Reflecting on my initial post on digital leadership, my perspective has not changed significantly; however, the topics covered in LRNT525 reinforced many concepts I have previously understood or added a more profound appreciation or knowledge, particularly around ethical considerations in learning analytics.
During this class, I came across an interesting 2024 paper by Müller et al. that compared the various competencies applied in digital transformation and organized them into discrete portfolios aligned with different foci. Four archetypical leadership competency portfolios are proposed to resolve transformation drivers and organizational goals. Curiously, I’ve operated as all four different archetypes in my career, depending on the initiative or desired project outcome. Perhaps this is evidence that I apply both adaptive and reflective methodologies to my leadership style (Khan 2017; Castelli, 2016).
In my current role, I am managing four interrelated digital learning transformation projects to resolve significant organizational risks and provide access to essential clinical decision-making resources. The work is complex and requires input from nearly all departments in our organization, so much of my time is spent engaging with affected groups and individuals and actively listening to their needs and barriers to success. The importance of applying such a people-centred approach was reified through my interviews performed in Assignment 1. As one interviewee succinctly noted; change frameworks and models help organize the work but supporting people through change is crucial for success.
In addition to dealing with the complexities of change and interactions with complex systems, I’m also acutely aware of the importance of balancing assumptions with a tolerance for uncertainty while maintaining critical curiosity. In a recent cohort Slack post, Stephen shared a 2025 podcast from the Harvard Business Review about practical approaches to making data-driven decisions. The podcast speakers agreed on slowing down and having better team conversations from a position of critical curiosity to ensure a better understanding of the data on which decisions are being based (Bates, 2025).
As I advance in my career, I intend to continue exploring the intersection of leadership and ethics through various perspectives and apply this knowledge in practice.
Of raindrops and floods
Regarding the second section of my original post on digital leadership, I feel more strongly now than I did when writing it, driven by recent events in international relations. Ethical leaders face a rapid, rising tide of mis/disinformation, inhumanity, and greed. The rain has become torrential, and we are witnessing an outburst flood.
Unfortunately, I have few answers on how to solve this collective action problem other than for ethical leaders to continue to work with our followers to push back against the tide.
References
Bates, H. (Host). (2025, March 5). The right way to make data-driven decisions [Audio podcast]. HBR on Strategy. https://hbr.org/podcast/2025/03/the-right-way-to-make-data-driven-decisions
Castelli, P.A. (2016). Reflective leadership review: a framework for improving organisational performance, Journal of Management Development, (35)2, 217-236. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-08-2015-0112
Khan, N. (2017). Adaptive or Transactional Leadership in Current Higher Education: A Brief Comparison. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(3), 178–183. http://dx.doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i3.3294
Müller, S. D., Konzag, H., Nielsen, J. A., & Sandholt, H. B. (2024, April). Digital transformation leadership competencies: A contingency approach. International Journal of Information Management, 75, 102734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102734
Thanks for this thoughtful reflection—it was really meaningful to read after working together on the Moodle Toolkit project. Throughout that collaboration, your ability to zoom out and consider ethical dimensions and systems-level thinking really stood out. It is great to see those same ideas expanded here, especially through your discussion of adaptive and reflective leadership (Khan, 2017; Castelli, 2016). Your reference to Müller et al.’s (2024) leadership archetypes adds a lot of nuance—I love that you were able to recognize how your leadership style shifts depending on context. That kind of flexibility is such a strength, especially in digital transformation work.
I also really appreciated your emphasis on people-centered change. Like you said, frameworks help organize the work, but it is the people who carry it forward—and the way you linked that back to your interview findings was such a strong point. The idea of “critical curiosity” also stuck with me. It is a mindset I want to carry forward, especially when thinking about how data informs our decisions.
Your closing reflection was both poetic and powerful. The “rising tide” metaphor really hit home. It made me wonder—how can we, as ethical leaders, build in space for reflection and dialogue within our teams so that we are not just reacting to that flood, but preparing for it together?
Grateful to have worked with you and learned alongside you this term!
Nice reflection, Chris. Thanks for the nod.
The geopolitical chaos cuts through nearly everything, doesn’t it? Taking these deep dives into leadership and change management has a certain cloud cast on it these days. One must wonder the long-term influence the chaos will have on attitudes toward leadership. Will it make people more cynical? Will it cause people to think that leadership should be dictatorial and vicious? Or will there be a whiplash toward more empathetic, human-centred approaches? A critical curiosity is perhaps what has been missing from our government leaders.