ARIA JONES, DSL

Email: INFO@DRARIAJONES.COM    |    LinkedIn: @DoctorAriaJones     |    ORCID: 0000-0001-6154-4608

OVERVIEW

Dr. Aria Jones is an avid thought leader and transformational change agent. known for her executive presence and deep passion for both individual and organizational transformation. She brings proven leadership competence, exceptional interpersonal intelligence, and outstanding communication skills—written, verbal, and strategic.

With a rare blend of strategic foresight and tactical execution, Dr. Jones thrives in dynamic environments where she quickly grasps new concepts and navigates complex processes with clarity and precision. Her superior collaboration skills foster effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders across all levels, consistently driving optimal outcomes.

Key strengths include:

      •  Analytical thinking for timely needs assessment and opportunity discovery
      •  Professional posture combined with a warm, approachable demeanor  
      •  Relationship-centered leadership, grounded in purpose and authenticity  
      •  Expertise in Strategic Foresight to drive creative, innovative, and engaging transformational change aligned with organizational goals  
      •  Strong commitment to achieving organizational excellence through people-first investment—developing individuals, nurturing relationships, and maximizing human capital  

Dr. Jones is intentional about developing strong relationships and believes that investing in people is the most valuable contribution an effective leader can make to any organization.

KEY SERVICE OFFERINGS

With over two decades of experience across multiple sectors, Dr. Jones brings deep expertise in the following core areas:

     •  Strategic Leadership, Management & Communication — 20 years
     •  Business Systems Improvement, Program/Project Management & Change Management — 20 years
     •  Information Technology (IT) Leadership Experience — 20 years
     •  Organizational Development & Operations Management — 13 years
     •  Agile Frameworks (Methodologies, Mindset & Practices) — 8 years
     •  Product Ownership & Product Management — 8 years
     •  Management Consulting, Strategic Foresight & Strategy Formation — 8 years Process Improvement — 10 years

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS

CERTIFICATIONS

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Leadership                                                                       Regent University, 2020
ICAgile Certified Professional (ICP)                                                                                                                                      ICAgile, 2019
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)                                                                                                                                                 Scrum Alliance, 2019
Leadership Certificate                                                                                                                                                                   Institute for Management Studies, 2018
     •  Leadership Presence: Sending All the Right Signals
     •  The Manager’s Toolkit: Essential Skills to Successfully Lead Others
     •  Powerful Communication: How to Craft and Deliver your Message with Authority and Authenticity 

PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS

Saint Louis University, School for Professional Studies                                                                 10/2023 – Present   
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Information Systems
    •  Instructed multiple sections of IS5400-Managing a Secure Enterprise ONLINE.
    •  Instructed multiple sections of IS5400-Managing a Secure Enterprise ON CAMPUS. 

Ariel O.D.S. — A Management Consulting & Organizational Development Firm          04/2019 – Present 
Founder & Principal Consultant, Serving Various Clients 

Client: Abra Kadabra Hair & Healing – St. Louis, MO 
   •  Through process analyses and expense analyses, reduced monthly expense outgo by nearly 40%, increasing the overall profitability of the company. 
   •  Performed data collection and analyses to identify opportunities for business process improvements and excellence in customer service. 
   •  Implemented process improvements that increased monthly sales by nearly 50%. 
   •  Developed a project and task management system, increasing operational efficiency and effectiveness significantly. 
   •  Improved customer service and client image by implementing a system to manage online reviews and respond timely to customers’ concerns. 
   •  Performed website improvements to enhance customers’ and clients’ browsing and purchasing experience. 

Client: Photographically Touching Souls Deeply (PTSD) – Dallas, TX 
   •  Assessed and provided the Founder and President a consulting report comprising a customized, comprehensive leadership evaluation and actionable management recommendations. 
   •  Evaluated and provided the Founder and President a consulting report for creative direction on one of the organization's prevailing challenges (i.e., raising funds to catapult the organization out of dormancy). 

Client: Combined Audiences of Virtual Attendees, United States 
   •  Conducted a Creativity & Innovation workshop to teach organization leaders their importance and how to achieve them consistently. 
   •  Conducted a Systems Dynamics workshop to introduce individuals to systems dynamics, demonstrate the omnipresence of interconnectivity and interrelatedness, and promote systems thinking. 

