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
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: 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.
MoreEthics 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.
MoreAbout "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".
MorePuissance et amour
22 December 2010
Pour nos problèmes réfractaires, des solutions non classiques
Les approches classiques s’avèrent inopérantes devant les crises sociales dont la complexité ne fait que croître. Nos efforts visant à résoudre les problèmes difficiles selon de telles approches débouchent souvent sur un accroissement de la confusion et de la polarisation et mènent à des impasses.
MoreCe qu'il faut
13 December 2010
Quelles
compétences pour les processus plurilatéraux?
Les processus plurilatéraux voient leur importance croître dans le développement durable. Leur conception et leur facilitation exigent un ensemble de compétences distinctes.
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.
