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Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
04 April 2017
Updated: 04 December 2020
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‘How does social change happen?’ This question was posed at a leadership training residential which I attended as part of my Clore Social Leadership fellowship.
It stuck with me. I realised that in some form it has fascinated me since I was teenager studying history at school: How does change happen - any kind of change, but particularly major societal or political change?
The Clore Social programme gave me a chance to re-examine my thinking around change, and particularly the role leaders play in working for positive social transformation.
Margaret Wheatley, in her writings on leadership, suggests: ‘We live in a world of complex systems… These systems are emergent phenomena – the result of thousands of small, local actions that converged to create powerful systems with properties that may bear little or no resemblance to the smaller actions that gave rise to them. These are the systems that now dominate our lives; they cannot be changed by working backwards, focusing on only a few simple causes.’
In my longer provocation piece I consider the implications for leadership if the causes of radical societal change are the result of systems that generate their own results. How can we find agency and have an impact for positive change in such a complex world?
I suggest that the election of Donald Trump and Brexit are the consequences of the function of complex systems – systems that are failing. These events are the result of intricate feedback loops that arise despite – perhaps even because of - concerted efforts of those working for change in the other direction.
If this is the case, what can our response be?
Drawing on the work of system thinking experts, I propose that there is a need for a different kind of leadership, one that no longer relies on the emergence of ‘heroes’, the strong leaders that we often idolise. Instead we need leaders to act as hosts to facilitate others to find solutions. We need leaders who genuinely embrace wider perspectives. We need leaders who are exactly the opposite of Trump.
I also consider Donella Meadow’s suggestion that the most effective intervention in a complex system is the power to transcend paradigms and that the way to achieve this is to refuse to accept the status quo, and instead to loudly and publicly assert the reality of a different model. Instead, we often find ourselves ‘Diddling with the details’ as Meadows calls it, tied up with the exact details of what impact this or that action will have, justifying this to funders and regulators.
Here we can aspire to be more like Trump: Trump didn’t care about the existing paradigm and certainly not about details. He asserted a new reality, and claimed it. Woefully, this reality is built on hate, exclusion and a version of human nature that believes in putting up barriers not building understanding.
I suggest our response needs to be on a similar level. What could we do, how would we act, if we genuinely believed that we are not constrained by our existing paradigms? What could we create if we exercised empathy, cared less about being a hero, and started to behave as if equality and inclusion were already the reality? Let’s start to claim that new reality.
Ruth is a 2016 Clore Social Fellow; she developed this blog as part of her Fellowship. You can download her full provocation piece here. Share your comments and views below, or join the conversation with Ruth on Twitter. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
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Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
06 February 2017
Updated: 04 December 2020
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"I am human, and nothing of that which is human is alien to me." Publius Terentius Afer
At the end of his 2016 Reith Lectures, Kwame Anthony Appiah left us with this striking quotation. Written by a man who was ‘ a slave from Roman Africa, a Latin interpreter of Greek comedies and a writer from Classical Europe’, the words attest to a profound appreciation of what it is to be human, and how our humanity, once acknowledged, transcends concepts of nationality, identity or status.
The term ‘alien’, still used within US federal law to describe those born outside the country, is rightly considered an embarrassing and derogatory term in the UK, with connotations of dehumanisation and scapegoating that we prefer not to own. But in my experience of working with marginalised migrant and refugee communities, it’s often a term which recent arrivals, or even those who have lived here for decades, use to describe their treatment by UKBA officials, UK institutions, and even their lack of welcome by the Great British majority.
This painful reality is the opening precept to my Provocation Piece which I developed as part of my fellowship with Clore Social Leadership. The piece explores our current preoccupation with social integration and asks whether we can reconcile this with often fearful or nostalgic concepts of ‘British values’. If, as the Casey Review maintains, we are really looking for a ‘common life’, I argue that we need to be more questioning, more courageous, and more open to a reflexive discussion about ‘who’ we are and what ‘our values’ might look like in collaboration with those who arrive from abroad. What can we learn from people who have experienced themselves as ‘outsiders’; what reality checks can they give us about ourselves and our assumed cultural values; how might their experiences of migration and integration contribute to a dynamic model of cultural heritage for the future?
