Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry

This article elucidates the relevance, significance and importance of the eight major inquiry domains in the practice of humanity nurturance. These domains were derived using the generativist systems theory of apithology, which examines the causative dynamics of health in living systems. The field of apithology uniquely examines the dynamics of generative forms independent of the determinate conceptions of human observation. This allows for the interpretation and appreciation of developments that include humanity-scale perceptions. The field of humanity development is one discipline that requires this form of non-observer specific inquiry and the use of more expansive referents. The advantage provided by this article is that, in understanding the specificity and contributive necessity of the eight domains of inquiry for the apithology of humanity, we also come to appreciate the reason for their obscuration and the difficulty of their perception. The receptivity to this elucidation of the eight domains provides an initiating pathway for researchers into a humanity-centric ontology, epistemology and methodology. This makes the premise of humanity nurturance a practical reality.

This article demonstrates a reflective and collective inquiry process among eight stakeholders of a multi-year partnership between a university social innovation center and a youth play non-profit during year one of the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked whether “pausing” a University-Community project for reflection and recalibration was an ethical response to disaster contexts. Drawing from cooperative inquiry (CI) and collaborative developmental action inquiry (CDAI) methodologies, as well as co-authorship and reflective journaling, we developed a co-inquiry process that revealed the disparities between University and Community actors within a long-term partnership. Co-inquiry helped us reattune to power-sharing goals of participatory action research as we explored new modes of engagement through progressive rounds of loop-learning. While the pandemic exacerbated unilateral patterns of engagement that plague partnerships, it created an opportunity to prioritize relationship-rebuilding and frame-creation. We found that co-authorship was methodologically important for facilitating co-inquiry and that pausing and holding space for this shared reflection was a key driver of learning.

Coaching is a dynamic process that extends beyond the traditional models of directive guidance, emphasizing the transformative potential of a collaborative approach. When a coach is staying by the coachee's side, engaging in reflective dialogue, and fostering an environment of non-judgmental curiosity and genuine care, deep and meaningful results will follow.

This paper describes a work-in-progress action research project to investigate how technology-enabled learning networks may achieve practical organisational improvement outcomes in the author's own institution, a UK distance learning higher education (HE) context. Collaborative learning technology, typically used for academic learning or professional development, affords the geographically scattered and disparate practitioner stakeholders involved in distance learning module design and delivery the ability to grapple together with a problem area requiring improvement. In this particular context, there is a perennial organisational need to close a feedback loop between remote module tutors and campus based teams, to develop a joint understanding of teaching and learning design challenges, and to put tutors as close as possible to the development of solutions. However, there is insufficient conceptual and practical understanding about the mechanisms by which this unfolding process of technology-enabled organisational learning might happen. Conceptual frameworks in the field of learning networks and networked learning are still developing . The aim of this research is to investigate the active use of learning networks to achieve practical improvement outcomes, and to explore a new conceptual framework covering all stages of the required learning process. The research aims to make an original contribution to the call for actionable knowledge in organisational research, using a collaborative, equitable and rigorous action-oriented and theory-building approach, which also aims to achieve measurable impact.

This chapter illustrates how Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry (CDAI) theory, method, and practice (Erfan & Torbert, 2015; Taylor, 2017; Torbert, 1991, 2013; Torbert & Associates, 2004) can be used to simultaneously assess and transform leaders, teams, and organizations, through a non-formulaic coaching and consulting process that becomes increasingly self-transforming and collaborative as it evolves. After a brief theoretical introduction, two cases are discussed in which team coaches used CDAI along with a psychometric measure, the Global Leadership Profile (GLP), to promote learning and performance objectives of teams and their members.

