Leadership development : All Articles

Women Leading Change: Experiences promoting women's empowerment, leadership, and gender justice

13 April 2012

Published in March 2012, this publication features, four case studies describing experiences from Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Indonesia in promoting women's political and economic empowerment and leadership. The case studies describe the context in which women live, what leadership means and how to achieve it. Attention is given to working within existing institutions and cultural norms, and also to creating new institutions. The final section summarizes common lessons and considerations for future policy and practice aiming to promote women's empowerment and leadership.

Building nonprofit capacity

15 January 2012

This book uses the organisational lifecycle framework to help  the nonprofit sector and its leaders figure out how to effectively shepherd a change process in their organization. The book is based on research by the TCC Group, a New York based consultancy, in the area of organizational effectiveness studies. It also includesd results from the core capacity assessment tool (CCAT) - a 146-question online survey that measures a nonprofit organization's effectiveness in relation to four core capacities - leadership, adaptability, management, and technical capacities - as well as organizational culture.

In and above Conflict - A study on Leadership in the United Nations

27 October 2011

Peace is seldom concluded when a peace deal is signed. The principal external role in consolidating peace frequently falls to United Nations (UN) missions and agencies. Their ability to achieve this task is contingent on many factors including resources and cohesive international political support. It depends most critically on effective leadership. What are the unique, defining challenges to UN leadership in conflict and post conflict environments? How have effective UN leaders approached these challenges?

Interview: Less teaching more learning

13 September 2011

Sombath Somphone, Director of the Participatory Development Training Centre, Laos

Innovative education in Laos

PADETC, the Participatory Development Training Centre, introduces active approaches to learning in Laos, where education is still based on a passive and traditional one-way-transfer of knowledge from teacher to students.
 

Assessing leadership capacity needs for building a knowledge society in Africa

09 September 2011

GESCI, Founded by the UN ICT Task Force, in partnership with the African Union have released four country reports and a synthesis document that assess the environmental, institutional and individual leadership capacity needs for the transition towards a knowledge society in Africa. The study was carried out in Zambia, Tanzania, Mauritius and South Africa as part of the Africa Leadership in ICT (ALICT) programme.

A practitioners guide to results-oriented capacity development

07 September 2011

Capacity development is usually marketed as a ‘process of change’. However, there is little point to change for the sake of change. Results-Oriented Capacity Development. A Practitioner's Guide for Leaders of Organizations and Development Managers, published in August 2010 by the Austral Foundation, offers a simple and practical approach to leaders, programme designers and managers, advisers and facilitators for implementing a results-based approach to capacity devleopment.

Perverse governance: State incapacity by design in Bihar, India

20 August 2011

Poor governance is often attributed to historical and structural factors that are difficult to change: “it is there because it is there, or because of a legacy of pathologies like colonial rule and an unnatural degree of socio-linguistic diversity." IDS Working Paper 366 (May 2011) by Santhosh Mathew and Mick Moore explores the role of individual agency and the incentives and opportunities that powerful political insiders may face to weaken state capacity in their own interests. It focuses on governance practices during the tenure of Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, from 1990 to 2005.

The Capacity Project: final report

18 August 2011

Human resources for health (HRH) first attracted global attention when it became evident that the health workforce in the developing world was facing a crisis, and that this was affecting health service delivery and health outcomes. The Joint Learning Initiative on Human Resources for Health and Development (JLI), a consortium of more than 100 health leaders from around the world, undertook an exploration of the HRH landscape during 2002-2004 and identified three major aspects of an accelerating global HRH crisis: (i) the devastation of HIV/AID; (ii) an accelerated level of out-migration of health professionals from developing countries; and (iii) chronic underinvestment in human resources. The study concluded that “mobilization and strengthening of the health workforce is central to combating health crises in some of the world’s poorest countries and for building sustainable health systems.”

Bare Foot Guide 2 now available

20 June 2011

Following the success of the original Barefoot Guide to Working with Organisations and Social Change, a brand new Barefoot Guide to Learning Practices in Organisations and Social Change (BFG 2) has been launched. Like the first volume, it is meant to be a resource for leaders, facilitators and practitioners wanting to improve and enrich their learning processes inside their organizations and in the field. It is freely downloadable and includes a practical Companion Booklet for facilitators.

