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Leadership for a New Era (LNE) Engagement WebinarBy: Leadership Learning Community

January 2010

+Intro

Goals for the Webinar: Share progress Discuss emerging ideas and questions around Leadership

and Race and Leadership and Networks Give you a chance to connect with other LNE members Support your use of the website to facilitate your

participation

Logistics Agenda & Live Chat Window

http://www.leadershipforanewera.org/page/LNE+Engagement+Webinar+Agenda

Twitter hashtag: #llcircle

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LNE Overview

+Overview

Collaborative research initiative launched by the Leadership Learning Community in 2009

Leadership Learning Community National nonprofit organization transforming the way

leadership development work is conceived, conducted and evaluated

Focus on leveraging leadership as a means to promote social justice

Identify, evaluate and apply cutting-edge ideas and promising practices in the field

National network of hundreds of funders, consultants and programs

+Leadership for a New Era

What: To produce a body of research, resources and recommendations about

how to be more inclusive, networked and collective in our leadership work

Why: The primary current leadership model places a strong focus on the

individual’s role and responsibility in the change process and does not: Leverage network-centric approaches Support racial justice outcomes with a systemic analysis of structural

racism Promote leadership as a democratic and relational process that

supports collective action The leadership landscape is changing

Projected generational transfer of leadership Development of new social technologies

+Leadership for a New Era

Who: Those who are committed to leadership development work:

programs, funders, researchers, program participants

How: Produce publications and online resource directories

Leadership and Race Leadership and Networks Collective Leadership Leadership across Difference

+Unique Opportunity

Contribute to, and be part of, a growing network of practitioners, researchers and funders who are committed to promoting and supporting more inclusive, networked and collective leadership

Establish relationships with peers in the fields of leadership development, network development, and community development

Access the latest thinking and practices in these fields

Share and get exposure for your materials and research

+Engaging with LNE

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What has been achieved?

+Awareness and Participation Outreach

Secured commitments from 20 well recognized potential partners to participate as writers

Increased participation on the website through social media, email and blogger outreach

Engagement Hosted a series of webinars and face-to-face

convenings to increase participation

Content Produced synthesis for Leadership and Race Produced synthesis outline for Leadership and

Networks

Over 85 participants registered on the website

Steady increase on site traffic

Over 90 meeting participants (face-to-face and webinars)

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LNE Website

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Leadership & Networks

+Publication Overview

Framing questions:

Why are network approaches to leadership vital for the social sector? What are the consequences of perpetuating the dominant leadership model?

What network forms are being experimented with in the social sector and across sectors? What are common leadership challenges in catalyzing and unleashing networks?

What is network leadership in the connected age?

What leadership development supports are needed to catalyze and unleash the power of networks?

How can evaluation support learning about network leadership and transform the potential for collective action?

+Influences of the Dominant Culture on Leadership Work in the Social Sector

Many leadership programs are based on the dominant culture’s beliefs that hierarchical organizations with strong executive leadership are best prepared to address the social, economic and environmental challenges we face. This assumption fails to understand that:

Organizational fragmentation in the social sector is inefficient and costly when compared to “networked nonprofits”

Top down leadership structures limit information sharing and the development of innovative solutions when compared with distributed leadership within and across organizations

A focus on organizational success often displaces a focus on mission achievement

+How to Catalyze and Unleash Network-Centric Leadership in the Social Sector Build relationships of trust that support the flow of ideas,

information, resources and accountability across divides

Use technologies and methodologies that support small groups to self-organize around what they care about

Let go of control

Invest resources where energy and momentum is building across a network

Build only forms that are flexible, informal, have provisional leadership, and are always open to new people

+Questions

What network forms of leadership do you see being experimented with in the social sector? By whom?

How are social technologies transforming leadership?

What leadership development strategies unleash the power of networks?

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Leadership & Race

+Publication Overview

Framing questions: Does current leadership thinking and

practice contribute to structural racism?

What leadership strategies are vital to supporting racial justice?

How can leadership programs help to mitigate the impact of centuries of structural disadvantage along lines of race?

What evaluation approaches can facilitate our learning about leadership work that supports racial justice?

+Influences of the Dominant Culture on Leadership Work

Many leadership programs are based on the dominant culture’s beliefs about the role of individuals in change and fail to understand:

Structural disadvantage along lines of race, and therefore assume a level field where results are based on ability and skill

The relational and collective nature of leadership in which meaning-making around social identities and lived experience builds collective action

To dismantle structural racism it is necessary for leadership programs to address how structural advantage/disadvantage is perpetuated and to build connections and identify systems-level strategies

be supported

+Leadership Work can Help to Address Structural Racism

Leadership programs can mitigate historical disadvantage by providing access to new skills (e.g. policy), expanded networks, visibility, information, leadership opportunities and financial resources

Leadership programs that incorporate an analysis of structural racism can provide opportunities for groups to: Make meaning of their experiences Engage in healing and inner work in a safe environment Build relationships and networks within and among groups Collectively develop, test and adapt systems change

strategies

+Questions

What role do you think leadership programs should or can play in trying to tackle issues of structural racism?

What ideas do you have about how leadership programs can make a difference in racial justice?

What have you seen in leadership work that you believe is having an impact on racial justice?

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Next Steps

+Stay Involved!

Update your profile

Continue to share resources

Continue to engage in dialogue

Suggest ideas for future exploration

Promote LNE!

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Questions/Comments?