Professor Dr. Jo Chaffer

Biography

I am a global consultant focused on helping organizations, systems, and people shift wherever I have worked around the world, including in war zones. Lately, I have primarily engaged with higher education systems. My research at ADFA supports inquiry practices in leadership development, particularly the concept of 'emptiness' in leadership and the systems approaches that enable people and organizations to collaborate effectively. I am currently working on systems approaches to disaster recovery and well-being as emergent properties, with an emphasis on optimizing collaborative partnerships and re-focusing foundational processes. This involves unpacking and problematizing assumptions surrounding concepts like leadership and performance. My research practices also explore psychological safety and develop a new approach to 'containment' in leadership, moving away from the traditional 'container' metaphor towards an understanding of relational entanglements. I hold an MA in Development Training focused on experiential learning processes and a PhD from Lancaster University, UK. My work has spanned addressing post-earthquake insurance struggles within the tourism industry in Nepal to analyzing labor conditions for mountain workers across four continents. I lead treks and climbs in the Greater Ranges.

Research Interests

Experience