Women's leadership and participation

17 June 2011

Hoare, Joanna and Gell, Fiona, Practical Action Publishing, 2009

Women are often denied the right to participate in decision-making, whether as active citizens, or as leaders. In particular, women living in poverty often have little opportunity to influence decisions and policies that will have a direct impact on the welfare of themselves, their communities, and their livelihoods. This book brings together lessons and experience in building up womens involvement from Oxfam GB and its partners.

Bringing African indigenous wisdom to organizational development and social learning processes

27 May 2011

Understanding Organizational Sustainability Through African Proverbs: Insights for Leaders and Facilitators (Practical Action, forthcoming 2011), authored by Chiku Malunga and Charles Banda, explores how the traditional wisdom that is contained in African proverbs can be applied to organizational development and change. Rediscovering the power of African proverbs opens up creative avenues to communicate organizational improvement efforts in a language that touches peoples hearts and motivates them to personal and organizational transformation. It also offers an entry point for much-needed cross cultural dialogue among individuals, organizations and societies in an increasingly diversified world.

An innovative methodology for assessing multi-stakeholder networks

24 May 2011

In this informative blog post, Steve Waddell reflects on a recent study focusing on the effectiveness of multi-stakeholder relationships, which he describes as a notoriously under-developed field. The study was commissioned by the International Land Coalition, a multi-stakeholder network aiming to promote secure and equitable access to, and control over, land through advocacy, dialogue, knowledge sharing and capacity building. The blog explains the unique methodology developed by iScale (a global network that works to advance the effectiveness of social change efforts through process, methodological and technological innovations) for conducting such assessments.

Ethics and integrity in developmental leadership

14 April 2011

Many developmental problems are attributed to the failure of leadership, and in particular to the absence of either ' ethical leadership'  or 'integrity. But what is ‘ethical leadership’? What is ‘developmental integrity’? How is it achieved? And what are the conditions for sustaining it? This is the focus of a new study by  the Development Leadership Programme, published in March 2011.

Rebuilding local governance structures in Afghanistan – a long walk

05 April 2011

This case study on efforts to build sub-national governance institutions in Afghanistan illustrates the challenges of implementing decentralization programmes in a post-conflict setting. The focus of the UNDP-supported National Area-Based Development Programme (NABDP) is to transform informal local Shuras (committees) into Community Development Councils and higher-level District Development Assemblies (DDAs).  The reality, however, is that the newly elected local representatives face an uphill battle to achieve widespread acceptance as legitimate interlocutors of local development.
 

Online discussion: Is capacity development on the brink of maturity?

21 March 2011

We are pleased to invite you to participate in an online discussion on some of the issues tackled in "Capacity Development in Practice", the resource volume for practitioners.

About "Theory U": Resources from the Society of Organizational Learning

15 January 2011

In Theory U: Leading from the future as it emerges (SoL, 2007), C. Otto Scharmer expounds on the theoretical foundations of what he calls "the social technology of precensing". Presencing is a blend of the words "presence" and "sensing", and is defined as "the ability to sense and bring into the present one's highest future potential—as an individual and as a group".

Theory U is presented as a new territory of scientific research and personal leadership, one that is grounded in real life experience and shared practices. Otto Scharmer invites us to see the world in new ways by learning to become aware of our "blind spot", by sharing from his own personal and professional development. The final chapters lay out principles and practices that allow everyone to "participate fully in co-creating and bringing forth the desired future that is working to emerge through us".

What it takes

26 December 2010

Competencies needed to design and facilitate MSPs

Multi-stakeholder processes (MSPs) are playing an increasingly important role in sustainable development. Designing and facilitating MSPs depends on a set of diverse competencies.

Working with power and love

09 December 2010

Solving our toughest problems - uncoventionally

Conventional approaches to solving problems cannot deal effectively with increasingly complex social crises. Our efforts to address ‘tough’ issues in this way often cause us to become ever more confused, polarised and stuck.

Theory U - "leading from the future as it emerges"

29 November 2010

Presencing," a blend of the words "presence" and "sensing," refers to the ability to sense and bring into the present one's highest future potential—as an individual and as a group. This approach is promoted by the Presencing Institute (PI) - a global awareness based action research community for profound societal innovation and change. 

Call for submissions: Review of Leadership in Africa

08 November 2010

Review of Leadership in Africa (RoLA) is a scholarly journal that provides a forum for the rigorous examination of the ideas and practices of leadership in Africa in all its ramifications.

