====== LCW Insights ======
===== Leadership Insights from Leadership for a Changing World Awardees =====
**Dianne Bady and Janet Fout**
//Director and Project Coordinator, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition Huntington, WV
2001 Leadership for a Changing World awardees//
Women fight mountaintop removal in Appalachia.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=4|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
Dianne: "All of my activism has been motivated by a radical sense of trust. I know that the forces of greed and oppression that we fight every day are much more powerful, in a worldly sense, than we are. But I strongly believe, and sometimes even directly experience, that if we act with integrity and open ourselves to the power of the Spirit, amazing things can happen.
We often face situations where what we're trying to do seems hopeless. Coal is not called King in West Virginia for nothing! Our basic style of leadership is to provide the spaces for concerned people to get together, share their anger, and work through the darkness to come up with plans.
Janet and I share responsibilities for making sure our organization runs effectively. We bring people together to make plans. For example, over the past few years, we've organized three weekend-long strategy meetings. The plans that emerged from these meetings were not necessarily things that we would have predicted. And at times our planned agenda broke down completely. Although this style of operating can seem confusing and chaotic, our experience is that by the end of a long meeting things somehow pull together.
Sometimes magical things happen. We see shy, unlikely people speaking with an eloquence that makes our skin tingle, or successfully taking on a leadership role that seems beyond their past experiences. And often, we somehow attract just the right people and resources, just when we need them.
Many grassroots groups fail or disband because of interpersonal conflicts, and we are very conscious of the need to address conflicts in an adaptive manner - promoting the idea that we are all strong-minded people and that some disagreement is inevitable. Our aim is to openly address interpersonal or strategy-oriented conflicts as they arise, rather than letting differences fester and cause harm. We find that working through disagreements can ultimately strengthen our relationships with each other, with volunteers, and with other groups. We make a point of appreciating volunteers for their strengths, while trying to be patient with volunteers' shortcomings, knowing that we have shortcomings of our own."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=7|Read the full Leadership Talk]]
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**Victoria Kovari**
//Chairperson, Metropolitan Organizing Strategy for Enabling Strength (MOSES)
Detroit, MI
2002 Leadership for a Changing World awardee//
Victoria Kovari leads a multiracial urban-suburban coalition to expand public transportation and job opportunities for metropolitan Detroit.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=53|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
"The chief qualities [that have allowed me and the MOSES staff to be more effective] have been the emphasis in bringing people into action. Don't just have leaders sitting around the table and talking about issues. Leaders are agitated to take action, to bring people together and decide on an action to take for a particular problem or issue.
Also, the courage to take risks. It was a real risk to take on the issue of mass transit. A lot people said we would fall right on our face, that the organization was dreaming. It's the ability to take on tough issues and take on risk for those issues.
One more thing that's important to me organizationally and personally is a commitment to remove obstacles in your way and not accept defeat - a determination to remove these and the ability to declare victory and move on."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=4|Read the full Leadership Talk]]
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**Phill Wilson**
//Executive Director, Black AIDS Institute
Los Angeles, CA
2001 Leadership for a Changing World awardee//
An African American man with AIDS seeks to wake his endangered community.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=34|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
"I think it's important for leaders to develop support networks. And like any other networks, it's important when they are doing similar type of work and activities. I try to have networks of other people who are leaders and who are doing social type work such as this. Most importantly, it is an opportunity to learn from them, too."
"I'm not sure if I know what traditional leadership is. I don't think that my leadership style is different from people who I perceive to be effective leaders.
I think that leadership is, first and foremost, about sharing and caring about people and trying to find ways to help people fulfill or maximize their potential. That is certainly what I try to do.
The other part of effective leadership is tied to learning and/or following. I never know if an idea that I have will work or if it's necessarily the right thing to do. So I'm required to check in with other people. And in that process, I learn.
I think that you have to be willing to learn, you have to be willing to talk and to listen. That is critical.