Client: Pressure Connections Corp (PCC) – Columbus, OH 
   •  Assessed, for the CEO, the organization’s succession plan and delivered a consulting report highlighting gaps and recommending improvements. 

World Wide Technology                                                                                                                                   02/2020 – 12/2022 
Organizational Strategy Consultant                                                                                                                                     03/2022 - 12/2022 
   •  Supported Sr. Managers, Directors, and VPs in navigating change by identifying the full complexity of their current system(s) and strategies, assessing them for strengths and opportunities, and recommending operational efficiencies by leveraging lean Systems Thinking.  
   •  Supported the Software Delivery process by assisting leaders in developing their Systems Thinking abilities and adapting their strategies and processes to efficiently align with the greater WWT vision. 
   •  Assessed the strengths and opportunities of business systems (practice/business area(s)) and strategies, determining the appropriate assessment approaches based on specified goals and objectives. 
   •  Identified improvement opportunities while leveraging existing processes and lessons learned, to design and oversee the implementation of such improvement approaches. 
   •  Developed and continuously improved processes for growing organizational knowledge and disseminating such knowledge among stakeholders. 
   •  Provided tailored coaching and mentoring to help Sr. Managers, Directors, and VPs improve their business analysis skills and Systems Thinking skills. 
   •  Assessed the Roles & Responsibilities of Engineering Practice Directors, Sr. Managers, and Managers, to discover and highlight overlap, gaps, and potential improvement opportunities, and documented business processes for evaluation amid the recent organizational restructure. 
   •  Assessed Exit Interview data from Human Resources (HR) department for IT department’s 60+ voluntary departures occurring during the first half of 2022; developed Executive Summary for Senior Leadership Team to understand the major causes of high attrition rates (other than compensation), providing recommendations on what to do about it. 

Delivery Lead (IT Project Manager, Software Delivery Mgr, Client Relationship Mgr)                               02/2020 - 03/2022
   •  Relationship Management: Led geographically dispersed agile software delivery teams serving the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) with a focus on assured delivery of value and overall client delight ($6M+ revenue; achieved four (4) consecutive contract extensions; Application Services’ High-Performing Team Award winners).
   •  Customer Engagement: Owned the client relationship, serving as the primary point of contact for the client and attends to customer questions, requests, concerns, etc.; serves as the single point of accountability for account health and business performance; supports account growth and customer satisfaction; advises the client on how best to achieve goals and overcome challenges.
   •  Business Development: Assisted the Account Managers in the identification of new (prospective) client projects and in maintaining awareness of scope changes and growth opportunities that may yield new or amended Statements of Work.
   •  Project Management & Risk Management: Oversaw project financials and metrics (i.e., manages project costs concerning budgets, forecasts, and gross profit); Worked across WWT teams, with the project team, and with the client to identify and mitigate risks (e.g., overlapping priorities) proactively with effective coordination of dependencies.
   •  Product Ownership & Product Management: Developed and nurtured a close relationship with external client-side Product Owners in the context of mentorship to enrich clients’ product ownership skills, understanding, and experience using Agile methodologies. Conducted frequent discussions with client and internal and external constituents to define and stay focused on the strategic objectives to be fulfilled by the development and enhancement of the product. Involved product road mapping, feature valuation and mapping, user story writing, and prioritization based on value add. Also involved conferring with various audience segments (i.e., user groups) to identify desired new features or enhancements and forecasting progress and budget burndown.

Servant Leader
   •  Application Services Communications Advisory Council: As a member of this cross-functional council, I helped craft VPs’, Sr. Directors’, and Directors’ communications in collaboration with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to ensure inclusivity, compassion, clarity, and effectiveness in the SLT’s strategic communications.
   •  Delivery Leadership Strategic Initiatives Committee: Application Services (AS) Delivery Leadership Practice has formed a committee to focus on and achieve some of AS’s top priority strategic initiatives. I served on this committee, deploying my passion and doctoral expertise in Strategic Leadership and Foresight. I helped define the content and orchestrate activity execution and deliverables to achieve annual goals defined by the Delivery Leadership management team.
   •  WWT Explorer Post: The World Wide Technology Explorer Post executes a nine-month curriculum focused on careers in software development. The intent is to provide opportunities for underserved and diverse youth in 9th and 10th grade when they are old enough to be thinking about careers yet young enough to still influence decisions about their path after high school. I served as a career speaker to encourage the youth by telling my story so that they can have a rewarding career in IT despite their circumstances.

