Navigating Disruption 2025

Advanced leadership development program

Early Bird Registration available until December 31, 2024!

‘Complexity’ is not new, but how we deal with it today requires different thinking and skills to lead in an increasingly disruptive and complex world.

You are not alone if you feel you are currently operating in an increasingly complex and unpredictable environment.

As we’re all aware, dramatic changes have been happening worldwide. A perfect and continuing storm of rapid technological development, generational/ social change and industry disruption have catapulted all public, private and not-for-profit organizations into an incredibly unpredictable environment.

The US Army describes this operating environment as ‘VUCA’, which stands for:

Volatile—change occurs on a large scale at a fast pace;
Uncertain—difficult to predict the future;
Complex—challenges are complicated by multiple, interdependent and often unknown factors;
Ambiguous—events can have multiple interpretations with little indication of which is true.

Not surprisingly, biennial surveys of global CEO’s found that 80% anticipated greater complexity in the future, while fewer than 50% felt they or their organizations were equipped to deal with that complexity. How are organizations to respond? How will you respond?

Senior managers and executives today are at the heart of adapting to and leading transformational change in an increasingly VUCA landscape.

While technical expertise will always be important, organizations require additional capabilities to continually rethink, reshape and lead organizational functions while balancing short-term and long-term strategic perspectives.

The Navigating Disruption program goes beyond traditional leadership skills to build advanced, adaptive and complex thinking skills needed by participants to work collectively to make progress on their most challenging problems.

Grow your ability to

Lead complex change and establish resilience in periods of uncertainty.
Grow new perspectives and a greater ability to make progress on complex, adaptive challenges.
Improve decision-making skills in complexity.
Cultivate a learning culture.
Thrive, not just survive.

"I would highly recommend this hands-on, intensive training to all senior administrators and executives, given its emphasis on new ways of thinking and leading change in an increasingly complex work environment, where dealing with problems with no simple solutions has become the norm."

"As a senior manager, it is rare that we encounter simple or straightforward challenges in our professional lives these days. I found the Navigating Disruption curriculum tremendously valuable in helping me better approach complex problems that may have no real solution. The course content helped me change my way of thinking to be a better leader and a better peer for those in my organization."

"I found great insight and learned valuable leadership tools in Barry and Andrew’s Navigating Disruption training. As we challenged our beliefs and assumptions, I found value in new perspectives and developed a greater capacity for success in a complex, volatile environment. I sincerely appreciate the time and personal attention the facilitators brought to the training, and I feel their training and mentorship has helped me to grow as a leader. "

“I loved that I was able to bring a problem that was causing great disruption at my university and work with you and my fellow students to develop a plan to navigate the disruption. I was able to return to work with great confidence in implementing the plan, and it worked!"

Meet Your Coaches

Learn from highly experienced facilitator coaches

Dr Barry Bales, PhD

Dr Barry Bales, PhD is a Director of Uncharted Leadership in the USA. He is intrigued by what enables people to be successful in leadership roles. Previously, he was Assistant Dean for Professional Development at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, the University of Texas at Austin and a founding member of the school’s ‘Executive Master in Public Leadership’ program. Barry is a frequent speaker in the areas of leadership and systems thinking and has taught, consulted with, and coached leaders and executives in fifteen US states and nine foreign countries. His PhD is in Adult and Human Resource Development Leadership from the University of Texas at Austin

Sara Boone Hartley

Sara brings her passion to Uncharted Leadership USA in Program Design and Delivery after two decades of government executive leadership and management experience for the nation’s 10th largest city – Austin, Texas. After embracing leadership and working her way into executive roles, Sara knows personally the impact of developing people through high-impact learning opportunities. She designed and facilitated award-winning leadership programs for the organization throughout her tenure. She has also built innovative programs and is a speaker in the area of career, personal and mentorship development of women in the workplace and community.

Andrew Stevens, MBA, FGLF

Andrew Stevens, MBA, FGLF is passionate about the role that management and leadership development plays in making organizations, communities and even societies more productive, more human and more successful. In his former role as the Assistant Dean and Director of Executive Education at the University of Adelaide, Andrew has had the great fortune to work with senior managers across a diverse range of private, government and not-for-profit organizations. This experience has allowed him to understand that the leadership attributes needed for success in today’s world are changing. In response, he has come to realize that the way we design and deliver leadership development needs to evolve.

Program format

The program’s multi-dimensional learning approach involves a two-month, iterative cycle of learning, application, and reflection and has been designed for busy managers. The structure for the Navigating Disruption program integrates the following elements to maximize impact in developing adaptive thinking skills.

