Enhancing Human Systems Change Learning from an NTL® Workshop and Field Applications

Abstract

It has become commonplace to examine the externalities of leadership development, emphasizing the need for new skills and abilities such as establishing strategic vision, developing collaborative teams, and managing conflict. This article proceeds from the premise that leadership effectiveness also requires a deeper understanding of self—the inner dimension of leadership. Specifically, the authors (1) trace the evolutionary design of an NTL Institute workshop and the learning from facilitating individual self-awareness and the resolution of behavioral patterns blocking personal leadership effectiveness and (2) provide exemplars of how self-awareness can be incorporated into leadership development programs. However, the authors also raise questions about the willingness of organizations to invest in the integration of externally focused skill development with personal introspection and change.

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