At Clore Social’s Leaders Now breakfast meeting at the House of St Barnabas this week, we were lucky enough to hear from Julia Unwin, former CEO of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the chair of the upcoming Inquiry into the future of Civil Society, a privately funded piece of research.

She started by reflecting on her work and her views on leadership which were refreshingly down to earth and simple. She used wording from a primary school classroom she had found herself in the previous evening to pull together some ideas.

The five leadership skills that stood out for me were:

1. Listening, really listening. Giving people ‘exquisite attention’ with a genuine desire to understand what is being said, and be willing to take on board different views to your own, as good leaders have to be great listeners first.
2. Playing on the well-known saying she shared of the greater lessons she’s learnt is ‘don’t do something, just sit there’. In other words take time to consider and reflect, don’t confuse action with leadership.
3. Make lots of friends and allies, particularly with people who don’t hold the same views as you. Build bridges for people to cross.
4. Read broadly and take the pulse of opinions you don’t understand. Take the time to work out why people feel differently to you (then see point 1 above and listen).
5. Be yourself, your whole self. However there is a caveat to this. To paraphrase she said, ‘this is not talking about all of your domestic troubles or showing every emotion that you have, but ensuring you don’t waste energy hiding who you are.’

 

I’ve heard the phrase ‘civil society’ many times but never really thought about what it means. For me it conjures up images of Jane Austen characters and a time when you could take it for granted that everyone is tuning into The Archer omnibus.

Since Brexit here in the UK we’ve become a rather ‘uncivil’ society, people are polarised in their views and, speaking personally, I’m not really able to listen to and understand the case for Brexit. I will try harder. In the US President Trump seems oblivious to societal norms let alone capable of basic ‘civility’. I am not sure he will be encouraged to follow my lead.

At the talk, Julia was asked where she was ‘coming from’ in relation to the Inquiry, and she explained that everyone had been asked to ‘list their priors’, and state their biases. What stood out most was her view that society had become too big and is not local enough. That we had become too logical about operational efficiency about hospitals, schools and services, and that people don’t live like this. I was fascinated about the discussion in the room about housing and the elderly care crisis. Where we are now in relation to both is not in any way ‘civil’, but then neither issues are easy to solve unless we start to talk truthfully about them.

Amber Sainsbury is the CEO and Founder of Dramatic Need, a creative arts charity that helps vulnerable African children. The charity will celebrate their 10th Anniversary in 2017.

Leadership is - to me - much more about asking for help than passing on instructions. And it isn’t just about inspiring people that your cause is valid. Not everyone will be sold on an idea through your personal conviction.

There is a lot of understandable rhetoric about leaders and leadership, often designed to encourage and enthuse young people to go on and do great things. Words like vision, inspiration and transformation are frequently associated with the concept, and we are inundated with pithy quotes from Ghandi to Mandela on coffee cups and T-shirts reminding us why these leaders were so effective in forging change. However, in a day-to-day model of leading a group or organisation, neither lofty visions of change or didactic methods of working are, in my view, necessarily the most helpful. It must also be about being open with people as to where your weaknesses lie and letting them help. Partly because they are inspired by what your organisation is trying to do - of course! - but also because it is empowering for both individuals and groups to know that their impact will be noted and substantial.

I have frequently been told to not mention to people that we are a ‘small’ charity. The fear seems to be that we will be seen as less able, less important and therefore overlooked. However, much like lying about your age, it seems to me that pretending you are what you are not will catch up with you eventually. Instead, I find being up front about your limitations helps people you are approaching to feel that they stand to make a real difference. It is important to admit that you are stuck, that you don’t have the resources, the personnel or know-how to achieve something. It’s also important to see yourself not just as a leader, but as someone who is also a follower, willing to be led and to learn about something in which you lack expertise.

Dramatic Need employs just four people across two continents, and yet we have three functioning community art centres, work with several thousand children per year and put on participatory fundraisers which have involved globally recognised creative talents from Anish Kapoor to Nicole Kidman to Benedict Cumberbatch.

It is not that our cause is more valid that the next, and certainly not that I am a more inspiring leader than the next person. It is simply that we ask for help prolifically and candidly, from everyone across the social and creative sectors. Thousands of people have been involved with this charity, some for very short amounts of time, some for longer, but all of them have been directly asked for help because we didn’t know how, or we couldn't do it without them.