Pre-work

The pre-work activities have been selected to stretch your thinking and prepare you for an accelerated learning journey throughout this program.

One intensive, three virtual sessions and two team coaching sessions

The 4-day intensive held in Austin includes dynamic mix of highly interactive presentations and actives with the opportunity to apply what is being learned to real world challenges! The three virtual sessions will enable you to orient to the program, assess strengths, and further enhance your experiences. The two team coaching sessions focus on collective reflection, commitments, and progress tracking.

Topics covered include:

Leadership for complex environments
Understanding and overcoming change resistance
Developing Adaptive Capacity
Uncovering the drivers of behavior using systems thinking
Separating leadership and authority
Noticing and managing polarities
Advanced listening skills
Managing emotional triggers
Identifying different strategies needed for addressing simple, complicated and complex challenges

Organizational application

You will select a ‘complex organizational challenge’ that you are facing that will become the applied – and rigorous – focus of your learning. This will include peer coaching and feedback throughout the program.

Strengths Profile

Clifton Strengths Profile and Strengths workshop included in the fee.

Reflection

Guided reflection throughout the program will enable you to take a different perspective on your own learning and growth.

Designed for

Our experience in doing this work internationally has shown that those with a combination of the following attributes are likely to excel in this program.

Those in mid- or higher-level leadership roles who have already acquired and successfully use traditional leadership skills;
Those who have experienced enough tough challenges to recognize that something more may be needed;
Those who have a continuous learning mindset – and are open to challenging their own perspectives;
Those whom the organization needs to be an impactful leader for the future.

Dates and Fees

New dates just released for 2025!

(All dates and times are CDT)

PROGRAM OUTLINE:

Orientation & Virtual Session 1 – March 31, 2025, 3.00-5.30pm
Virtual Strengths Session 2 – April 7, 2025, 3.00-5.30pm
Team Coaching Session 1 – mid April, dates/times TBD by each Coaching Circle (90 mins)
Face to Face Intensive – May 5 – May 8, 2025 (all day)
Team Coaching Session 2 – mid May, dates/times TBD by each Coaching Circle (90 mins)
Follow up Virtual Session 3 – June 9, 2025 – 3.00-5.30pm
Online micro coaching from Facilitator coaches throughout.
Clifton Strengths profile.

FEES:

Early Bird Registration (before end of 2024) US$3500 (applicable for payment received by Dec 31, 2024 or PO received by Dec 30, 2024 and payment by January 28, 2025.)
Regular Registration US$3900 (applicable for payment received after December 31, 2025.)
Group Discounts – Contact us for discounts on groups of 3 or more participants!

Fee covers all program, coaching and assessment costs for the two-month program. It also covers some meals during the on-site intensive. Lodging and travel expenses are the responsibility of the participant.

“As a senior manager, it is rare that we encounter simple or straightforward challenges in our professional lives these days. I found the Navigating Disruption curriculum tremendously valuable in helping me better approach complex problems that may have no real solution. The course content helped me change my way of thinking to be a better leader and a better peer for those in my organization.”

Eric A
University System Administrator

At A Glance

Overview

Navigating Disruption is an evidence-based program that enables you to grow new perspectives and a greater ability to make progress on complex challenges.

Your two month program is presented in a highly engaging, practical, and experiential format.

For more information, contact Barry Bales.

Dates & Structure

Program is sold out for 2024. Contact us for more details on future programs.

All dates/times are CDT.

Orientation/Virtual Session 1 - March 31, 2025, 3.00-5.30pm
Virtual Strengths Session 2 - April 7, 2025, 3.00-5.30pm
Group Coaching Session 1 - mid April, 2025
Face-to-face Intensive Session - May 5 - May 8, 2025 (All day)
Group Coaching Session 2 - mid May, 2025
Follow-up Virtual Session 3 - June 9, 2025, 3.00-5.30pm

Registrations & Fees

Early bird registration - US$3500:
(applicable for payment received by December 31, 2024 or PO received by December 30, 2024 and payment by January 28, 2025.)
Regular registration US$3900:
(applicable for payment received after December 31, 2025.)
Group Discounts:
Contact us for discounts on groups of 3 or more participants.
Covers all program, coaching and assessment costs for the two-month program. It also covers some meals during the on-site intensive. Lodging and travel expenses are the responsibility of the participant.

Early Bird Countdown ....

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Early Bird pricing has now expired!