Training opportunity for African women leaders

08 November 2010

The Moremi Initiative invites applications to join its 2009/10 leadership development programme for young African women leaders.

Leadership development in the health sector

08 November 2010

The Leadership, Management and Sustainability programme provides support to people and organizations to manage their health development programmes

The Collective Leadership Institute

08 November 2010

The Collective Leadership Institute (CLI) is an independent non-profit organization based in Germany and South Africa that works to build dialogic process competence for cross-sector sustainability engagement.

Global Leadership Initiative of the World Bank Institute

08 November 2010

World Bank Institute (WBI) leads research project to examine donor and partners support to leaders.

Selected Readings - Leadership Lessons from the Real World

08 November 2010

In this online article, Margaret Wheatley looks through the lense of what she terms 'new science' at how 'we' deal with natural and man-made disasters. This new science view of the world asserts that relationships, not individuals, are the building blocks of the world, and that the world consists of "interconnected networks, where slight disturbances in one part of the system create major impacts far from where they originate". In this world, the "capacity to create solutions without traditional hierarchies or formal leadership" exists all around us.

Selected Readings - How Is Your Leadership Changing

08 November 2010

In this online article, Margaret Wheatley asserts that leadership has taken " a great leap backwards to the familiar territory of command and control", which is causing "worker disengagement, few organizations are succeeding at solving problems, and leaders are being scapegoated and fired".

Selected Readings - Coaching and Mentoring for Leadership Development in Civil Society

08 November 2010

This Praxis paper addresses a series of questions concerning 'coaching' and 'mentoring'. What does a coach or mentor actually do? How did the approaches evolve? When are they effective? What are the do's and don'ts?

Selected Readings - Executive Coaching for Leadership Development

08 November 2010

Coaching and mentoring are increasingly being used as tools for leadership development within civil society organisations. This Praxis Note (#27) illustrates how coaching can be used with leaders and staff in situations of internal tension and dispute to encourage greater communication and increased participation of staff.

Selected Readings - Leadership Development in Context

08 November 2010

This is the third in a series of reports on Leadership from the Leadership South West Centre at the University of Exter. It looks at the impact of context on the appropriate content, style and format of leadership development. The two earlier reports (also available on the resource corner) answered the questions: what is leadership? and what is leadership development?

Testimonials on the InterAction Leadership Programme

08 November 2010

Participants in the InterAction Leadership Programme use its website to share stories, insights and testimonials on their experiences during the programme and after. You can read these various contributions online.

Training Institute - United Nations University - International Leadership Institute

08 November 2010

The United Nations University International Leadership Institute in Jordan was established in 1995 to build leadership capacity, conduct original research on leadership and enchance public awareness on the interface between leadership and issues of pressing global concern.

Private Sector - LEAD

08 November 2010

LEAD is an international non-profit organisation with 14 regional offices offering a variety of Leadership courses and training. Its most well-known programme is the Fellows Training Programme, from which more than 1600 leaders have graduated since its inception in 1991.

Training Institute - Centre for Leadership Studies

08 November 2010

Founded in 1997, the Centre for Leadership Studies is a specialist Centre within the School of Business at the University of Exeter (UK). Its activities include a MA in Leadership Studies, a range of shorter programmes (both open and tailored), research, leadership consultancy and support, and developing partnerships and networks.

Knowledge Platform - EvaluLEAD

08 November 2010

EvaluLEAD addresses the need of leadership development programmes to monitor their activities and evaluate the outcomes of their efforts. It is a joint initiative of the Population Leadership Programme and the Sustainable Leadership Initiative, two projects of the Public Health Institute that are funded by the United States Agency for International Development, in partnership with The Kellogg Foundation.

Training Institute - British Council InterAction Leadership Programme

08 November 2010

First conceived through discussions between leadership professionals from Ethiopia, Uganda, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Nigeria, and guided by British Council partners Questions of Difference and LEAD International, the InterAction Leadership Programme is a pan-African initiative to connect and inspire up-and-coming leaders throughout Africa, providing them with opportunities to share, learn and network with each other.

Tools & Methods - Leadership Practices Inventory

08 November 2010

The Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) is a 360 degree Leadership assessment instrument created by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner. It can be purchased and completed online by following the link provided.

