Finding the ideal leadership team is one of the most complex goals that any organization can undertake. In the best cases, each member serves as a leader in their own right, and is empowered to use their strengths both individually and together with the group.  A properly functioning leadership team helps organizations of all sizes play to their strengths, dodge weaknesses, and remain nimble in their strategy, able to adapt to even the most unexpected of changes. Pulling together a group that’s able to accomplish these lofty goals is no easy task, but that initial challenge makes it all the [...]

Social media has fundamentally changed the way we relate to other people. As our networks grow like never before, some researchers suggest there may be a limit on how many authentic relationships a person—and, importantly, an organizer—can truly sustain. How Many Relationships Can You Really Have? “Dunbar’s Number” is a term coined by anthropologist and psychologist Robin Dunbar that suggests humans max out their capability for connection at 150 individuals. While his research was originally based on face-to-face interactions, Dunbar has maintained that online social networking carries a similar limit, and that people with social networks larger than 150 “seem [...]

Building relationships creates commitment, the glue of an organization. Leadership begins with understanding yourself: your values, your motivation, your story. But leadership is about enabling others to achieve purpose. The foundation of this kind of leadership is the relationships built with others, most especially, others with whom we can share leadership. The Art of the One-On-One One way to initiate intentional relationships is the one-on-one meeting, a technique developed by organizers over many years. But while it sounds easy enough to ask someone out for coffee, how do you ensure you are actually, actively building relationship during that conversation? 1. [...]

Each of us has a story that can move others to action. Hesitant as you may be to talk about yourself, recruiting others to join you requires developing a personal connection and sharing what calls you to leadership. If you don’t author your own story, one will likely be assumed for you. Public narrative is a leadership practice developed by longtime organizer and Harvard professor Marshall Ganz that articulates a story of why you were called to lead, a story of those whom you hope to mobilize, and a story of action. Story of Self What calls you to lead—in [...]

Last year’s historic protests against racist police violence has brought more attention to the traditional Black holiday, Juneteenth. What’s the Story with Juneteenth? Celebrated on June 19th each year, Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and informed the last remaining Black slaves that they were free—and that they had been for almost two years, since the Emancipation Proclamation. Since the late 1800s, Black Americans have used Juneteenth as an opportunity to honor past and current struggles, educating communities about Black history and culture, and highlighting the achievements of Black Americans, often in conjunction [...]