We are all leading in a VUCA world<\/strong>; one marked by Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, leaders and teams are searching for practical methods that help them make progress without having all the answers. That\u2019s where the PDSA cycle<\/strong> comes in: Plan \u2013 Do \u2013 Study \u2013 Act<\/strong>, a simple yet powerful approach to continuous improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What many leaders don\u2019t realize is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n PDSA and VUCA are deeply connected.<\/strong> Let\u2019s explore how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My connection to continuous learning started long before I entered the world of leadership development. Very quickly, I learned that lecturing was not enough. This is where I was first introduced to Kolb\u2019s Experiential Learning Cycle<\/strong>, a four-step model:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Without realizing it at the time, I was already working in learning loops, creating small experiments in my teaching approach, observing what worked, adjusting, and trying again. Those early years taught me something fundamental:<\/p>\n\n\n\n People learn fastest when they can experience something, reflect on it, and immediately try a better version.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Decades later, this lesson remains central in my work with leaders and teams. And in today\u2019s world, we need all three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VUCA isn\u2019t just jargon. It describes what leaders experience every day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In such an environment, classic linear planning becomes fragile. Large-scale solutions take too long. Leaders can no longer rely on experience alone, because yesterday\u2019s patterns don\u2019t always repeat themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To lead effectively, we need new ways of thinking, and new ways of learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The PDSA cycle invites leaders and teams to work in small, fast learning loops:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead of committing to massive, risky initiatives, PDSA builds progress through experimentation, reflection, and adjustment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This rhythm fits the reality of VUCA perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s where the two frameworks meet:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the world shifts quickly, yearly plans become outdated in weeks. In unclear situations, people often assume, debate, or postpone decisions. Complex systems overwhelm. Everything is connected to everything. When there is no obvious solution, the safest path is exploration. In this way, PDSA becomes a practical leadership behaviour<\/strong>, not just a process improvement tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Working with PDSA develops essential leadership capabilities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n And for me personally, it connects straight back to Kolb: This is how people grow. When you combine VUCA and PDSA, one insight becomes clear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a VUCA world, the most competitive organisations are the ones that learn faster than their environment changes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n PDSA creates that learning cadence. Together, they form a powerful leadership framework:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is where transformation truly begins \u2014 not through big designs and perfect plans, but through a continuous cycle of experimenting, learning, and adjusting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n VUCA is the challenge. PDSA is one of the most effective responses. Kolb shows how learning becomes behaviour.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Leaders who understand all three \u2014 and who teach their teams to work in continuous learning loops \u2014 build resilience, adaptability, and momentum in even the most unpredictable environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They don\u2019t wait for clarity. They create it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In a world defined by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, leaders can no longer rely on fixed plans or past experience. VUCA describes the challenge \u2014 but PDSA provides a practical way to respond through fast learning cycles. My early years as a teacher, working with Kolb\u2019s experiential learning model, taught me that people grow through experimentation, reflection, and adaptation. Decades later, the same learning loop has become essential for leaders: the ability to test, adjust, and learn faster than the environment changes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,199,192],"tags":[441,515,72,366,405,231,514,82,381],"class_list":["post-11026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-tools-methods","category-vuca-leadership","tag-change","tag-kolb","tag-leadership","tag-leadership-behavior","tag-leadership-coaching","tag-learning-organization","tag-pdsa","tag-vuca","tag-vuca-leadership"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t
One describes the environment.
The other provides a way to navigate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA personal note: How Kolb shaped my approach to learning and leadership<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It began when I graduated as a teacher in electro-engineering<\/strong>, stepping into a classroom filled with students who were curious, impatient, easily distracted, and eager to understand how the world worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Students only truly understood when they experienced<\/strong>, tested<\/strong>, reflected<\/strong>, and applied<\/strong> what they learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/salomons.coach\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Kolb-Model-in-my-layout.png\")
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It was PDSA in an educational setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Kolb gave me the mindset.
PDSA gave me the structure.
VUCA gives us the context.<\/p>\n\n\n\nVUCA: the leadership challenge of our time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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PDSA: A simple method for making progress in uncertain times<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How PDSA responds to VUCA \u2014 directly and practically<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Volatility \u2192 PDSA stabilises through shorter cycles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
PDSA keeps teams flexible by working in short learning loops<\/strong>.
You adjust as the environment changes, instead of being paralysed by outdated plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Uncertainty \u2192 PDSA reduces guessing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
PDSA replaces debate with data<\/strong> \u2014 even if it\u2019s small-scale data.
A short experiment reveals more than hours of discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n3. Complexity \u2192 PDSA breaks it down<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
PDSA isolates one change at a time so teams can see what truly works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n4. Ambiguity \u2192 PDSA encourages curiosity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
PDSA gives teams permission to test<\/strong>, learn, and adjust \u2014 without needing certainty upfront.<\/p>\n\n\n\nPDSA Builds the Leadership Skills VUCA Demands<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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experience \u2192 reflection \u2192 insight \u2192 new action<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is how teams mature.
This is how organisations adapt.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Real Connection: Learning Faster Than the Environment Changes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
VUCA demands it.
Kolb explains why<\/em> it works at a human level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
In Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n