ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the dual contingency framework and discusses three additional elements: transformational learning, creating psychological safety through care-practices, and leadership transformations. Transformational change in the context of leadership entails a shift in habitual patterns of thinking regarding the dual contingencies of context and authenticity. The grounded, dual contingency framework offers a theoretical perspective on the process of disrupting habitual patterns of thinking about context and/or authenticity through transformational learning within leadership training programs. The leadership development literature identifies four learning outcomes from training: knowledge acquisition, skill acquisition, self-awareness, and perspective change. In stories of receptive leadership, alumnae described self-amplifying and context-dismissing thought processes being replaced by self-tempering and context-regarding thought processes. Post-Women’s Leadership Series leadership stories reflected transformation to inspired leadership in which self-affirming and context-aligned thought processes replaced the earlier self-affirming and context-obliged ones. Reflection is critical in transformational learning and provides some psychological distance from what was previously assumed to be natural and incontrovertible.
