Managers are promoted for competence and then judged on scenario-based leadership, which nobody trained them for. Teams read what their leaders tolerate on this strand of organisational leadership far more accurately than what their leaders announce. Most organisations already have a policy on the organisational leadership capability; far fewer can show it working. Post-incident reviews keep identifying weaknesses in scenario-based leadership that were visible long before the incident. Participants leave with a method for the practice within organisational leadership, not a set of opinions about it. Participants gain a clear basis for measuring what the wider organisational leadership agenda has actually achieved. Cases are chosen to expose the trade-offs in scenario-based leadership rather than to illustrate ideal conditions. It is pitched for practitioners with responsibility for the organisational leadership discipline, not for observers of it. Participants leave with a first-ninety-days plan for this aspect of organisational leadership rather than a set of notes.
Expected Learning Outcomes
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Hold difficult conversations about scenario-based leadership early, while they are still small.
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Build the internal capability for scenario-based leadership rather than depending on external support indefinitely.
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Align the incentives of different functions so scenario-based leadership is not quietly sabotaged.
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Draw practical lessons from failures in scenario-based leadership without assigning blame that suppresses reporting.
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Select indicators that show whether scenario-based leadership is improving, and reject those that only look useful.
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Develop successors capable of running scenario-based leadership without you.
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Read the informal dynamics that determine whether scenario-based leadership actually moves.
Who Should Attend
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Board members and non-executives overseeing scenario-based leadership.
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Team leaders responsible for daily delivery of scenario-based leadership.
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Managers with direct responsibility for scenario-based leadership within the management team.
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Human resources partners advising leaders on scenario-based leadership.
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Operations staff who encounter the consequences of scenario-based leadership directly.
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Executives leading multi-function programmes involving scenario-based leadership.
Course Modules
Open any module to see its sessions and topics.
01
Scenario-based leadership: conflict, politics and informal power
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Reading the room before proposing scenario-based leadership
Decide what you will delegate on scenario-based leadership and what you will not, and say why.
Prepare how you will respond when scenario-based leadership is challenged publicly.
Establish what evidence demonstrates scenario-based leadership is under control.
Draft the minimum viable leadership plan for scenario-based leadership.
Session 2Comparing scenario-based leadership with recognised practice
Build the internal briefing that explains scenario-based leadership to those affected.
Set the review point at which scenario-based leadership will be reconsidered.
Rank the weaknesses in scenario-based leadership by consequence rather than by ease of fixing.
Test the procedure for scenario-based leadership against a realistic scenario.
02
Scenario-based leadership: deciding under pressure and incomplete information
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Holding the line on scenario-based leadership when it costs you
Check that scenario-based leadership still works when volumes rise unexpectedly.
Identify where judgement in scenario-based leadership is legitimate and where it is not.
Give one piece of specific feedback on scenario-based leadership within the week.
Confirm that the people affected by scenario-based leadership heard it from you first.
Session 2Building someone who can run scenario-based leadership without you
Benchmark the organisation's scenario-based leadership against comparable operations.
Agree the standard on scenario-based leadership and confirm it applies to everyone.
Record what was learned when scenario-based leadership did not go as planned.
Build the competence framework that supports scenario-based leadership.
