Developing strategic leaders: Three studies of wicked problem‐solving

Abstract

Those charged with developing and educating leaders need to look beyond current theories about thinking and learning, the tenets of action learning and situated learning, and Bloom's taxonomy of learning domains. An examination of three cases involving strategic problem-solving in virtual environments provides empirical evidence of high-level learning in situations involving seemingly unsolvable, or wicked, problems. It also offers guidance for the creation of lesson plans that encourage the self-understanding, group collaboration, and critical thinking skills that are essential to success in addressing the challenges of contemporary business.

Need for metacognition and critical thinking in the e‐learning ecosystem: The new normal in post Covid era

“…Incremental efforts need to be made to include strategies to enhance and develop metacognition strengths such as memory, positive beliefs, self‐reflection in management curriculum, pedagogy, and corporate training programs. Additionally, teachers and trainers need to undergo train‐the trainer sessions to be well equipped to deliver proficient outcomes among their students (Cakici, 2018; Hornett & Lee, 2017; Niewiesk & Garrity‐Rokous, 2021).…”

“…Incremental efforts need to be made to include strategies to enhance and develop metacognition strengths such as memory, positive beliefs, self-reflection in management curriculum, pedagogy, and corporate training programs. Additionally, teachers and trainers need to undergo train-the trainer sessions to be well equipped to deliver proficient outcomes among their students (Cakici, 2018;Hornett & Lee, 2017;Niewiesk & Garrity-Rokous, 2021). Further as more and more learning programs are being offered through e-learning mode, it is essential to build the curricula with content to enhance metacognitive skills (Muduli, 2017;Müceldili, 2020) as this is positively associated with higher critical thinking and can increase efficacy of e-learning outcomes.…”

“…As critical thinking helps in improved planning and decision‐making it leads to more efficacious outcomes in learning as well as at work (Watkins & Earnhardt, 2015; Yelamanchili, 2018). Further, in the new normal and extremely dynamic business environment, critical thinking has gained more prominence as it enables planning business continuity and sustainability goals which have become equal partners in decision making along with organization ROI (Hornet & Lee, 2017; Davies & Calma, 2020). Another key driving force comes from strong affirmations for critical thinking in building a mindset for lifelong and continuous learning.…”

“…Continuous learning (Müceldili et al, 2020;Muduli, 2017;Sessa & London, 2015) leads to acquisition of knowledge, skills, and behaviors which add together to develop competencies such as critical thinking (Boyatzis, 2008(Boyatzis, , 2009Ferreras-Garcia et al, 2021). Further, the changing landscape of higher education in management (Arbaugh & Hwang, 2015), agile needs of the corporate sector (Desai et al, 2016;Hornett & Lee, 2017) and UNESCO policy guidelines highlight the relevance of critical thinking as an essential competency in the twenty first century.…”

Interdisciplinary Leadership Practices in Graduate Leadership Education Programs

“…Many of the biggest problems we face today are wicked problems. They are complex, interrelated, and multi‐causal problems that have messy, contradictory, and changing requirements involving multiple stakeholders (Edmondson, ; Elia & Margherita, ; Hornett & Lee, ). Examples of wicked problems include pandemics, ideological conflicts, global environmental changes, poverty, famine, and inequities in health and educational outcomes.…”