ABSTRACT
This chapter examines change in the dynamic landscape of higher education. Using case studies to illustrate different approaches, the authors explore the success of transformation in different institutional contexts. Success is framed as the challenge of overcoming a condition defined as ‘change without change’. This commonly seen outcome of many organisational initiatives, in complex environments, is where structural or process change is not matched by the behavioural or attitudinal changes needed for the initiative to be sustainable. To overcome this, a range of participative approaches are put forward to help build the collective commitment needed through inclusive and adaptive leadership. These approaches are centred on collaborative engagement, creativity, and co-creation in a well-facilitated environment that enables all those involved to contribute courageously, and think generatively and expansively. Key to this approach is providing time and space, and psychological safety, for open discussion and creative thinking, and triggering a level of emotional engagement that will help enable habits and behaviours to transform alongside any structural or process changes. The case studies also illustrate specific approaches and techniques that bring people together, share leadership, build partnership, inspire courage, openness and vulnerability, and foster collective commitment around complex challenges.
