Description:

Early in 2020 the coronavirus pandemic catapulted individuals, organizations, and societies around the world into the stark realization that we live in an era where agility is essential to survival.  Leaders needed to quickly redefine how they work and figure out what to do in a situation never faced before … mobilizing virtual teams, implementing new safety procedures, and finding innovative ways to deal with supply chain disruption all while tending to quarantined family members and forecasting what might come next. While the pandemic was a dramatic shock that upended virtually everyone’s lives, the pace and complexity  of change have been increasing for the past several decades and is likely to continue. 

What is it that allows successful leaders to redefine themselves when faced with new situations? Research points to  Learning Agility as the differentiating “x” factor. In this interactive session you will learn what learning agility is and why it is so important to the success of leaders and organizations. Ideas will be shared about how organizations can build learning agility through assessment, development, and organizational practices. In addition, you will leave the session with practical, evidence-based techniques for developing learning agility within yourself and among the leaders around you. 

Objectives:

• Recognize the importance of learning agility to the success of leaders and organizations

• Understand the primary ways learning agility can be increased in organizations (selection, development, and organizational practices) 

• Identify practical ways to develop your own and your leaders’ learning agility

• Understand the primary ways learning agility can be increased in organizations 

Speaker Bio:

Dr. Veronica Schmidt Harvey is founder and principal of Schmidt Harvey Consulting . She supports organizations in building strong healthy leadership pipelines through assessment, coaching and design of holistic leadership development processes. She is co-editor of the book The Age of Agility: Building Learning Agile Leaders and Organizations, published in 2021 by Oxford University Press. 

Early in her career, Veronica developed a passion for using science-based practices to accelerate the development of learning agility in leaders. As early as 1988 she conducted research on developing from the lessons of experience based on the data of 5,000 leaders. Over the course of her 30+ year career Veronica has been privileged to partner with hundreds of organizations and their leaders to help develop the mindsets and capabilities that will enable leaders at all levels to not only survive but thrive during the dynamic times we live and lead in.

Some of Veronica’s most influential learning experiences have been growing up on a farm in Iowa, earning a M.S. in Counseling Psychology and Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Iowa State University, serving as a Partner with Aon Hewitt, a global consulting firm, assisting some of the most respected organizations in the world. Through her work assessing and coaching leaders around the world, she has had a unique window to some of the most learning agile leaders in the world.