This article is more than a collation of questions and answers. It provides a record of inquiry into an emergent generative discourse. The format for this inquiry is a series of twenty questions posed to the field of apithology. Contributions to this inquiry came from participants within the community of practice, personal questions arising from an initial engagement with the field and publicly from others with no prior research involvement. The answers recorded reflect the authentic attempt at a comprehensive response to the quoted inquiry. The purpose of this collation is to share learnings discovered from this process with the wider practice community. This set of questions also provides a future reference point on a period of transition from disclosure to discovery in a maturing field of research practice. One feature of significance is how attention is given to the structure of the questions asked. This analysis can reveal almost as much as the answers given in response. The observation made is that by the framing of our questions we reveal aspects of our generative conceptions and the anticipations sought by answers expected. The process of collation evidences how the apithology research community might discover more about co-generative discovery from within the practice of humanity inquiry. Further reflections on the process of inquiry and commonalities found in the generated responses are provided in the conclusion section.

This article discusses the theory and practices associated with a methodology for leadership capacity development that utilizes Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry to support adults in understanding the connections between transformative learning and adaptive leadership. Discussion is focused on transformative learning, ways of knowing, or action logics and single-, double-, and triple-loop learning.

In this chapter, we describe a holistic lens for understanding the subtle, often preconscious, interpersonal boundaries that influence an individual’s interactions in, on, and within groups. What then are the individual (and collective) conditions whereby a person or persons in a group might act from within the interpersonal field of relationship, rather than acting upon, or separate from that relational matrix? How is it possible for a kind of action to emerge from within the We-space that reflects the freedom of differentiated, constituent selves who are each able to maintain critical subjectivity, yet also participate in an interpersonal field that interweaves collective intention, interest, and purpose?  We propose that while the ego might contract and act in an individuating, separating manner in each of the developmental levels, there are nonetheless practices that help individuals and groups attenuate egoic impulses counterproductive to participatory, collective action.

This article discusses the theory and practices associated with a methodology for leadership capacity development that utilizes Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry to support adults in understanding the connections between transformative learning and adaptive leadership. Discussion is focused on transformative learning, ways of knowing, or action logics and single-, double-, and triple-loop learning.

The Problem While reflection is central to adult learning processes and theories, its meaning and definitions vary. Authors approach reflection from different perspectives and assumptions. The Solution This article is a conceptual map to guide the reader through key definitions and perspectives discussed in upcoming articles. We provide a compass for reflection, critical reflection, reflective practice, and how these terms apply to learning from experience, meaning-making, and action in the workplace. We also show how different perspectives or lenses can impact a human resource development (HRD) practitioner’s approach to reflection and present several studies looking at reflection and reflective practices. The Stakeholders This article should help HRD practitioners and others engaged in supporting workplace learning to gain clarity about how to conceptualize reflection and reflective practices and become familiar with the different ways reflection is understood by authors of upcomi...

The authors argue here that contemporary use of action research shares the exploratory, inductive nature of many qualitative research approaches—no matter the type of data collected—because the type of research problems studied are set in complex, dynamic, rapidly changing contexts and because action research is undertaken to support social and organizational change that requires buy-in from many stakeholders affected by the research problem. Action research serves as a critique and alternative to more traditional views of social science. In this article, the authors first describe action research as defined by Kurt Lewin, its originator. They show how two variants of action research—Action Science and Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry—advance insight into how action research can be used to develop personal capability to address system changes that action research seeks to unveil. By using the example of an innovative action research approach to doctoral research, the autho...

This study attempts to explore how transformative relationships take shape, and how they are fostered in the context of online learning environments. This knowledge will contribute to extending current understanding of quality of the relational conditions for cultivating transformative learning. Transformative learning refers the learning processes that revise individuals’ taken-forgranted assumptions and reframe habitual ways of knowing, doing and being (Mezirow, 2000). This is precisely the kind of learning needed in the process of leading adults to grow and develop their capacities for more complex ways of knowing that help them to meet the adaptive challenges and persistent demands of early 21 century life. Transformative learning is considered a popular research area in the field of adult education (Henderson, 2010; Taylor, 2008). How to foster transformative learning is one such common research interest. According to the literature, transformative learning is grounded in the a...

This article outlines a view of integral leadership as integrity with a quality of presence that opens spaces for what wants to emerge. A focus is on describing Heifetz's notion of adaptive leadership as creating a holding environment for work to be done. This is framed in terms of how integrity, subtle energies and intuition combine with late stage ego development capacities to create a quality of presence that enables requisite spaces to be opened up and held. This view is contextualized in relation to existing discourse in the field and the authors' experience in leadership development work. In addition to laying a foundation for the view of leadership used, the concept of integral is examined in relation to integrity. This forms the basis for quality of presence, while intuition is shown to be an essential function in the authors' conception of integral leadership. Intuition is explored in relation to stages of cognitive/ego development, which are also explored in terms of their function and contribution to integral leadership. Future lines of inquiry arising from this conception are presented.

This book chapter illustrates how Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry (CDAI) theory, method, and practice can be used to simultaneously assess and transform leaders, teams, and organizations, through a non-formulaic coaching and consulting process that becomes increasingly self-transforming and collaborative as it evolves. The chapter provides two mini-cases illustrating how CDAI and Global Leadership Profile (GLP) can be used in team coaching contexts to shape coaching interventions on the ground and support the growth of individuals and teams toward more transforming/collaborative ways of operating. The first case was written by Peter Hill during his period of supervised debriefings en route to GLP certification. The second case was written by Nancy Wallis based on her experience coaching a technically brilliant but irascible senior executive toward becoming a more effective team leader and coach of his manufacturing quality team in a global biopharmaceutical firm.

This paper describes a work-in-progress action research project to investigate how technology-enabled learning networks may achieve practical organisational improvement outcomes in the author's own institution, a UK distance learning higher education (HE) context. Collaborative learning technology, typically used for academic learning or professional development, affords the geographically scattered and disparate practitioner stakeholders involved in distance learning module design and delivery the ability to grapple together with a problem area requiring improvement. In this particular context, there is a perennial organisational need to close a feedback loop between remote module tutors and campus based teams, to develop a joint understanding of teaching and learning design challenges, and to put tutors as close as possible to the development of solutions. However, there is insufficient conceptual and practical understanding about the mechanisms by which this unfolding process of technology-enabled organisational learning might happen. Conceptual frameworks in the field of learning networks and networked learning are still developing (Sloep, 2016). The aim of this research is to investigate the active use of learning networks to achieve practical improvement outcomes, and to explore a new conceptual framework covering all stages of the required learning process. The research aims to make an original contribution to the call for actionable knowledge in organisational research, using a collaborative, equitable and rigorous action-oriented and theory-building approach, which also aims to achieve measurable impact.

The complexity of our current social, environmental, and economic realities requires conceptual frameworks that help us chart transformative pathways of collective action. Otto Scharmer’s Theory U is one such framework, offering a profound synthesis of relevant theories and practices related to systems thinking, organizational learning, and leadership. Theory U is also a rich, multi-layered framework that is challenging to apply in action due to its conceptual complexity and because of the demands it makes of both facilitators and participants. As a means of facilitating the skillful use of this theory and its practices, the authors find it helpful to examine and explore Theory U through the lens of a distinct, yet related framework: Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry (Torbert, 2003, 2004). CDAI is a methodology based on action science that integrates adult development theory, first, second, and third person inquiry, and transforming action.

This study investigated fostering political development (as defined in the report) through an integration of adult development, public issues analysis, and structured public discourse. Entitled The Integral Process For Working On Complex Issues (TIP), that multi-session discourse methodology includes issue analysis and framing, deliberation, and organizing systemic action. Its issue-framing template helps users generate multiple approaches to issues that reflect different levels of complexity and incorporate the conceivable human and institutional perspectives and environmental life conditions. The small group used the discourse process to select a public issue of concern and to begin to address it. It was about how to change the community's adversarial political culture. They conducted a deliberative action inquiry into their own tones and intentions toward that issue as the starting point to address it, and did deliberative decision-making on that basis. The political reasonin...

