas
Veronica Schmidt Harvey

G. Fosun International Limited: Learning on the March to Adapt to Rapid Growth
Jack Lim

H. The Order of St. Francis (OSF) Healthcare: Assessing and Developing Learning Agility to Build Transformational Leaders
David F. Hoff
Todd VanNest

I. Southeastern University, Free Methodist Church and OneAccord: Learning Agility Starts at the Top
Robert B. McKenna
Daniel Hallak
Kent Ingle
Glen Prior
Jeff Rogers

J. J&J: The 134 Year Old Start-Up
Miriam Nelson
Sarah Brock
Kevin Hedman