An advanced guide to leadership development and intentional evolution—your own or others—using Adult Education Theory.
The first edition of Changing on the Job became a popular guide for executive coaches and leadership trainers, because it simplified a set of complex tools and ideas to help executive coaches develop leaders, based on "Adult Development Theory." Leaders (like all adults) grow through four predictable stages of maturity and wisdom. Crucially, Jennifer Garvey Berger argues that if we do not deliberately help leaders advance to the two higher stages, we will be unable to solve the global problems which are plaguing us, like climate change, war, or the next global crisis. The leaders we need to solve our complex, unprecedented problems can only be developed in the workplace, and they need the advanced perspective, maturity, and personal evolution described in this book.
The second edition includes new chapters written for leaders as well as executive coaches, and many updates. It is the only book in the influential field of Adult Development Theory that's easy to read and offers clear descriptions of what adult/leader growth looks like. It also includes tools and ideas to help leaders grow.
About the author
Jennifer Garvey Berger (EdD, Harvard) is the author of four acclaimed books on leadership. She is cofounder and CEO of Cultivating Leadership, a consultancy that serves executives and teams in the private, non-profit, and government sectors around the world. Her clients include Google, Microsoft, Novartis, Wikipedia, and Oxfam International. She is a Senior Scientific Advisor to the Inner Development Goals, an international personal growth initiative based in Sweden.
"In this moment of pervasive, swirling change, we desperately need leaders who have the courage to embrace uncertainty, who welcome complexity, and who seek out perspectives that challenge their own. Jennifer Garvey Berger has given us a master class in how to cultivate these capacities in ourselves and accompany others on their journeys. Changing on the Job is an essential guide for leaders in this complex world."
—Eric Berger, Global Head of Learning, Visa
"Brilliantly captures the essence of adult development, offering leaders a roadmap to growth amidst complexity. A must-read for anyone committed to evolving their consciousness and leadership practice."
—Robert Kegan, Harvard University Graduate School of Education, co-author of Immunity to Change and An Everyone Culture
"Jennifer Garvey Berger's vision of life, love and survival on this planet is kind, wise and deeply thought provoking. This book's genius lies in emphasizing the importance of relationships with purpose and context, and the power of metabolizing our discomfort into transformative learning."
—Dr. Kirsten Dunlop, CEO, Climate-KIC
"Leaders who develop in their roles are a catalyst for the growth of their teams and organizations. I can attest that the principles in this book have been instrumental in my own leadership transformation."
—Dr. Vas Narasimhan, CEO, Novartis
"Globally renowned for her books, consulting and coaching, Jennifer Garvey Berger's new edition of Changing on the Job asks leaders for intense and challenging self-awareness—crucial for turning difficult situations into growth opportunities.
—William Torbert, Boston College; Founder, Action Inquiry Associates