In the organizational learning literature a variety of concepts exists denoting some third order of organizational learning, notably that of ‘triple-loop’ learning. Despite this there has been no systematic, critical consideration of this concept or its origins, impeding both theoretical development and empirical research. Whilst ‘triple-loop learning’ has been inspired by Argyris and Schön, we establish that the term does not arise in their published work. Indeed, we argue that conceptualizations of triple-loop learning are diverse, often have little theoretical rooting, are sometimes driven by normative considerations, and lack support from empirical research. We map the major influences on these conceptualizations, including Bateson’s framework of levels of learning, and offer an original theoretical contribution that distinguishes between three conceptualizations of ‘triple-loop learning’. We also highlight implications for practice, and caution against the uncritical preference...

At the heart of the educational vocation is a drive to influence, to meaningfully affect the learning and development of others. For adult educators working in higher education, daily activities – from teaching classes to supervising student research to attending faculty meetings to sitting on advisory boards – are full of opportunities to influence. Most educational literature, however, provides little insight into the way adult educators relate to their drive to influence and how this relationship affects their capacity to generate learning, both in the classroom and in their broader professional setting. By analyzing the experiences of an instructional team in teaching and inter-faculty dialogue in a higher education context in Chile this study characterizes the varying ways adult educators relate to their drive to influence. In this paper, I draw on theories of adult development and adaptive leadership, my own ten years of teaching and professional development experience in dive...

At the heart of the educational vocation is a drive to influence, to meaningfully affect the learning and development of others. For adult educators working in higher education, daily activities – from teaching classes to supervising student research to attending faculty meetings to sitting on advisory boards – are full of opportunities to influence. Most educational literature, however, provides little insight into the way adult educators relate to their drive to influence and how this relationship affects their capacity to generate learning, both in the classroom and in their broader professional setting. By analyzing the experiences of an instructional team in teaching and inter-faculty dialogue in a higher education context in Chile this study characterizes the varying ways adult educators relate to their drive to influence. In this paper, I draw on theories of adult development and adaptive leadership, my own ten years of teaching and professional development experience in dive...

constructive developmental theory; subject-object theory; developmental action inquiry; adaptive leadership theory; post-conventional leadership; higher education leadership; Robert Kegan; William Torbert; Ronald Heifetz; multiple-case study; post-positivist methods; ethnographic methods; multi-modal methods; haiku; dialectical thinking; paradoxical thinking; integrative awareness; double-loop learning; individualist action-logic; redefining action-logic; self-transforming leader; generative learning within ambiguity; logics of coherence; identity fractures; part-whole tensions; critical ambiguities; situationally-mediating logic of coherence; educative strategy

This article outlines a view of integral leadership as integrity with a quality of presence that opens spaces for what wants to emerge. A focus is on describing Heifetz’s notion of adaptive leadership as creating a holding environment for work to be done. This is framed in terms of how integrity, subtle energies and intuition combine with late stage ego development capacities to create a quality of presence that enable requisite spaces to be opened up and held. This view is contextualized in relation to existing discourse in the field and the authors’ experience in leadership development work. In addition to laying a foundation for the view of leadership used, the concept of integral is examined in relation to integrity. This forms the basis for quality of presence, while intuition is shown to be an essential function in the author’s conception of integral leadership. Intuition is explored in relation to stages of cognitive/ego development, which are also explored in terms of their ...

We thank all interviewees for co-inspiring and greatly contributing to this paper. 2 The interviews were conducted by Otto Scharmer (1999-2000). The interview with W. Brian Arthur was conducted jointly with Joseph Jaworski; and the interview with John Kao jointly with Ikujiro Nonaka.

1 This paper reflects on the results of a global interview project with 25 thinkers on knowledge and leadership (see list of interviewees, p. 2). The full text of the interviews as well as this summary paper are accessible as free downloads from www. ...