Reinsurance Group of America                                                                                                           12/2015 - 01/2020
Senior IT Business Analyst / Project Lead / Agile Facilitator / Product Owner                                      12/2015 - 1/2020 
   •  Achieved the single outstanding performance rating of Consistently Exceeds [expectations] in the entire IT organization during the first year of service to RGA. 
   •  Reengineered processes and significantly improved team dynamics and IT/Business operations and relationships while collaboratively leading efforts to build a more reliable and simplified underwriting platform with enhanced risk controls and consistent business processes in preparation for the modernization of the platform. 
   •  Successfully led a project team consisting of 3 to 5 non-technical business users and three software engineers through conceptualization, design, development, and implementation of a new software application completed successfully within nine months and consistently exceeded expectations on quantity and quality of products and services delivered for RGA’s highest-grossing profit center. 
   •  Served in an associate Product Owner capacity for Global Underwriting and Global Financial Solutions (GFS) risk management products in collaboration with internal business-side clients and stakeholders. 
  •  Collaborated to define strategic objectives and goals, product vision and roadmap, and to define, document, and prioritize product features based on business needs. 

Change Agent / Transformational Servant Leader                                                                                            01/2016 - 01/2020
   •  Coordinated and facilitated exploratory discussions between RGA HR (the Executive Director, Global Leadership & Org Development, Talent Management & OD and the SVP, Organization & Talent Effectiveness) and the St. Louis Business Diversity Initiative (the Executive Director and the Program Director) to align with and support the position of Anna Manning (CEO), as she signed the CEO Action Pledge for Diversity & Inclusion in 2017.
   •  Organized and directed communications between RGA HR and Regent University to establish a corporate partnership, affording RGA employees and dependents the option to pursue higher education at Regent with a 15% tuition discount
   •  Influenced and achieved modification of IT Executive Dashboard Reports for more accurate evaluation of IT Service Management performance, affording decision-makers the ability to make higher-quality, information-based decisions.
 
Engagement Survey Response Committee Member                                                                                       01/2018 - 01/2020  
   •  Selected by upper management to lead the Global IT Engagement Survey Response Committee to review employee concerns, which is critical to helping RGA’s leaders understand what employees are thinking and feeling, so they can develop effective strategies for continuous improvement and growth.

Operational Efficiency & Effectiveness (OE2) Workout Facilitator                                                       01/2018 - 12/2018
   •  Selected by an IT VP to lead Operational Efficiency & Effectiveness Workout sessions, using continuous process improvement methodologies and tools, empowering organization leaders to drive change (i.e., cultural change, business process enhancements, employee engagement, and customer delight) for optimal outcomes.  

Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (Consultant)                                                                  08/2013 - 07/2015
Senior Systems Analyst / Product Owner
   •  Developed a business case to ramp up resources for staffing and funding of two major programs managed under the Security & Surveillance Systems Support (S4) PMO, the central office for planning, design, development, and implementation of enterprise-level video surveillance and access (physical and logical) controls solutions.
   •  Developed a Technical Interview Framework for the leadership team to use as a guideline for technical project staffing.
   •  Traveled to numerous Federal Reserve Law Enforcement Units to assess and document existing processes and disparate systems, and developed business requirements for the emerging enterprise-wide physical access security system and its integration with video surveillance and logical access control systems. 
   •  Performed business/technical needs assessments and benefits analyses, aligning emerging technologies with strategic initiatives.
   •  Served in a Product Ownership capacity in collaboration with collaboration with internal business-side clients and stakeholders (e.g., the Law Enforcement Unit leaders and IT leaders) of all districts of the Fed to define strategic objectives and goals, product vision and roadmap, and define, document, and prioritize product features based on business needs and industry standards.

Vendor Relationship Manager
   •  Managed enterprise-wide program vendor contracts collaborating with the FR National Procurement Office (NPO) to negotiate contract terms.
   •  Monitored contractual relationship milestones, resulting in a $.25M rebate from a single vendor, and ensured accurate, timely delivery of invoices/payments while resolving hundreds of obsolete invoices exceeding $50K.
   •  Developed and executed a mutually agreeable funds distribution plan for funds erroneously withheld by the vendor due to a previous lack of contract oversight.

IT Business/Systems Analysis, Marketing, Operations, Leadership Roles         08/2005 - 08/2013
   •  US Bank Home Mortgage – St. Louis, MO (FTE)                                                                                   08/2012 - 08/2013
   •  Gateway EDI (aka TriZetto Group) – St. Louis, MO (FTE)                                                                07/2011 - 07/2012
   •  Magellan Health Services – St. Louis (FTE)                                                                                               02/2009 - 07/2011
   •  AB-InBev – St. Louis, MO (Consultant)                                                                                                       01/2008 - 02/2009
   •  BJC Healthcare Information Services – St. Louis, MO (Consultant)                                          11/2007 - 01/2008
   •  Emdeon Business Services / WebMD – St. Louis, MO (FTE)                                                          08/2005 - 11/2007


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Regent University – School of Business & Leadership                                                    2018 - 2022 

Washington University – Olin Business School                                                                  2018 - 2019
Executive Education: Advanced Management Courses            
   •  Leadership & Talent Management – Emotional Intelligence; Leading and Managing Change; Difficult Conversations
   •  Strategic Thinking – Calling BS: Finding Truth in Data
   •  Business Execution – High-Impact Productivity; Accelerating Impact: Converting Resources into Results

Institute for Management Studies                                                                                             2017
   •  Optimize Your Decision Making: Managing Uncertainty and Anticipating the Unexpected
   •  The Unspoken Language of Business: Workplace Politics, Power and Influence
   •  Leading AND Managing: 7 Strategies to Help You Excel at Both
   •  Critical Success Factors for Women Leaders

Dale Carnegie Training                                                                                                                      2016 - 2017
   •  Communicating Across Generations
   •  Managing Multiple Priorities
   •  Giving and Receiving Effective Feedback
   •  Persuasion & Influence

University of Missouri - St. Louis                                                                                                2016
   •  The Successful IT Team
   •  IT Leadership Skills: The Art of Influence
   •  IT Business Communications


AWARDS & HONORS

   •  World Wide Technology (WWT)
        Application Services, High Performing Team Award                                                                   2021-Oct

   •  Career Communications Group (CCG)
        Women of Color (WOC) in STEM, Technology All-Star Award                                            2021-Aug


PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

   •  Association of Professional Futurists (APF)
   •  International Leadership Association (ILA)


SERVICE

Board of Directors Member, Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls                                    2022 - 2024
Board members raised funds to support Hawthorn’s current and future programs. We cultivated constructive community partnerships, exercised fiscal responsibility and stewardship, and set the fundraising strategy for the school, including annual giving, capital campaigns, and special events. The Foundation served as the connection between Hawthorn Leadership School for Girls and our generous donors.

Mentor, NAF Future Ready Lab with KMPG, MasterCard, & WWT                                     2022
With the support of the KPMG U.S. Foundation, KPMG collaborated with NAF, a national network of education, businesses, and community leaders devoted to providing work-based learning opportunities and internships to help high school students become college, career, and future-ready. The NAF Future Ready Lab (FRL) is an innovative solution to closing the internship gap by scaling paid internship opportunities for high school students.

Career Speaker, Scouts of America – Explorer Post with WWT                                            2021
The World Wide Technology Explorer Post executes a nine-month curriculum focused on careers in software development. The intent is to provide opportunities for underserved and diverse youth in 9th and 10th grade when they are old enough to be thinking about careers yet young enough to still influence decisions about their path after high school. I served as a career speaker to encourage the youth by telling my story so that they can have a rewarding career in IT despite their circumstances.

Member, Board of Directors, Highway to Destiny                                                                         2018 - 2019
Highway to Destiny is a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs of homeless men and women in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and surrounding areas. Its purpose is to help re-assimilate them through a comprehensive program that addresses their physical, mental, financial, and spiritual needs. I helped the founder and board members with all technology-related aspects of creating and maintaining structure and a digital presence.

