1. Dialogue Newsletter
Facilitative Leadership - February 2011
Over the past few newsletters I have written Q: What do you think is necessary to personal commitment all of which vary
about traditional attitudes of leadership in achieve positive social change? according each own developmental level.
contrast to alternative models of thinking.
This month I met with Gibrán Rivera, Senior A: Facilitating spaces where ‘human Q; How are sustainable communities
Associate at the Interaction Institute for sized’ social change can become palpably forged, and what is needed to support
Social Change (IISC) and someone who at real. their continued development?
first meeting struck me as presencing a
different way of thinking ... “Human sized” refers to prioritizing people A: Work with groups and individuals at
and relationships where emergence is about the level of their development. Cultivate
During the month of February I attended the critical connections, not about critical mass. the conditions for change rather than
IISC's "Facilitative Leadership" three-day As we become more practiced in ways of driving the change itself.
workshop. I learned their models and tools “being-with” (presencing, in Theory U
for how to construct compelling visions, terms), and familiar with what it means to be Effective leadership in organizations or
balance results, process and relationships, authentically connected, we begin to shift communities comes down to creating the
asses appropriateness of an intervention, towards a personal leadership that has the conditions for systems to cope with threats
design a pathway to action, facilitate capacity to skillfully care for the well-being and to leverage those opportunities for
agreement in a contentious conversation, of the whole. This means creating the further development.
coach and celebrate others. Essentially, we conditions where stakeholders can voice
learned how to hold an effective meeting, their perspectives, talents, take initiative, This means being able to tolerate doing
including how to move difficult situations make decisions, work with others, and share things differently. Allowing uncertainty to
toward consensus. Stay tuned for a overall responsibility for the well-being of exist, creating and holding a safe
"Facilitative Leadership" workshop offering the whole. environment for people to accept the
in the near future in Taiwan by the CPYF! legitimacy of others’ ideas, perceptions and
Leadership as a process of condition feedback in a non-defensive way.
Gibrán Rivera considers these skills creation focuses on strengthening the
of facilitative leadership as key to creating
capacity of teams, organizations, networks I find that what helps in depersonalizing the
positive social change and sustainable and communities to engage in the leadership feedback is to recognize that people are
communities. This was the basis of his process while inviting individuals to do the talking about their mental models and not
candidacy for Boston City Council where heinner work that enables them to contribute really about you. Therefore, explicitly
led a movement embodying a new approach their unique gifts for the service of the talking about this mental model aloud, so it
to being in community. collective. This capacity is a mind-set and is seen for its objective nature then invite
heart-set which considers internal group others to join you in reframing it. This
Q: What is this “new approach to being in dynamics and the larger systemic picture collaborative competency is iterative and
community? while maintaining a spirit of receptivity and integrative as ideas build on each other over
adaptation that “allows the other to be a time; and breakthrough ideas come out of
A: Beloved Community legitimate other.” the differences of opinion and experience.
“I am committed to finding out what it really Facilitative leaders may use a toolbox of Gibrán has found himself a perfect job
looks like to build a beloved community as skills and behaviors, but success comes from working at the IISC, an organization
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had envisioned:” a facilitative way of being. To cultivate this dedicated to harnessing the power of
way of being, Gibran suggests practicing collaboration within the social sector to
through the “containers” generated in World create a just and sustainable world. Looks
Our goal is to create a beloved community;
Café and Open Space events, as well as like the CPYF and the IISC have a lot in
this will require a qualitative change in our
through in the practices of the Five common, reflecting perhaps the emergent
souls as well as a quantitative change in our
Disciplines and Appreciative Inquiry which: paradigm that we are collectively
lives. ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• inspire shared visions; experiencing as members of one universal
• seek maximum stakeholder & systemic beloved community.
Gibrán’s attraction to community stems from participation in decision-making;
his experience of moving from Puerto Rico • facilitate foundational agreement among The CP Yen Foundation mission is to foster
to the U.S. at the age of 13 and growing up diverse perspectives; the art of dialogue, facilitate positive social
as a minority in American society. Like Dr. • are processes and experiences that bring change, and forge the development of
King, he found himself drawn to the idea of out the best in people and embody the sustainable communities. We do this by
democracy, the work of emancipatory future they collectively desire. providing:
politics, and today the application of • tap into inherent knowledge; 1. Dialogue training
network theory in social change. 2. Dialogue experiences
Building leadership capability is a process of 3. Dialogue services
self-awareness, skill development and
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2. 2 2011
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”
~
~ Gibran Rivera
( U )
Gibrán Rivera,
Gibran IISC
Interaction Institute
for Social Change (IISC)
IISC :
?
:
IISC’
: ?
IISC
:
Gibrán
…
Gibrán 13
Gibrán Rivera
Gibrán
: ?
:
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3. S E Q U O I A C L U B
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Gibran IISC
IISC
http://
www.interactioninstitute.org/
- Seth Godin : ?
IISC
?
: ~
-
Humberto Maturana (the Matriztic
Institute ) .
1.
2.
• 3.
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Gibran IISC
•
IISC www.cp-yen.ning.com
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