This paper examines the impact of quality of presence on leadership from a transpersonal view. This approach applies a notion of integral as integrity – of body, emotions, mind, from a view of soul and spirit as primary. The concept of quality of presence is more deeply examined through two primary perspectives related to Scharmer's concept of presencing. First, building on previous presentations/papers, a view of humans as spiritual beings having human experiences is used to frame a variety of research on the nature and characteristics of soul, character and purpose. Second, research on neurocardiology is used to identify specific psychophysiological patterns and their impact on individuals and the energetic fields they create. The impacts of these patterns on cognitive functioning are also mentioned, along with the influence of energetic fields. These two perspectives and bodies of research are used to expand Scharmer's notion of presencing. Finally, examining leadership t...

, which this brief article introduces to a wider audience. As in the case of the later individual and organizational action-logics, the later scientific action-logics include and transcend the capacities of the earlier ones. Consequently, as will be illustrated at the end of the paper, the latest paradigm (named Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry [CDAI]) not only gathers data beyond the reach of Empirical Positivism, but can also account for much higher percentages of the variance. For these reasons, social scientists operating at the earlier paradigms may become interested in migrating toward CDAI. To begin with, Table 1, below, names eight social science paradigms in developmental order and offers a paragraph of description for each. Table 1 Brief Descriptions of Eight Social Scientific Paradigms Behaviorism: Assertive, physical quest for reliable, unilateral control through 'operant conditioning' of an unapologetically objectified and atomized external world.

In the organizational learning literature a variety of concepts exists denoting some third order of organizational learning, notably that of 'triple-loop' learning. Despite this there has been no systematic, critical consideration of this concept or its origins, impeding both theoretical development and empirical research. Whilst 'tripleloop learning' has been inspired by Argyris and Schön, we establish that the term does not arise in their published work. Indeed, we argue that conceptualizations of triple-loop learning are diverse, often have little theoretical rooting, are sometimes driven by normative considerations, and lack support from empirical research. We map the major influences on these conceptualizations, including Bateson's framework of levels of learning, and offer an original theoretical contribution that distinguishes between three conceptualizations of 'triple-loop learning'. We also highlight implications for practice, and caution against the uncritical preference for 'higher levels' of learning that is sometimes discernible in the literature and in practice.

This chapter describes an interpenetrative approach to the application of Theory U in an integral transformative development program that Pacific Integral offers (Ramirez, Fitch, & O’Fallon, 2010, 2013; Fitch, 2016). The term interpenetration indicates two aspects of a phenomena (such as an individual and a collective, or the left and ride side of the “U”) that are both distinct and paradoxically co-exist and are inseparable. This approach emerged as we redesigned our program with the intent of finding a deeper integration of the tools and frameworks we made use of. Over time, we began to see Theory U as a fundamental archetype for transformation in all aspects of our work; an archetype that is both timeless and unfolding in time, and that interpenetrates with the other frameworks we use including integral theory (Wilber, 2006), constructive development theory (Cook-Greuter, 2002, O’Fallon 2011), integral polarity practice (Murray & O’Fallon, 2010) and others. The chapter describes the evolution and distinctions of this interpenetrative approach to Theory U application, as well as experiences, lessons learned, and essential practices.

In this paper, Finding the Intersection of Corporate Governance and a Participatory Worldview, the author, Toni Aspin, PhD candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies, explores the intersection of corporate governance and a participatory worldview. The purposes of this exploration are to: contribute to the dialogue as it relates to the vital need for new insights in corporate governance (Sonnenfeld, 2002); illumine ways in which the participatory paradigm (Ferrer & Sherman, 2007; Skolimowski, 1994) and the extended practice of reflexivity (Bolton, 2010; Heron & Reason, 1997) might contribute to these insights; and consider the potential to reframe boardroom interactions as a transformative learning project (Mezirow, 1991).

In the organizational learning literature a variety of concepts exists denoting some third order of organizational learning, notably that of 'triple-loop' learning. Despite this there has been no systematic, critical consideration of this concept or its origins, impeding both theoretical development and empirical research. Whilst 'tripleloop learning' has been inspired by Argyris and Schön, we establish that the term does not arise in their published work. Indeed, we argue that conceptualizations of triple-loop learning are diverse, often have little theoretical rooting, are sometimes driven by normative considerations, and lack support from empirical research. We map the major influences on these conceptualizations, including Bateson's framework of levels of learning, and offer an original theoretical contribution that distinguishes between three conceptualizations of 'triple-loop learning'. We also highlight implications for practice, and caution against the uncritical preference for 'higher levels' of learning that is sometimes discernible in the literature and in practice.

At the heart of the educational vocation is a drive to influence, to meaningfully affect the learning and development of others. For adult educators working in higher education, daily activities – from teaching classes to supervising student research to attending faculty meetings to sitting on advisory boards – are full of opportunities to influence. Most educational literature, however, provides little insight into the way adult educators relate to their drive to influence and how this relationship affects their capacity to generate learning, both in the classroom and in their broader professional setting. By analyzing the experiences of an instructional team in teaching and inter-faculty dialogue in a higher education context in Chile this study characterizes the varying ways adult educators relate to their drive to influence. In this paper, I draw on theories of adult development and adaptive leadership, my own ten years of teaching and professional development experience in diverse adult education field settings, and research materials gathered in six semi-structured interviews with four instructors in the team. Overall, I analyze how adult educators make meaning of their drive to influence when faced with complex challenges requiring adaptive learning. I describe the two dynamic psychological processes they experience while in action: (a) the defensive behaviors they employ and (b) the recuperative tactics that enable them to think and act more strategically. By exploring how these adult educators relate to their drive to influence, this article builds understanding of the efficacy of the different psychological mechanisms that adult educators employ in attempting to facilitate learning and change among their students and colleagues. I argue that in order to increase effectiveness in mobilizing learning, adult educators must work to develop a vigilant relationship to their drive to influence, characterized by self-observation in action and greater tolerance for uncertainty.

The rapid pace of social and technological change in the early 21st century leaves many adults scrambling to meet the complexities that characterize their daily lives. Adult learners are faced with multiple, often competing, demands from work, education, family, and leisure, which requires adult education graduate programs to carefully consider how best to meet these changing needs of today's students. Using a developmental action inquiry approach, the authors collected data using multiple rounds of mutual inquiry from diverse groups of stakeholders in adult education. We asked each group to explore the question, "How does adult education as a profession, field, and practice help adults, organizations, and society meet the demands of 21st century life?" The combined results indicate that responsive, dynamic graduate programs in adult education for the 21st century should support the cultivation of critical and timely reflection, create online learning environments predicated on intentional community and mutuality, and foreground the relationship between adult learning and developmental capacity to prepare adult education facilitators who stand confidently Ln the face of complexity and ambiguity.

The purpose of this article is to conceptualize the meaning and explore the potential for triple-loop learning in the context of diversity management. Three different paradigms of diversity management, namely, discrimination and fairness, access and legitimacy, and learning and effectiveness, will be explored. The authors argue that whereas single-loop learning can be applied during the transition from the discrimination and fairness paradigm to the access and legitimacy paradigm, double-loop learning is required when transforming from the access and legitimacy paradigm to the learning and effectiveness paradigm. The authors assert that triple-loop learning can produce transformation, in individual and organizational capacity for curiosity, compassion, and courage, which goes beyond the cognitive dimensions of double-loop learning. Finally, the authors discuss and suggest Collaborative Developmental Action Inquiry (CDAI), as a method that generates and sustains this existential shift for individual and organizational transformation through ongoing single-, double-, and triple-loop learning.

This study explored the extent to which ambiguity can serve as a catalyst for adult learning. The purpose of this study is to understand learning that is generated when encountering ambiguity agitated by the complexity of liquid modernity. Ambiguity, in this study, describes an encounter with an appearance of reality that is at first unrecognizable, oblique, simultaneously evoking fear of " no-cognition " and the potential hope for multiple meanings irresolvable by reference to context alone. Specifically, this phenomenological study engaged nine adults who make meaning— cognitively, affectively, and interpersonally—with an extraordinary capacity for mastering complexity. The findings suggest that metaphor facilitates probing encounters with ambiguity, revealing three capacities for generative learning within ambiguity. Given the unprecedented demands for rapid change and adaptation confronting adults today, exploring the value of ambiguity may facilitate the capacity for vital learning and intelligent action.

