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Action Inquiry: The Secret of Timely and Transforming Leadership
“Action inquiry” is a fresh approach to learning leadership in the midst of action. This highly accessible process takes each of us beyond muddling through daily dilemmas to exercising transforming power at key moments and more timely action in general. Bill Torbert and Associates lead you through more and more sophisticated “action-logics”—strategies for analyzing the world and reacting to it—until you are able to practice action inquiry continually. Speaking to everyone from new managers to CEOs to world leaders, real-life stories of leadership and organizational transformations show how action inquiry increases personal integrity, relational mutuality, company profitability, and long-term organizational and environmental sustainability.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
53 people are currently reading
350 people want to read
About the author
William R. Torbert
12 books6 followersBill Torbert is currently a founding board member of Global Leadership Associates and Amara Collaborative, as well as Leadership Professor Emeritus at Boston College. Recent recognitions include: the 2010 Outstanding Scholar Award from the Western Academy of Management; the 2012 re-publication of his 2005 HBR article “Seven Transformations of Leadership” as one of the Harvard Business Review’s top ten leadership reads ever; the 2013 Center for Creative Leadership Walter F. Ulmer Jr. Award for Career Contributions to Applied Leadership Research; and the 2014 Chris Argyris Career Achievement Award from the Academy of Management.
Torbert received a BA, magna cum laude, in Political Science & Economics and a PhD in Administrative Sciences, both from Yale University, holding a Danforth Graduate Fellowship during his graduate years. He founded the Yale Upward Bound (War on Poverty) program and the Theatre of Inquiry, and taught at Yale, Southern Methodist University, and Harvard prior to joining the Boston College faculty in 1978. Most of all, though, Bill takes great pleasure and pride (not to mention occasional pain) in the ongoing development of his closest friends and colleagues, of his three sons, Michael, Patrick, and Benjamin, and of their children.
Torbert received a BA, magna cum laude, in Political Science & Economics and a PhD in Administrative Sciences, both from Yale University, holding a Danforth Graduate Fellowship during his graduate years. He founded the Yale Upward Bound (War on Poverty) program and the Theatre of Inquiry, and taught at Yale, Southern Methodist University, and Harvard prior to joining the Boston College faculty in 1978. Most of all, though, Bill takes great pleasure and pride (not to mention occasional pain) in the ongoing development of his closest friends and colleagues, of his three sons, Michael, Patrick, and Benjamin, and of their children.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 24, 2019
Похоже на теорию страт и применение модели AQAL Уилбера к менеджменту. Думаю для большинства менеджеров не слишком практичная книга. Достаточно понимать что менеджеры, как и все люди находятся на разных уровнях осознания
May 6, 2020
Ещё одна лучшая книга для работы.
Пару лет назад я бы наверное не понял ничего, сейчас понял примерно половину.
Если "Лидер и племя" дает практически полезную типизацию людей как участников "племени" (какого-то сообщества), то здесь дана типизация людей скорее как индивидуальностей, с которыми надо работать индивидуально.
И тоже полезная в практическом смысле.
Очень много конкретных рассуждений про лидерство, что это такое на практике.
И общие наметки как "прокачаться", и понятно что только наметки, потому что вот далекая вершина, мы сделали так чтоб ты её увидел, чтобы ты понял что на неё хорошего можно найти. А как туда добраться _именно тебе_, это мы тебе не скажем, потому что не знаем. У каждого своя дорога. Думай сам.
Отдельно впечатлил следующий отрывок:
“Мы убеждены, что лидеры, достойные называться таковыми, должны обладать следующими навыками:
[...]
4. Разъяснять и уточнять миссию организации и постоянно стремиться к более полному соответствию между целью, стратегией, операциями и результатами. На это уходит от СЕМИ ЛЕТ ДО ДВАДЦАТИ ОДНОГО ГОДА, так как сотрудники организации постепенно начинают осознавать важность процесса исследования действием и активно в нем участвовать.”
Пару лет назад я бы наверное не понял ничего, сейчас понял примерно половину.
Если "Лидер и племя" дает практически полезную типизацию людей как участников "племени" (какого-то сообщества), то здесь дана типизация людей скорее как индивидуальностей, с которыми надо работать индивидуально.
И тоже полезная в практическом смысле.
Очень много конкретных рассуждений про лидерство, что это такое на практике.
И общие наметки как "прокачаться", и понятно что только наметки, потому что вот далекая вершина, мы сделали так чтоб ты её увидел, чтобы ты понял что на неё хорошего можно найти. А как туда добраться _именно тебе_, это мы тебе не скажем, потому что не знаем. У каждого своя дорога. Думай сам.
Отдельно впечатлил следующий отрывок:
“Мы убеждены, что лидеры, достойные называться таковыми, должны обладать следующими навыками:
[...]
4. Разъяснять и уточнять миссию организации и постоянно стремиться к более полному соответствию между целью, стратегией, операциями и результатами. На это уходит от СЕМИ ЛЕТ ДО ДВАДЦАТИ ОДНОГО ГОДА, так как сотрудники организации постепенно начинают осознавать важность процесса исследования действием и активно в нем участвовать.”
