From Learners to Leaders – UCL’s Transformative Approach to Leadership
We are continually proud to work alongside our Lead Partner, UCL, and in celebration of this strong partnership, we are spotlighting new research from Louise Stoll (Emeritus Professor of Professional Learning at UCL) and Liz Robinson (CEO of Big Education).
Their cutting-edge paper ‘Transforming Leadership Learning: Designing for Sustainable, Systemic Change’ lays out a forward-thinking action plan for reimagining leadership development for the future.
Presented as a “rethink of leadership,” this research contributes to the growing global focus on leadership improvement. It recognises the need for a re-evaluation of leadership due to the “complex, fast moving educational context” in which young people currently learn.
As the authors note, “We use the term leadership learning – rather than development – to reflect better the deep engagement necessary for transformative changes. Leaders, like students and teachers, have to see themselves as learners.”
This engaging research examines five successful and innovative leadership development programmes from across Canada, New Zealand, Austria and England.
Stroll and Robinson present 7 principles for transformative, sustainable leadership learning which were common across the different settings:
- Systematic future-focused transformation
- Transformative personal growth
- Foregrounding deep, networked relationship
- Interrupting assumptions and ‘activity traps’
- Prioritising diverse perspective
- Interweaving evidence, stories and practical experience
- Adaptive facilitation and modelling
“Profound leadership learning is not just about acquiring knowledge and skills; it’s about transforming mindsets, developing strong relationships within and across networks and ecosystems, and empowering leaders to become adaptive learners and bold change-makers.”
You can explore the full research paper here, read the Thinkpiece, and watch the accompanying YouTube webinar for deeper insights.
