New profile, new applications

In its origins ARL was deeply rooted in an experiential learning model that explicitly invited individuals to create their own interpretations and versions of “truth.”

Over time, ARL has begun to be applied in a diversity of contexts. In the academic environment it has been used for an executive development program at the Master’s level for graduates, and as the teaching methodology for a postgraduate program in Human Resources.

It is also used for a variety of outcomes that transcend the initial leadership development purpose. ARL is no longer exclusively a means to convert managers into leaders; it is now used for a number of other purposes that have one thing in common — something had to be learned.

The following list gives an idea of the breadth of application of this methodology. It is used:

• to help individuals learn to work together as part of a post-merger integration;
• to help learn how to create new business strategies;
• to help teams learn how to handle conflict or crisis situations;
• as a process for coaching individuals;
• to develop high performing teams;
• to help a leader transition from one team to the next;
• to prepare young talent for their next challenges;
• in mentoring programs;
• in organizational change programs;
• for developing specific competencies;
• for developing leader-coaches;
• to help learn how to implement performance appraisal processes;
• to develop synergy in regional teams;
• for designing meetings and conferences;
• for developing Learning Coaches.

By expanding the application of the ARL approach to new contexts and contents, ARL has moved naturally beyond its original focus. It has transitioned from an approach to support leadership development to a learning methodology. Consistent with ARL’s constructivist essence, the praxis just continued to evolve naturally, led by practitioners, and not by theories or conceptual frameworks of others.