August 28, 2017
Thought provoking but seems hard to put into practice
As an executive coach and leadership development professional, I was looking for new ways to help executives have the kind of influence on the world they are capable of. While the ideas are interesting, they look difficult to put into practice in helping someone develop their leadership capabilities. The methodologies described are very abstract and would seem very challenging to apply at today's pace of business.
Also, the Kindle font is very hard to read - bold italics throughout. This may be a bug in my Kindle reader (iOS) or in the book itself, but it was very hard to read for any length of time.
As an executive coach and leadership development professional, I was looking for new ways to help executives have the kind of influence on the world they are capable of. While the ideas are interesting, they look difficult to put into practice in helping someone develop their leadership capabilities. The methodologies described are very abstract and would seem very challenging to apply at today's pace of business.
Also, the Kindle font is very hard to read - bold italics throughout. This may be a bug in my Kindle reader (iOS) or in the book itself, but it was very hard to read for any length of time.
November 19, 2021
Gold. The first topics (Parts of Speech and Territories of Experience) initially seemed too abstract, but as I got further in to the specific Action Logics, the earlier parts made much more sense in context, and skipping back to read fractally really tied it together. Pair with The Discerning Heart: The Developmental Psychology of Robert Kegan for complementary angles on adult development theory.
December 8, 2020
A bit dense, but some hidden gems
I really enjoyed unpacking the concepts in this book & figuring out how to apply them to my own life, both professionally and personally. It reads like an MBA textbook — which it is — but there are glimmers of hippy spirituality hidden throughout. I couldn’t help but think as I read that someone should rewrite (& rename!) some of the concepts & ideas to make them more accessible. The last chapter goes off the rails a bit, but the rest of the book makes a lot of sense.
I really enjoyed unpacking the concepts in this book & figuring out how to apply them to my own life, both professionally and personally. It reads like an MBA textbook — which it is — but there are glimmers of hippy spirituality hidden throughout. I couldn’t help but think as I read that someone should rewrite (& rename!) some of the concepts & ideas to make them more accessible. The last chapter goes off the rails a bit, but the rest of the book makes a lot of sense.
November 1, 2023
Great book, lots of examples
I like that this book blends theory and case studies. The theories are based on decade of research, with detailed description of different levels of driving action with inquiry and purpose. The book has plenty of case studies of developmental levels from corporate, political, and historical settings. I would recommend this book to anyone in leadership position, or wish to have more impact in their lives and surroundings.
I like that this book blends theory and case studies. The theories are based on decade of research, with detailed description of different levels of driving action with inquiry and purpose. The book has plenty of case studies of developmental levels from corporate, political, and historical settings. I would recommend this book to anyone in leadership position, or wish to have more impact in their lives and surroundings.
October 1, 2020
Profound insights that require a lot of introspection. I wish the authors would go farther on making the transition to practical application.
January 18, 2012
To live at one's leisure, performing work of value to others, listening into the dark, exercising presencing attention, and loving even what turns from the light in ourselves and others: this is one good way to express what it is in a lifetime of action inquiry that can be named "the secret of timely and transforming leadership".
'Who among us would voluntarily take on the continual suffering of witnessing the gaps among intentions, espoused values, actual practices, and outcomes in ourselves, in others, in organizations, and in larger social processes? Who struggles to transform such suffering, not into imprisoning neuroses or social victories at others' cost, but, rather, into emancipating consciousness that graces each meeting afresh?'
This book by Bill Torbert and his associates establishes, once and for all, that the ultimate objective function in life is continuous development.
'Who among us would voluntarily take on the continual suffering of witnessing the gaps among intentions, espoused values, actual practices, and outcomes in ourselves, in others, in organizations, and in larger social processes? Who struggles to transform such suffering, not into imprisoning neuroses or social victories at others' cost, but, rather, into emancipating consciousness that graces each meeting afresh?'
This book by Bill Torbert and his associates establishes, once and for all, that the ultimate objective function in life is continuous development.
January 11, 2013
Loved this book. Hard to summarize briefly - worth reading the reviews at Amazon. Torbert is obviously well-versed in integral theory and leadership, but comes at the practice in very straightforward, pragmatic ways, and illustrates easy to understand benefits of cultivating awareness around the process of inquiry in management and leadership. Lots of stories and examples to illuminate his contentions and recommendations, and practical exercises throughout that nicely enable readers to experiment with his ideas in their own lives and businesses.
Change is hard, especially in organizations, and Torbert provides insight into many of the patterns and dynamics that commonly obstruct durable and sustainable change, and provides tools for individuals and organizations to learn in the midst of overloaded schedules, hectic projects and busy lives.
Change is hard, especially in organizations, and Torbert provides insight into many of the patterns and dynamics that commonly obstruct durable and sustainable change, and provides tools for individuals and organizations to learn in the midst of overloaded schedules, hectic projects and busy lives.
October 21, 2017
Bit idiosyncratically written, but pretty awakening as to the mindsets needed for real change in organisations and the world. Not just for "managers"... Might form the basis for my (currently imagined) PhD.
January 3, 2018
A good introduction to action inquiry, especially for those applying it in practice. Although I better like Personal and Organizational Transformations, as it is a better lay-out of the theory and practice than this book, I believe.
March 15, 2012
useful
September 29, 2015
Provides a great framework for analyzing and improving difficult conversations. I try to use the concepts at work quite a bit.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews