From Problem to Possibility

Mary Ann Jacobs; Remigia Kushner

doi:10.5771/9781475859768

Summary

The purpose of this book is to not only persuade leaders that action research is leadership, but that leadership can be more deliberate in promoting human dignity when leaders engage in a reflective process of continuous improvement.

An action research frame of mind is the impetus for efforts toward continuous improvement -- dissatisfaction with what is the beginning of improvement! The caveat is that leadership is not a position, leadership is action. Those who want to make their work better, their service better, their clients, customers, stakeholders, children, or students better -- are leaders, with or without a bureaucratic or hierarchical position.

Professional leadership, executive leadership, company leadership, and everyday leadership requires action and reflection on those actions to determine the effectiveness of the continuous improvement process.

The rationale for this book is to provide leaders at all levels with a framework that progresses through six steps of action and research from considering the challenge faced by the leader within an organization to reflecting on the improvement and next steps to continue the improvement process - thus Leading Up: From Problem to Possibility.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2022
ISBN-Print: 978-1-4758-5974-4
ISBN-Online: 978-1-4758-5976-8
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 172
Product type: Book Titles

1. Dedication No access
2. Contents No access
3. Introduction No access
4. Preface No access
1. 1. Everyday Problems, Wicked Problems, Complex Problems No access
  2. That Was Easy No access
  3. How Big a Problem Is It? No access
  4. The Solution Is the Problem No access
  5. Not Easy, But Not Wicked No access
  6. Who Knew and Who Knows? No access
  7. How to Get Out of Complex Problems No access
  8. Solving Complex Problems No access
  9. What Kind of Leadership? No access
  10. Notes No access
2. 1. Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading the Organization No access
  2. Communicate to Inspire No access
  3. Creating a Desired Future for the Organization No access
  4. Enacting Organizational Transformation No access
  5. Notes No access
  6. References No access
3. 1. Leadership for Collective Efficacy No access
  2. Leading Up No access
  3. Conditions of Efficacy No access
  4. The Pity of Position No access
  5. Leading up—Because We Did It Ourselves No access
  6. Notes No access
4. 1. The Science of Improvement No access
  2. Critical Action Research No access
  3. Theory U No access
  4. How to Make It Happen: Leadership for Continuous Improvement No access
  5. The Ellipse as a Metaphor No access
  6. Notes No access
5. 1. Organizational Science No access
  2. The Study of Organizations No access
  3. The Possibilities of Organizational Transformation No access
  4. From Problems to Possibilities No access
  5. Where to from Here? No access
  6. Notes No access
1. 1. What Is Action Research? No access
  2. History of Action Research No access
  3. The Challenge of Research in Organizations No access
  4. The Researcher in Action No access
  5. A Glimpse of Research in Action No access
  6. Action Research as Leadership No access
  7. The L.E.A.D.E.R. Framework No access
  8. Notes No access
2. 1. From Building Houses to Providing Affordable Housing No access
  2. Looking at the Problem No access
  3. Questions to Consider Alignment and the Problem No access
  4. Creating a Focused Research Question No access
  5. Responding to Research Questions No access
  6. Looking at the Problem No access
  7. Steps to Looking at Complex Problems No access
  8. Notes No access
3. 1. What Leaders Know No access
  2. Climate, Management, Work Value, and Expectations—All in the Business No access
  3. Examining What Is Known No access
  4. Using What Is Known to Address a Complex Problem No access
  5. Notes No access
4. 1. Types of Research Sources No access
  2. Finding an Argument Source in Action Research No access
  3. Steps in Reviewing Argument Sources No access
  4. Steps in Reviewing Argument Sources No access
  5. Joyce’s Guide Question Responses No access
  6. Notes No access
5. 1. Planning as a Part of Life No access
  2. Planning: Every Leader’s Call No access
  3. Planning in Full View No access
  4. A Proposal for Success No access
  5. A Sample Proposal No access
  6. Using the Proposal No access
  7. Notes No access
6. 1. Plans, Planners, and Planning No access
  2. SMART Goals, SMART Plans No access
  3. SMART Goals for a Smart Church No access
  4. Executing the Plan No access
  5. Evaluating the Plan with Data No access
  6. The Plan Unfolds No access
  7. What the Data Revealed No access
  8. Other Issues to Consider in Executing and Evaluating the Plan No access
  9. Notes No access
7. 1. Two Levels of Learning No access
  2. Learning from the Research Problem No access
  3. Has the Problem Been Solved? No access
  4. Questions to Consider No access
  5. Recognizing Variables of the Study No access
  6. Determining Limitations of the Study No access
  7. Disseminating the Findings No access
  8. Audience Awareness in Sharing Findings No access
  9. Medium for Sharing Findings No access
  10. Active Discussion of the Findings No access
  11. Notes No access
1. 1. Action Research—An Everyday Occurrence No access
  2. 12 Steps to Change No access
  3. Step-by-Step Checklist No access
  4. Action Research as a Growth Mindset for Change No access
  5. Notes No access
2. 1. No End in Sight No access
  2. Can You Survive Action Research in Your Own Organization? No access
  3. What to Reflect on in Action Research No access
  4. Medium for Sharing Findings No access
  5. Poster Session Sharing No access
  6. Poster Presentation No access
  7. Next Steps toward Continuous Improvement No access
  8. Notes No access
Index No access Pages 169 - 170
About the Authors No access Pages 171 - 172