Faith Church St. Louis                                                                                                                                      2018 - 2020
   •  Street Ministry: Street Ministry service entailed walking with congregation members through the streets of Downtown St. Louis, handing out bags of food and bottles of water, and offering to pray with the homeless.
   •  Online Ministry: Online Ministry service entailed web and mobile app improvement initiatives (improving app usability and quality of content).
   •  Writing Team: Writing Team service entailed proofreading and editing web content and content for other written publications, including weekly bulletins, special event marketing, and pastors’ books and blogs
   •  Small Group Ministry: Served as co-lead of weekly small group gatherings to encourage and empower others while being encouraged and empowered by others through facilitating group discussions surrounding specific topics.

Room at the Inn                                                                                                                                                   2017
   •  Assisted residents in resume writing and basic computer training.
   •  Provided general camaraderie and uplifting conversation for facility residents.  


PUBLICATIONS

Jones, A. (2019, Aug). A Life of Virtue: The Armory of a Christian Leader. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/life-virtue-armory-christian-leader-aria-jones/.  

Jones, A. (2019, Aug). Ethical Decision-Making Depends on Leaders’ Values & Virtues. LinkedIn. URL: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ethical-decision-making-depends-leaders-values-virtues-aria-jones-1e/.  

Jones, A. (2019, Aug). Can we achieve exemplary leadership despite our ethical blindspots? LinkedIn. URL: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/can-we-achieve-exemplary-leadership-despite-our-ethical-aria-jones/.  

Jones, A. (2019, Sep). 3 Fundamental Competences for Global Leadership Effectiveness. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-fundamental-competencies-global-leadership-aria-jones/.  

Jones, A. (2021, Mar). Systems Dynamics: The Importance of Avoiding Gender Bias in Performance Reviews. World Wide Technology. 

Jones, A. (2021, Jul). Cultural Awareness & EQ Can Impact Leader Effectiveness. World Wide Technology.  

Jones, A. (2021, Jul). Increase Employee Engagement & Commitment by Revamping Leadership Communication. World Wide Technology.  

Jones, A. (2021, Jul). People-Centric Strategic Alliances for Success in VUCA Environments. World Wide Technology.  Jones, A. (2021, Jul). Purpose & Service: Key Factors in Leadership Effectiveness. World Wide Technology.  

Jones, A. (2022, Jul). Causal Loop Diagrams to Depict the Effects of Gender Bias in Performance Reviews (Presentation). Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/727150846.  

Jones, A. (2023). Future-Centric Mindset Shifts: Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking to Improve Micro- to Macro-Level Outcomes in the 2020s and 2030s. In Regent Roundtables Proceedings (pp. 342-361). Regent University School of Business & Leadership. URL: https://cdn.regent.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Regent-Research-Roundtables-2023-Strategic-Foresight-Jones.pdf.  


NATIONAL CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS

Regent University, Research Roundtables, School of Business & Leadership (Virginia Beach, VA)                          2024-Nov
Future-Centric Leadership: Strategic Foresight & Systems Thinking to Ensure Human Flourishing

Regent University, Research Roundtables, School of Business & Leadership (Virginia Beach, VA)                          2023-Nov
Future-Centric Mindset Shifts: Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking to Improve Micro- to Macro-Level Outcomes in the 2020s and 2030s

Women of Color in STEM Conference (Detroit, MI)                                                                                                                                2023-Oct
First-Time Managers: Essential Strategies for a Successful Transition to Leadership

BEYA 37 STEM Conference (Washington, D.C.)                                                                                                                                         2023-Feb
Advanced Leadership Development: How to Successfully Manage Complex Teams consisting of Employees, Contractors, Suppliers, Partners, and Clients (Co-presented with L. Gant, A. Stephens, and J. Fairrer Samani)

Women of Color in STEM Conference (Detroit, MI)                                                                                                                               2022-Oct
Strategic Executive Leadership: Discover Essential Leadership Skills That Change the Game (Co-presented with J. Fairrer Samani)

Regent University, Research Roundtables, School of Business & Leadership (Virginia Beach, VA)                         2022-Sep
Strategic Foresight & Systems Thinking to Transform Critical Infrastructure Sectors

I Am Me: Boss Talks (St. Louis, MO)                                                                                                                                                                   2022-Sep
Entrepreneurial Storytelling to Inspire Emerging & Aspiring Bosses

Regent University, Research Roundtables, School of Business & Leadership (Virginia Beach, VA)                        2021-Aug
Causal Loop Diagrams to Depict the Effects of Gender Bias in Performance Reviews



WORKSHOPS & SEMINARS PRESENTED

Strategic Foresight - This workshop was designed to provide training on Strategic Foresight for individuals and teams and be conducted virtually. The workshop includes exercises designed to enhance the virtual workshop experience of the participants and objectives outlined below. The content in this workshop is targeted for technology professionals, yet it easily applies to any other sector.

