Vertical Development Incubator insights - creating conditions

60 years ago, Reading PA was thriving off the back of coal, railway and heavy industry. Times change and since then Reading has had its share of hard times. The last 10 yrs however have seen progressive thinking and new businesses bringing hope and prosperity back to the city. 

What better backdrop as the venue for our 4th Vertical Leadership Development incubator hosted by one of those progressive businesses, Penske?  The incubator is helping create a movement that aims to deliver millions more capable integrative leaders who will help create these sorts of transformations as our world changes. Nick and I evolved the process and we think this was our best incubator yet. Here are my top four takeaways.

• Create conditions for development not 'teach' development. I was struck by how many of the participants biggest insight was that you can't 'teach' leadership. My words not theirs. Developing as a leader is messy and can't be tightly controlled or 'taught'. However, it is possible with the right conditions and 'letting go' a touch as a coach, facilitator or better, experience designer.
• Flipping improved all dimensions. This time around we 'flipped the workshop'. All the content we normally deliver was embedded in workouts on Adeption and completed before the group came together. It made a big difference. We had more time for connecting and experiences in the workshop sessions and the discussions were all up a level. This is now a non-negotiable for future incubators.
• Digital carries a different mindset. Despite the success of 'flipping' the workshop we continued to learn how much there is to learn with digital development. Adeption is optimized for action, very interactive and not at all like 'consuming' material in other digital platforms (learning or social ones). However, there is a shared belief that consuming content is what you do on a digital platform. Many people find it jarring to be required to contribute, act and reflect - things we have mastered within workshops. My takeaway here - we can't overdo the framing of how to use Adeption and sharing the why behind our features.
• Getting out of your head works. A raging success in all the incubators has been including design thinking style physical modelling. I'm always amazed at the additional insights people have when they stop thinking and start building. Molding, fidgeting and building activates a whole new part of the brain and after a day and a half of talk new and better insights flowed. Ironically, we had more time to do this due to using Adeption to flip the workshop. A perfect example of the power of and - more digital and more physical!

Finally, there will be more. If this looks like the sort of thing you would like to be involved in check out how to take part here.