Empowering Local and National Leaders

08 November 2010

During the period from 2001 to 2004, the World Bank supported leadership capacity building initiatives in six countries – each in a different socio-political situation, each facing a distinct set of developmental or transitional challenges. This website of the Capacity Development Resource Center offers a selection of resources (case studies, links) on the outcomes of this process.

Selected Readings - The Leadership Challenge

08 November 2010

This best-selling book by Kouzes and Posner is based on the outcomes of a large research project that the two authors undertook in the 1980s to document 'personal best'-cases of leadership.

Tools & Methods - The Tao of Leadership

08 November 2010

In this book, John Heider, adapts the Tao of Leadership to today's world. Some of the 81 leadership qualities that are covered in this book include: "Be Open to Whatever Emerges" - the wise leader does not impose a personal agenda or value system on the group; and "The Creative Process" - the wise leader knows about pairs of opposites and their interactions. In order to lead, the leader knows how to follow.

You can purchase the book by following the link below.

Selected Readings - Leadership Definitions

08 November 2010

If you are looking for an overview of leadership definitions, take a look at this page of the Centre for Leadership Studies of the University of Exeter, which lists more than 20 different ones.

Selected Readings - Perspectives on Leadership

08 November 2010

This paper describes the foundations for the research and documentation component of the Leadership for a Changing World programme, a rewards programme to recognise and better understand social change leadership in American communities. The authors suggest taking, and subsequently, describe the constructionist approach to leadership.

Selected Readings - Leadership: Emerging Directions

08 November 2010

Leadership: Emerging Directions is the summary of an online discussion on leadership theory, hosted on the website of the Leadership Learning Community.

Selected Readings - Shared Leadership

08 November 2010

This encyclopedia entry on 'Shared Leadership' is hosted by Infed, an open, independent, not-for-profit site put together by a small group of educators.

Selected Readings - Classical Leadership

08 November 2010

This page on 'classical leadership' is part of the online encyclopedia of 'infed' an open, independent and not-for profit site that is put together by a small group of educators.

Tools & Methods - The Jossey-Bass Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management

08 November 2010

This handbook describes leadership and management practices that can and have been applied throughout non-profit organisations in the United States.

Foundation - Kellog International Leadership Programme in Africa

08 November 2010

In 1989, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation launched its Kellog International Leadership Programme, to connect leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean, the United States and Southern Africa.

NGO/Capacity Builder - Global Partnership for NGO Studies, Education and Training

08 November 2010

The Global Partnership (GP) was founded in 1996 by BRAC (Bangladesh), the Organisation of Rural Associations for Progress (Zimbabwe) and the School for International Training (Vermont, USA).

NGO/Capacity Builder - CReDO

08 November 2010

CREDO was founded in 1999 by three leading Moldovan Human Rights organisations to promote the development of managerial and action capacities of Moldovan Organisations.

NGO/Capacity Builder - CODECS Foundation for Leadership

08 November 2010

CODECS is a Bucharest-based NGO that offers a range of distance training programmes (in collaboration with the Open University in the UK). In 2001, it established the CODECS Foundation for Leadership offering specialised courses on leadership.

Training Institute - BRAC University

08 November 2010

BRAC University was founed by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) in 2001 in line with the NGO's continued support to education as a force of change and development.

NGO/Capacity Builder - AsiaDHRRA

08 November 2010

Founded in 1974, the AsiaDHRRA is a regional partnership of 12 social development organisations and networks from 11 differrent countries. It provides opportunities for rural leaders, both farmers and development workers to enhance their skills, knowledge and attitudes so that they can be effective visionaries, network builders and advocates.

AsiaDHRRA runs a leadership development programme, and also offers a one-year on-the-job training programme for follow up.

NGO/Capacity Builder - African Leadership and Progress Network

08 November 2010

The African Leadership and Progress Network (ALPN) is a non-profit organisation with offices in Washington DC and Abuja, Nigeria. Its mission is to promote private-sector growth and poverty alleviation in African countries through various initiatives, including on leadership.

NGO/Capacity Builder - African Leadership Institute

08 November 2010

Established in 2003, the African Leadership Institute is a pan-African non-profit network aiming to build African leadership capacities and capabilities.