There is something to be said for keeping overheads limited, with as much of the funds and impact of what you do being spent on the people and the cause you are trying to help. This is only possible if your team remains small and enthusiastic, with a wide skill-set and the ability to roll up their sleeves and get on with any aspect of the job. This too is about asking people to help out in the right way. There is an increasing trend towards specialisation within the workplace. Titles like ‘social media manager’ are great in a large company as the more specific your job specs are, the easier it is to fit into a well-oiled machine. However, in a small charity everyone has to be able to do everything. If one of your team doesn’t know how to do something, teach them. If you don’t know how to do something, ask them to teach you. Smart delegating is of course a crucial part of leadership, but keeping on top of the detail and knowing how everything works is essential. Small teams mean if someone is ill or occupied, you have to be prepared to step in and do it yourself.

Some things to consider:

1. Both people who are well established in their professions and people who are just starting out want to make the greatest impact with their time/money/talent or expertise. No one enjoys these things being wasted. The advantage of a small charity is that the effort/impact ratio of anyone involved can stand in your favour. Make that clear.

2. Tell people what you need in specific terms early on. Tell them why the cause is different and important, but also communicate clearly what you need. For example, ‘please attend our event’ or ‘please be our visual marketing partner’ could mean different things to different people.

3. Small charities are often niche charities. Make sure your mission statement and branding are clear, succinct and impactful so that you don’t get bogged down trying to explain your cause before getting to the point of asking for what you need.

4. It might seem obvious, but never lose touch with anyone who has helped you in the past, or who you think might be helpful in the future. Keep a detailed and cohesive database of everyone you and your team meet, and keep them up to date and informed with the work you are doing. The social sector is small; every time you can remember someone’s name and how they helped (no matter how small their contribution) the better the chances are that they will support you in the future. Simple, but important personal touches.

5. Make sure that you are not asking anyone in your team to do something which you couldn’t do yourself. Small can mean lean and efficient, it can’t mean elitist or heavily stratified. Of course job specifications are necessary, but make sure you hire team members who, when the chips are down, are also happy to do take on the unspecific task.

Visit here for more information about Dramatic Need or follow them on Twitter.

With the closing date for applications fast approaching (midday on Monday 5 September 2016), everyone at Clore Social Leadership is hugely excited to receive applications to our 2017 programme. However, we understand that the process can be a little daunting, so in addition to our FAQs and selection criteria, we have devised a few key points to help guide you through it.

1. Have the support of your employer/nominator

The support of your employer during the Fellowship process is paramount. Your employer needs to understand that the programme is not just an investment in your own leadership development, but an investment in the whole social sector.

Your employer will need to understand their own commitment, as well as the benefits that their organisation will gain from your Fellowship. The support of your employer will become a key element of your development as a leader over the 12 months. From providing you space to share your learnings with your organisation to assisting you with progress and impact surveys, we expect them to stay engaged throughout the Fellowship.

We expect your employer to be your nominator; they will normally be either your Chief Executive or your Chair. In exceptional cases it might be a senior leader in the social sector who knows you well. Make sure they are briefed thoroughly before applying.

More detailed information on the commitment and benefits to employers can be found in the Information for Employers section of our Prospectus.

2. Demonstrate how and why the Fellowship is right for you at this particular time

We want to see what your reasons are for applying to the 2017 Fellowship at this particular point in your life. Where are you on your leadership journey, and why would the Fellowship be right for you now? What do you hope the Fellowship help you achieve?

This will show us whether you have the vision and self-awareness, as well as readiness and head-space necessary to make the most of the opportunity that our 12-month programme will provide you with.

3. Clearly illustrate how you will give back to your organisation and the sector

Although we are strong believers that leadership development encompasses your individual journey, we also strongly hold that it is in fact much bigger than that. We see leadership development as an investment in the whole sector, a way of strengthening the social sector for the future. This is why giveback is one of the key aspects of the Fellowship.

We are therefore looking for applicants who have an appetite to bring back what they learn on the Fellowship to their organisations to achieve better outcomes for their beneficiaries and the community.

4. Show us your flaws

When completing application forms it can be easy to fall into the trap of only showing the best parts of yourself. However, we want to see what you can gain from the Fellowship, how it might help you, and whether you have the self-awareness to do it. Various elements of the programme will allow you to gain further insights into where your strengths lie, and what you could work on.

5. Come to a recruitment event

We are running a number of information events this summer to support you and your application. One of the best ways to get your questions answered, and get a feel for what the Fellowship entails in practice, is to come and talk to the Clore Social Leadership team and our Fellows at one of our events. See our Fellowship Events page for more information and registration details.

If you can’t attend any of our events and still have questions, please call us on 020 7812 3770.

Good luck with your applications!