Leadership Communication - This training seminar was designed for professionals to become more adept at effective leadership communication. It includes the Do’s and Don’ts, and describes some pitfalls and recommended behaviors. The objective is to highlight how much time we can waste and how we can veer of track when we fail to listen actively and attentively with the intention to fully understand what someone is saying to us.  

Systems Dynamics - This workshop was designed to provide training on Systems Dynamics for members, at varied levels of leadership, of several geographically dispersed organizations. The workshop was conducted virtually, via Zoom, and included videos and exercises designed to enhance the participants’ virtual workshop experience and to achieve the objectives. The content is targeted for mid to upper-level organization leaders, entrepreneurs, and individuals seeking to improve their decision-making and their business and life strategic processes.


DOCTORAL COURSEWORK COMPLETED

Leaders & Followers - Strategic leadership as it explores the insights and tools of followers in effective partnership with leaders.  

Applied Exegetical Studies - Reading and understanding the sacred texts of the Bible, foundational methodologies of applied biblical exegesis, and the use of simplified socio-rhetorical criticism.  

Leadership Theory - The history of leadership theory and research to understand the pattern of exploration and the future path of the study of leadership.  

Culture & Values - The role of personal and organizational values on the development of ethics and codes of conduct in multiple cultures around the globe.  

Leadership Communications - Leadership processes and the communication involved, enhancing students' skills, and fostering more effective and authentic collaboration. Interweaves current scholarship and trends with historical perspectives on leadership.  

Leadership, Faith & Ethics - The intersection between faith and ethics, the formation of ethical frameworks, and how faith, informed by religious principles and teachings, instructs ethics.  

Global Leadership - Understanding of global issues and the significance of global leadership competencies.  

Human Resources Development - Fundamental principles and practices of managing and developing human resources from a senior leadership perspective. Consideration from biblical and theological perspectives.  

Strategic Foresight - Strategic leaders' future orientation as they assess emerging changes in an organization's external environment, market diversities, competitive complexities, resource changes, socio-political shifts, and across technological discontinuities.  

Organizational Strategy & Design - Relationships between organizational strategy and design/structure in contexts of culture, communication, technology, and leadership cultures.  

Systems Dynamics - Systems thinking by strategic leaders to map complexity in an organization's transactional and macro environments through the identification of variables, stocks and flows, links, and loops.  

Global Futures - The development of the 21st-century economy as interconnected parts, particularly in terms of economic outcomes for the global South. Examines baseline forecasts of regions or countries and uses computer models to generate alternative scenarios in demographic, environmental, economic, and socio-political domains.  

Social Change - Theories for the appearance and direction of social order, conflict, and action throughout history.  

Leadership Analytics - Effective decision-making, using data, analysis, and systematic reasoning to improve efficiency, risk management, and profits.  

Issues Management - Organizations' creation of anticipatory management systems to identify, track, and remediate policy issues expected to emerge beyond the present planning cycle.  

Creativity & Innovation - The roles of creativity and innovation in organizations as components for building vibrant transformational entities.  

Consulting Principles - Principles of consulting that undergird effective organizational change. Examines the knowledge base of the consulting profession, focusing on the relationship between theory and practice.  

Leadership Development  - Salient and essential aspects of leadership development emphasizing the importance of finding the balance between personal, professional, community, spiritual, and family priorities.


DOCTORAL PROJECT / THESIS 

Product: An Electronic Leadership Development Learning Management System (LMS)
Program Title: Future-Centric Leadership Development
Program Subtitle: Using Strategic Foresight & Systems Thinking to Improve Individual and Organizational Outcomes

Abstract: Planning for the future has been largely and erroneously centered around information collected from the past and present. Transformational change requires new ways of thinking — future-centric mindsets. This program, Future-Centric Leadership Development: Strategic Foresight & Systems Thinking to Improve Individual & Organizational Outcomes, is a series of digital content modules geared toward reforming mindsets and deconstructing limiting beliefs to enable and empower the creation of desired futures. The premise is that the future doesn’t have to happen to us; we can design and structure it so that it happens for us.

