Creating Leadership Platform

Creating Leadership Platform

Mobilize people to transform systems and build the platforms to scale the efforts

Leadership - the challenge

We live in a word forged by various forces, comprising complex evolving systems of many stakeholders that interact with each other in rich and ever-changing ways. Such systems range from the ecosystem of a forest uninhabited by people to the increasingly dense cities that are home to a growing share of the global population. The systems are continuously scaling and evolving at an unprecedented rate. Systems that were once relatively independent are becoming increasingly interconnected and interdependent, which makes it harder and harder to discern the boundaries between one system and another. All of this leads to increasing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, making it more challenging for leaders to achieve the impact they intended.

Being an NGO leader involves much more than just ensuring that their organizations are implementing projects and complying with all laws and policies. They strive to create a balanced society, through streamlining the underserved and marginalized population using various measures, from mobilization to training and support venture formations, aim to empower most deprived people and turn them into a leader is no easy task.

Too often, we seek to reduce systems to component parts so that we can better understand and manage our flow. As we continue the struggle to ensure a people-driven process of social transformation, we will have to consider the reliability of NGOs as a vehicle to achieve our developmental objectives. Overwhelmed by the speed and complexity of the systems that surround us, we are spending too much time in passive or reactive mindsets. The question explored here is how we change that.

THE OPPORTUNITIES

Encourage the formation of local groups.

Local initiatives can certainly be driven by individuals. However, they are likely to have much greater impact if they are shaped and driven by small groups, typically of 5–15 people, who come together on a sustained basis to form deep, trust-based relationships with each other. These small work groups can challenge each other, hold one another accountable and provide support and reinforcement for each other when the participants inevitably run into obstacles. The focus of these local groups is to learn by doing and to learn faster together. Building a community and infusing leadership to realize program effect is as important as any other tools.

Understand motivations.

NGOs will not be able to mobilize the resources they need without clearly understanding the motivations of the diverse participants they are seeking to engage. Too often, initiatives are framed in terms of how the world will benefit or how certain disadvantaged groups might benefit, but it is also essential to understand how different participants see the problem differently (even if they agree it is one that demands to be addressed) and are motivated by different values, which must also be appealed to directly. It is also the case that the various participants themselves might benefit by bringing about the change envisioned. As systems leaders think about how participants might benefit, they should move beyond narrow cost/benefit analyses and speak to the broader emotional needs of the participants. What are their greatest aspirations? What are their most deeply held fears? Which of their deep-seated values are stirred by this threat or opportunity? 

“We as an NGO need to understand that we cannot dictate action. Instead, we must encourage and facilitate interaction by gaining a deep understanding of the contexts and aspirations of the participants.”

Connect for impact.

The key to scaling these distributed groups is to provide a broader network that can connect the groups and give them access to a broader set of resources and expertise over time. This means they can seek help when needed and also find encouragement and renewed energy when the going gets tough. Another key function of this network is to share stories about the early efforts of these local groups and the impact they were able to achieve. Such stories help to inspire and motivate other groups to take action and raise the bar in terms of the impact they are trying to achieve. As we will see below, platforms can play a significant role in cultivating and evolving these networks.

Cultivate empathy.

Systems leadership is ultimately about motivating many diverse participants to act together and to invest significant time and effort in the collective action. If the leaders are unable to place themselves deeply in the context of the participants they are trying to reach, and to understand their values, aspirations and fears, they will likely have only modest success in motivating the kind of action required.

Share the credit.

Change-driven systems initiatives require effective participation in masse. If the leaders are not willing or able to share the credit for success with the many and instead seek to claim the credit for themselves, they will quickly drain energy from the participants. In some models, such as Crisis Action, systems leaders work behind the scenes so that public credit is directly entirely towards the participants they support. Similarly, systems leaders must be prepared to accept responsibility for failures and shift the focus to what can be learned from the failure to help everyone achieve more impact. Whether with success or failure, systems leaders must drive home that this is a collaborative effort and everyone is in it together.

Play the role of an orchestra conductor.

In an orchestra, every musician has a distinct role that plays to their strength and gives them a sense of contribution, pleasure and accomplishment. Systems leaders must be adept at spotting and encouraging talent in a way that is harmonious and smooth out discordant notes.

Live the values.

Effective and sustainable change will be achieved only if it adheres to the fundamental human values such as integrity and transparency that will help all of us to realize more of our potential. Effective systems leaders will have to live those values daily if they are to have any hope of ensuring that others adhere to those values, too. One of their most important tasks is to embody and model the values of the community of people setting out to achieve them as well as the kind of world and society they seek to create. This is a high bar and requires a level of integrity that has not always been manifest in successful leaders.