Leadership development
Leadership is an important factor in fostering connections and guiding change. In development processes it can play a key role in governance, accountability and effectiveness of specific programmes. Given its pivotal role, practitioners need to pay attention to leadership as a critical aspect in capacity-development strategies and work. Fortunately, there are a growing number of development organizations that offer diverse leadership support services, ranging from short-term training, on-the-job coaching and peer-reviews.
Building on Issue 28 (July 2006) of Capacity.org journal, this section aims to highlight a range of initiatives around the world that offer fresh insights on how to build capacity for effective and innovative leadership. We also welcome additional input from our readers on recent case studies, methodological approaches, communities of practice and upcoming events in this area. Please click here to send a message to the web editor.
Featured Article
Women Leading Change: Experiences promoting women's empowerment, leadership, and gender justice
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.
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Recent Articles
Lessons in "pro-poor" leadership strategies
15 February 2013
This review by the Development Leadership Programme draws insights from three case studies of
'pro-poor' political leaders: Yoweri Museveni in Uganda, Digvijay Singh in India’s Madhya Pradesh
state and Fernando Henrique Cardoso in Brazil.The studies are analysed in the book "Against the
Odds: Politicians, institutions and the struggle against poverty" (2012) by Marcus Andre Melo,
Njuguna Ng'ethe & James Manor.
Apprentissage inter-organisationnel et gouvernance locale
21 January 2013
Transfert du pouvoir en faveur des pauvres
Le transfert de pouvoir aux entités gouvernementales locales a modifié les règles du jeu au niveau des processus décisionnels et ouvert de nouvelles portes. La Society for Participatory Research in Asia a facilité un projet dénommé « Améliorez votre apprentissage et vos performances » visant à faire en sorte que les groupes marginalisés bénéficient de la nouvelle donne.
MoreDeveloping leadership capacities in a networked world
16 November 2012
Published in October 2012 by the Leadership Learning Community,
Leadership and Networks: New Ways of Developing Leadership in a Highly Connected World
is written for those who run and fund leadership programmes that develop and support
leadership for social change. The report aims to inspire and help leadership programmes to question
their assumptions about the traditional leadership models and retool their approaches in ways that
will enable them to better prepare those in leadership with the mindset and skills they will need
to more fully leverage network strategies.
Leadership and collective impact report
06 October 2012
As
part of the Leadership for a New Era (LNE) initiative – a collaborative research initiative that
seeks to promote more inclusive, networked and collective leadership models – the Leadership
Learning Community (LLC) has generated a series of “how to” guides for leadership programme
staff.
The guides, which can be read separately or as an interconnected series, offer recommendations on three key topics: How to use action learning to achieve your results; How to recruit to maximize the value of your cohort; and How to cultivate and activate your network.
MoreIn 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: Moins d’enseignement, plus d’apprentissage
12 September 2011
Sombath
Somphone, Directeur du Centre de formation au développement participatif du Laos
Innovations dans l’éducation au Laos
Le Centre de formation au développement participatif (PADECT) applique des approches actives de l’apprentissage au Laos, où l’éducation est encore fondée sur le principe traditionnel de la transmission unidirectionnelle des connaissances des enseignants aux apprenants, ces derniers ayant un rôle passif.
MoreOther Topics
Essential Readings
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Rick James (2006) Changing from the inside out, Capacity.org # 28, July 2006
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Dia, B. and J.W.Eggink (2010) Leadership, the hidden factor in capacity development: A West African experience, in Ubels, J., N. Acquaye-Baddoo and A. Fowler (eds) Capacity Development in Practice, Earthscan, pp. 208-224
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Hannum, K.M, J.W. Martineau and C. Reinelt (2007) The Handbook of Leadership Development Evaluation - Centre for Creative Leadership, Jossey-Bass
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UNDP Capacity Development Group (2006) Leadership Development: Leading transformations at the local level
Featured Community
The Leadership Learning Community
The Leadership Learning Community (LLC) is a US-based
nonprofit organization that seeks to transform the way leadership development work is conceived,
conducted and evaluated, primarily within the non-profit sector. LLC hosts several "Learning
Circles", providing a collective space where leadership development practitioners can share
experiences and seek support on a number of leadership topics. While most of these community
initiatives are US-based, the LLC website also offers access to an extensive collection of research
outputs and other resources, as well as links to learning communities and social networks in the
leadership development field.
