MRG (Management Research Group)

From LEARNING to SIMULATION & ACTION LEARNING to REFLECTIVE LEARNING Our 30 Humanitarian and Development Executive leaders engaged in the Tandem Leadership development journey six months ago. After a first retreat in November 2023, months of individual learning, executive coaching, individual reflection, roundtable discussions with first class subject matter experts, they are now meeting for a final one-week retreat. The challenge is immense, as it is about finding together ways to re-imagine the ways of working and collaborating among NGOs and UN agencies, together, and not in silos, to serve the population in needs, and provide powerful and effective humanitarian response in a world that has become highly complex and challenging for the sector. We just came out of two intense days, based on a SIMULATION, shaped by real context elements, to help these leaders test, demonstrate, verify and improve their individual learnings in action, and reflect on how they can collectively lead differently. A full day SIMULATION, followed by almost the same amount of time with reflective learning, at collective level, at location levels, at team levels and at individual level, ending by an inspiring and powerful PEER COACHING and LEARNING sequence. An intense moment, allowing to take a pause, take stock, and fine tune and reshuffle everyone’s learning intentions. “Landing” the experience and the learning in Homegroups, providing a safe learning environemnt with peer learning and co-development, is a key process to anchor executive leadership development. I am so po pleased to support such a process as a coach with my colleagues Tricia Naddaff (she/her/hers) Camil El Khoury Yene Assegid, PhD, ICF/MCC Uli Otto So proud to observe their learning journeys and achievements and so inspired by knowing that these leaders are out there in the world. USAID MRG (Management Research Group) Tandem Leadership Sasha Kapadia Katie Robertson Danielle Skidmore

Validate yourself. Another Peloton milestone (700 rides and counting) and no shout-out on the live ride from the instructor. For the GenX readers, it’s the equivalent of not being seen by the lady on Romper Room with the special mirror. Admittedly, my wanting a shout-out may be a touch juvenile but it’s rooted in a need for recognition of achievement. It got me thinking about the number of senior leaders who I coach who have a high motivational need for being held in esteem by those whose opinion matters (to them). It’s akin to wanting a “good job” shout-out and what’s the harm in that? Getting validation from others can be helpful when climbing the ladder to help propel one forward. But at a certain point that positive feedback plateaus. The interesting tension I notice is that as leaders move upward often the validation and recognition, the “good jobs” and “you nailed it”, are in an inverse relationship with the positional level. For those leaders who get a lot of motivational energy from the validation of others, what was at one point was motivationally energizing can become motivationally draining as they are never “seen”. Now for the good news… Once a leader gets clear on their motivational drivers, often they can reframe both the situation and their own inner narrative. I rely on the incredible Individual Directions Inventory (IDI) from MRG (Management Research Group) to help leaders get clear on what gets them energized and help them to connect that back to workplace wins and challenges. This is often the work of coaching; helping leaders to reframe and get clear on the sources of motivation that will drive them to be their best self for themselves, their teams and those around them. Validate yourself. #leadership #coaching