My plan is to invite you along on the journey I took in reading this book. I will describe the work as I encountered it, chapter by chapter. I will summarize the main points and try to weave together a picture of how Scharmer unfolds his view. He covers a great deal of territory, so settle in for a long journey.

This article outlines a view of integral leadership as integrity with a quality of presence that opens spaces for what wants to emerge. A focus is on describing Heifetz’s notion of adaptive leadership as creating a holding environment for work to be done. This is framed in terms of how integrity, subtle energies and intuition combine with late stage ego development capacities to create a quality of presence that enable requisite spaces to be opened up and held. This view is contextualized in relation to existing discourse in the field and the authors’ experience in leadership development work. In addition to laying a foundation for the view of leadership used, the concept of integral is examined in relation to integrity. This forms the basis for quality of presence, while intuition is shown to be an essential function in the author’s conception of integral leadership. Intuition is explored in relation to stages of cognitive/ego development, which are also explored in terms of their function and contribution to integral leadership. Future lines of inquiry arising from this conception are presented.

1 This paper reflects on the results of a global interview project with 25 thinkers on knowledge and leadership (see list of interviewees, p. 2). The full text of the interviews as well as this summary paper are accessible as free downloads from www. ...

Research and theories of leadership development link the capacity for complex thinking to effectiveness at leading adaptive change. However, few empirical studies examine how this link operates in natural work settings, or explore its implications for practicing the kinds of leadership being called for in higher education today. In this study, I address this gap using post-positivist, ethnographic methods to examine how three higher education leaders, who are publicly recognized as effective change agents and demonstrate the capacity for complex thinking via research-validated instruments, use complex thinking to understand and lead adaptive change in natural work settings. Drawing on a conceptual framework that spans multiple theories of leadership and human development, including Torbert’s developmental action inquiry, Kegan’s subject-object theory, and Heifetz’s adaptive leadership theory, I interpret the data in the context of two research questions: (1) How, if at all, do three developmentally mature leaders in higher education use complex thinking to understand their adaptive leadership work?; and (2) How, if at all, do participants' uses of complex thinking shape their decisions and actions on the ground? I find that participating leaders use their ongoing awareness of the constructed nature of reality, combined with high attunement to convergence and divergence of local and broader situational factors, to help their communities identify and address three types of value-reality gaps: part-whole tensions, critical ambiguities, and identity fractures. I provide rich illustrations of how these individuals draw on complex-thinking capacities to pursue six action strategies: (a) dynamically balance autonomy and oversight, (b) create shared frames illuminating larger realities, (c) engage and reorient the community, (d) co-construct and dynamically interpret goals, (e) cultivate strategic relationships grounded in mutual trust, and (f) create conditions that help people weather uncertainties, build new identities, and shape the future. I also discuss five, complex thinking informed action themes that run robustly through these three participants’ leadership practices: (a) cultivate expansive multicentered purposes, (b) illuminate the invisible, (c) redefine and recalibrate, (d) keep things connected, and (e) orchestrate co-construction. I discuss implications for leadership practice and outline opportunities for future research.

This paper is a revised excerpt from Embodying Leadership: An Integrated Methodology submitted Fall of 2006 to the Union Institute & University (unpublished thesis, Copyright 2006). Embodying Leadership: An Integrated Methodology takes an in-depth look at contemporary theories that speak to the notion of embodying or utilizing the intelligence of the body as an untapped resource for learning fundamental leadership competencies. This paper focuses on how Equine Guided Leadership Education, a form of Equine Assisted Learning (EAL), facilitates the embodiment of leadership.