The program was developed with the heartfelt dual purpose of introducing Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking, presenting the two as groundbreaking enhancements to development systems, programs, and processes — related to personal and professional development and existing and emerging Leadership Development models. While the mindsets and practices of Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking are invaluable in every aspect of business (and life), few individuals and organizations currently utilize them, despite the game-changing results they bring.

Nevertheless, this program focuses on the developmental experiences and foreseeable trajectories of individuals and the organizations they serve. The program’s foremost objective is to illuminate and bridge the gap between individuals’ existing complexity of mind (or level of consciousness) and the current complexities of their internal and external environments, which must be aligned if one hopes to survive and thrive in the global VUCA environment. This objective is fulfilled by equipping participants with foundational information in several key areas.  

The purpose is to plant seeds of transformational change, tilling the soil by bringing a broad awareness of Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking, and how to enact them. Secondarily, the program emphasizes that Leadership Development systems and processes can and must be designed or redesigned such that individuals’ consciousness or existing structure of mind — internal operating system — is stimulated to evolve progressively and adapt fluidly, ahead of, or at least in tandem with, the ever-in-flux environmental complexities.

By integrating Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking with personal and Leadership Development, we are empowered to zoom out to the systems level, to see “the big picture,” identify improvement opportunities, find leverage points to tweak, and perceive how the system will likely respond to change. In other words, we can see the causes and effects — the reinforcing and balancing loops of reciprocal causality — to identify issues, determine which changes will bring the most value, and distinguish the potentially costliest non-actions or ineffective actions. Anyone seeking to grow themselves or others may create desired futures using this holistic, future-centric approach, having these newfound insights regarding how to foresee and generate positive transformational change and its astonishing results.

The program advocates that Strategic Foresight mindsets, tools, and practices with Systems Thinking can be overlaid upon existing Leadership Development models or woven into the design and structure of emerging models to enable the envisioning of alternative futures and the creation of desired futures. The program hypothesizes that integrating Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking can take personal and Leadership Development to new levels, with measurable improvements, using the FRLD model, the UML, and the program author’s self-assessment results as a case study. The intention is to conduct further research to challenge the program’s position — by experimentation with additional cases, conducting seminars and workshops, and administering pre- and post-program 360-degree leadership assessments — and identify and fill any gaps discovered with the FRLD and the UML models during the process.

COURSE OFFERINGS (SAMPLE)

Intro to Leadership - Fundamental information introducing learners to the discipline of Leadership, its origin, key definitions, and conceptual elements. Learners understand the value of leadership and the foundational components of leadership as a system.

Leadership Frameworks - Fundamental information introducing learners to the makeup of leadership and 11 leadership theories categorized into three clusters: (1) Trait, Skills, Behavioral, and Psychodynamic; (2) Situational, Adaptive, Path-Goal, and Leader-Member Exchange; and (3) Authentic, Servant, and Transformational leadership.

Intro to Strategic Foresight -  Fundamental information introducing learners to the discipline of Strategic Foresight, its major components, some easy-to-use practices and tools, and some of Strategic Foresight’s most closely related disciplines, including Futures Exploration and Design.

Strategic Foresight in Leadership Development - A series of unscripted conversations with three field experts to challenge program assumptions and test the temperature of its assertions (i.e., We can improve outcomes at the individual and organizational levels and shorten the timespans involved in reaching development and performance goals by integrating Strategic Foresight practices, tools, and mindsets into Leadership Development systems, programs, and processes).

Intro to Systems - Fundamental information introducing learners to Systems and several of its facets (i.e., Systems Dynamics, Systems Thinking, Systems Design, and Design Thinking) with discussion around the importance of innovation and its effects on systems change.

Leadership as a System - Fundamental information framing Leadership as a System and reiterating some key information from earlier modules.

Leadership Development Models - Fundamental information introducing learners to the Full Range Leadership Development model and the Universal Model of Leadership, reiterating some key information from earlier modules, and briefly discussing the stages of human development and their interrelatedness to both models.

Connecting the Dots: Future-Centric Leadership Development - A summarization of the connections between the 11 leadership theories and two leadership development models covered in earlier modules including a description and several graphical renditions of the value of Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking in Leadership Development.