Dr. Assumpta O'Kane
PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT FACILITATOR
Dr. Assumpta O’Kane CPsychol. AFBPsS.
I am an occupational psychologist and researcher, a facilitator of transformation in adult development and a specialist advisor on organisational development.
Ten years ago, I founded ‘Transformative Conversations’ a facilitation process for individuals and teams underpinned by the frontier work of Robert Kegan on Adult Development and UCC’s Keynes Centre on Transformational Learning and Personal Change.
‘Transformative Conversations’ is both a process to participate in and a method to acquire, created for people working in business who want to develop and expand how they are relating with other people. I have identified the ways in which people can develop and change, and am recognised for creating an environment in which people can develop their capability for management and for leadership. I work privately with individuals, SME and multinational organisations.
I have recently co-authored ‘The Leadership Mind’ with Professor Connell Fanning presenting new innovative ways of thinking about leadership and the developmental and change process involved in becoming this kind of mind.
Previously I worked with organisations Pfizer Ireland Pharmaceuticals, Price Waterhouse Coopers, BDO Binder Hamlyn; and Electric Ireland (previously ESB) with senior advisory and management responsibilities in Organisational Development and Human Resources.
THE LEADERSHIP MIND
A new approach to leadership and leadership development.
Assumpta has co-authored a ground-breaking new book with Connell Fanning which invites people working in organisations to press the re-start button and begin to develop their capability for leadership by looking afresh at themselves and their roles.
The key to their approach is 'The Leadership Mind' – a person who chooses to continually grow through personal transformation, enabling them to better operate at the increasing uncertainty and complexity of the world and able to deal more effectively with the business, social, and political challenges of today.
This approach establishes a fundamental distinction between leadership and management and ends the confusion facing practitioners about 'leadership' created by the so-called "thought-leaders".
The book is based on thinking anew about the specific issue of ‘leadership’ in business organisations and provides a sustainable and workable concept for practitioners to use in their thinking and practice about leadership.
Our two breakthrough ideas about 'Leadership' and 'The Leadership Mind' finally provides practitioners with clarity about 'leadership' and an effective approach for leadership development in all kinds of organisations.