A critical part of my leadership style is to do three things. The first is to try to be clear about my ideas and my commitment. The second is to try to be honest about the limitations of those ideas and commitments. A third important thing is to be responsible and to hold yourself accountable. When I put something out there, good, bad or indifferent, I'm responsible for this, and I am willing to take the heat if I'm wrong."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=6|Read the full Leadership Talk]]
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==== Team leadership ====
**Bill Rauch**
//Co-Founder & Artistic Director, Cornerstone Theater Company
Los Angeles, CA
2001 Leadership for a Changing World awardee//
The Cornerstone Theater doesn’t just talk. It acts.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=27|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
"Although I exercise leadership as an artistic director, I am also a member of a consensus-run ensemble. Our ensemble decides collectively what projects we take on. Each time it is a different spark, a different inspiration. Sometimes it may be a community partner who will call us about a pressing issue in their particular community. Often it is the inspiration of one or more artists in the company that then gets shaped and changed by input from community partners. Our current faith-based work started as the idea of an actor in the company: she wanted us to deal head-on with issues of faith and intolerance because of faith differences, since that cropped up again and again in all our other work. Sitting in a circle during a day-long meeting, as soon as she said it, we all knew that it was the right set of challenges for us to take on next."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=9|Read the full Leadership Talk]]
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**Terrol Dew Johnson & Tristan Reader**
//Co-Directors, Tohono O'odham Community Action
Sells, AZ
2002 Leadership for a Changing World awardees//
Terrol Dew Johnson and Tristan Reader develop new ways to enhance traditional Tohono O’odham tribal values and health.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=68|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
Terrol: "We try to practice a 'leadership' style that is consistent with the O'odham Himdag - the Desert People's Way. We seek to walk with the community as it seeks out its own gifts and strengths. Rather than "leading" in a conventional way, we have spent countless hours listening to our community - everyone from children to elders - in an attempt to draw upon community assets to develop effective, culturally-based responses to communal problems."
Tristan: "This does not mean that we are passive in the process; rather, we work to synthesize what we hear from the community into clear strategies, which stimulate cultural revitalization and sustainable community development. We strive to use our unique skills and perspectives as tools and resources for the hundreds of community members who participate in our various efforts. Our goal - both as individuals and as a leadership team - is to create more than a vital and sustainable organization; our goal is the creation of a vital and sustainable Tohono O'odham community."
Terrol: "In our leadership team, I bring my knowledge of the challenges, needs, assets and desires of the Tohono O'odham community, having been born and raised on the Reservation. As an artist, I bring a creative spirit to the process of designing positive, effective programs."
Tristan: "Having worked in various communities over the years, I try to bring a broad perspective on issues of social justice combined with organizational development skills. We share responsibilities for planning and envisioning a future for TOCA, as well as responsibilities such as staff supervision, community outreach and program development. Although team leadership often takes more time at its inception, ultimately, it provides a stronger more vibrant form of leadership that strengthens the individuals, the organization and the community."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=15|Read the full Leadership Talk]]
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**Cassandra Shaylor & Cynthia Chandler**
//Co-Director, Justice Now
Oakland, CA
2001 Leadership for a Changing World awardee//
Two attorneys offer new hope to women prisoners.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=9|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
Cassandra: "On a daily basis, we work together collaboratively as Co-Directors of Justice Now, taking equal responsibility for day-to-day project operations and programmatic and administrative decisions. Our division of labor is fluid - both of us truly are involved equally in all layers of the organization and our work - which means we spend a lot of time talking with each other about what needs to be done and how to approach the work. We don't have rigid divides in terms of roles; we base those decisions mostly on which of us has time to take on which tasks.
Also, while the two of us were nominated as a leadership team, it is extremely important for us to acknowledge that we understand our leadership team to include activist women prisoners with whom we work closely. Women in prison direct our programmatic work and guide our campaign strategies, and current and former prisoners serve on our community and national advisory boards."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=10|Read the full Leadership Talk]]
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==== Encouraging leadership ====
**John Parvensky**
//President, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Denver, CO
2002 Leadership for a Changing World awardee//
A Denver tragedy focuses regional and national attention on new ways to create affordable and supportive housing.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=59|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
"One of the key challenges I face with our growing organization has been maintaining a grass roots social justice culture within a larger social service organization. The advocacy that was critical to our early success is often forgotten as the fear of alienating funders and supporters becomes more important. So what we've had to do is keep focused on our mission of creating lasting solutions and to ensure that all aspects of the organizations understand and embrace this. I constantly stress the importance for all staff to be advocates in their work, advocating for those we serve on an individual basis as well as on a systemic basis. If we all keep as a central barometer of our work how the interests and needs of homeless persons will best be served, then we'll truly be successful."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=12|Read the full Leadership Talk]]
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**Ruth Wise**
//Executive Director, New Road Community Development Group
Exmore, VA
2001 Leadership for a Changing World awardee//
Ruth Wise and the people who walk with her give new pride to a community isolated for over a century.
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/awardees/awardee.php3?ID=35|Read the full Leadership Profile]]
"Our board meetings are open to all residents. We encourage residents to come. Board elections are actually open elections. We nominate people from the floor. Anyone who is a member of the community can serve on the board. We encourage community residents to share their opinions and their thoughts with us about things going on in the community. If there is something people think is going to be difficult I go door to door because people don't always come to meetings. That's one of the things that I do myself to make sure that we have a clear understanding what the issue is all about. We let people know that everybody's idea is worthwhile."
[[http://leadershipforchange.org/talks/archive.php3?ForumID=14|Read the full Leadership Talk]]