Foundation - Africa Leadership Initiative

08 November 2010

The Africa Leadership Initiative - modelled after the Henry Crown fellowship programme of the Aspen Institute - aims to develop a next generation of motivated, responsible, and effective young leaders that can lead their communities and countries to succeed in today's globalised world.

Selected Readings - Reflections on Leadership in Africa

08 November 2010

This book is a collection of essays written in honour of Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere on the occasion of his 75th Birthday. They were presented at a conference at the University of Dar Salaam which brought together academics, political activists, civil society representatives and others to reflect on the phenomenon of leadership in Africa.

The book can be purchased by following the link below.

Selected Readings - Managing for Change

08 November 2010

This book is about how some of the most successful Asian NGOs are managed. It deals with issues of growth, leadership and context, and questions the usefulness of Western management doctrine.

Selected Readings - Narcissistic Leaders

08 November 2010

"Throughout history, narcissists have always emerged to inspire people and to shape the future. When military, religious, and political arenas dominated society, it was figures such as Napoléon Bonaparte, Mahatma Ghandi, or Franklin Delano Roosevelt who determined the social agenda. But from time to time, when business became the engine of social change, it, too, generated its share of narcissistic leaders."

Selected Readings - Strengthening African Leadership

08 November 2010

Poor leadership has been a depressing reality in many African countries for decades. But as a bold new initiative by a group of past and present African leaders takes off, good governance may finally come to the continent.

Bridging Leadership Programme for community leaders

08 November 2010

An initiative of LEAD Indonesia, the Bridging Leadership Programme (BLP) equips community leaders with leadership skills for managing sustainable development programmes

Aligning with the political process

29 October 2010

Consumer Unity and Trust Society (CUTS) conducts research that helps shape policy in India.

The Story of Dr. Guindo

29 October 2010

This insight tells the story of Dr. Guindo, a Director of Health in Dioila District in Mali who participated in a 9-month leadership development programme of SNV Netherlands Development Organisation. Here he relates the changes in his work and private life

Nurturing leaders from within

29 October 2010

AsiaDHRRA is a regional network that offers an extensive leadership development programme for the leaders of its partners in ten countries. Lany Rebagay explains the formal training, informal approaches and the tools that have been developed as part of the programme.

Africa needs visionaries

29 October 2010

South African Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi believes that strong leadership is crucial at all levels. As she explains to Capacity.org, Africa needs leaders who are prepared to intervene in complex situations without holding back for fear of criticism. They must also be able to find commonalities among the differences, put people first, and learn from their mistakes.

Leadership and change

29 October 2010

Based on two pilot leadership development programmes in Mali and Niger, the authors believe that the combination of training workshops and on-the-job coaching can be effective in encouraging leaders to learn and to change.

Cultivating a new generation of leaders

29 October 2010

Like other democracies in transition, Moldova needs leaders who can give a new impetus to the process of achieving a democratic and just society. Serghei Ostaf explains how CReDO’s civic leadership programme is responding to that need.

Changing from the inside out

29 October 2010

Based on extensive field research and recent publications, Rick James concludes that leadership development is both feasible and crucial for capacity development. But the process is complex, messy, and requires the combined use of a variety of methods.

Platform for leadership

29 October 2010

This issue of Capacity.org includes contributions on various aspects of leadership. Leadership is about action and about change at the individual, organisational and societal levels. Ultimately, leadership is indispensable for the development and growth of capacity.

Selected Readings - Understanding the Difference Between Management and Leadership

29 October 2010

In this article, Michael Maccoby looks at the distinction between management and leadership, which in his view can be defined as follows: management is a function that must be exercised in any business, while leadership is a relationship between leader and led that can energise an organisation.

Modern African societies comfortable with traditional leadership

29 October 2010

A rare empirical study of popular perceptions about elected and traditional leaders in Africa has unearthed surprising findings. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Michigan State University survey found no evident conflict between supporting traditional leadership and being a committed and active democrat. Even more surprisingly, “...far from being in stark competition for public esteem, local traditional leaders appear to draw their sustenance and legitimacy from the same well as elected officials.” The paper concludes that African societies are often quite adept at integrating seemingly incompatible institutional structures, such as traditional institutions.

Africa Leadership Forum (ALF)

08 November 2009

The ALF is a Nigeria-based civil society non-profit organization. It was founded in 1988, in response to the growing need to assist in improving the capacity and competency of African leaders to confront development challenges.