Developing leaders on-line using action learning: an account of practice

Willocks, Katie ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8499-4860 and Rouse, Julia ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5967-6038 (2024) Developing leaders on-line using action learning: an account of practice. Action Learning: Research and Practice, 21 (2). pp. 174-184. ISSN 1476-7333

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Abstract

Amid the backdrop of the global pandemic and other complex societal and organizational challenges, the demand for proficient people management skills among managers and leaders has become increasingly urgent. The ensuing narrative offers an account of a leadership development initiative tailored for line managers and delivered amid the pandemic. This account focuses on a specific facet of the training - a series of online action learning sessions conducted between April 2021 and May 2022. The article commences by laying a contextual foundation for the project and profiling its participants. Subsequently, the paper delineates the precise action learning methodology adopted within the project, detailing its structuring and implementation. This is followed by the presentation of case studies featuring participants who engaged with the action learning process, delving into their training experiences and elucidating key outcomes pertaining to their learning, development and alterations in professional practice. Ultimately, the article culminates by reflecting on crucial findings and insights gleaned from the execution and assessment of the action learning initiative, thereby underscoring valuable recommendations for the future implementation of action learning in leadership development.