These questions have framed my Clore Social fellowship in a tumultuous year for issues and debates on migration, culminating in what can only be described as a crisis of national consciousness. Amidst the confusion and strife, it has also encouraged me to look for good practice in advocating for a model of social integration which addresses how we welcome and learn from new arrivals at ground level. From this, I’ve come up with four suggestions:
- We need to acknowledge that citizenship is not a birthright, but is earned by those who want a stake in society. Instead of an Integration Oath, why not use a Citizenship Celebration which brings together and rewards anyone who actively contributes their values and culture to their local community?
- Developing relationships across cultures takes curiosity, empathy and patience. Whether at work, in your neighbourhood or in the school playground, simply making eye contact, exchanging a friendly word is a great start; thereafter, accept that the normal social codes don’t necessarily apply – ask, explain, invite, explore, adapt, exchange and don’t give up.
- You can’t support social integration simply by saying nice things on social media. Stepping out of our comfort zone is what enables us to appreciate what it’s like to feel like an outsider: offer to teach English to your neighbour; ask them to teach you how to cook their cuisine; provide a night stay for a homeless refugee; join in with local or school activities which seem to be ‘for minorities’- you will be amazed by what you learn.
- Let’s offer experiential diversity training for our statutory services which doesn’t balk at exploring cultural difference and can promote empathy, intercultural awareness and cross-sector collaboration.
Whilst it’s a good thing that we starting to have ‘difficult conversations’ about values and identity, we have a long way to go on understanding the dynamics of privilege and power. Step into the shoes of a new arrival, question yourself and your assumptions in relation to those different to you, and you will awaken your own precious humanity.
Please share your comments about Emma’s blog and provocation piece below, or you can join the conversation on Twitter.
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Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
18 October 2016
Updated: 04 December 2020
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One of my favourite leadership quotes from Peter Drucker, management is doing things right; Leadership is doing the right things - sums up how I see leadership. Leadership is often about tackling difficult but pertinent issues. With this in mind, my Fellowship research explores why social leaders must ensure they build inclusive workplaces which value diversity.
Inclusive workplaces welcome diverse talent; they do not discriminate against individuals on any basis including age, disability, sexual orientation, marriage, gender, race or religion. Such workplaces are important because they have been proven to contribute to social integration (social integration being the extent to which people interact with others who are different to themselves).¹
My Fellowship research involved interviewing five inspirational leaders who were identified by peers and colleagues as having consistently nurtured inclusive environments: Julie Bentley - Chief Executive, Girlguiding; Sharon White - Chief Executive, Ofcom; Simon Blake OBE - Chief Executive, NUS; Sue Owen - Permanent Secretary, DCMS and Tunde Ogungbesan - Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Succession, . Inclusivity lessons from these leaders were highlighted for others who may seek to emulate them.
As we enter uncharted waters of what a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ Brexit might mean for the social sector, our work must continue to tackle the root causes of societal discord in a multicultural society. Unquestionably, as social integration has never been more important, there is a need to ensure that our work and workplaces are more inclusive.
Leaders who wish to champion inclusion must avoid ostrich strategies which ignore the following:
- That diversity is still absent in some of our workplaces.
- Efforts to promote equality and diversity should aim to nurture inclusive workplaces.
- Attempts to nurture inclusion will falter without measurable targets to evidence tangible progress.
- Inclusive workplaces are critical to social integration.
On diversity:
Workplace diversity is about ensuring that people who work in an organisation are representative of the wider society². Even though progress has been made over the past few years, the reality is that certain groups are still excluded from many UK workplaces.³ As social leaders are people who lead change with a social purpose, the social sector should lead in ensuring that workplaces truly reflect wider society.
On inclusion and social integration:
With more organisations working to promote equality and diversity in the workplace, recognition must be paid to the fact that strategies which focus solely on championing equality and diversity are ostrich strategies as they fail to acknowledge the importance of inclusion.
As a first generation immigrant, workplaces have played a vital role in my social integration experience. An openly gay colleague and a manager - who just happened to have cystic fibrosis – were two amazing people who exemplified why difference should be valued and how talent was not monolithic. However, it was the fact that the working environment valued ‘difference’ that engendered a cohesive team.
A clarion call to avoid ostrich strategies:
While compelling evidence shows that a diverse workforce boosts innovation and stimulates productivity , my Fellowship research distinguishes between organisations that focus on developing a diverse workforce, and those that strive to nurture inclusive workplaces. This is because the latter not only makes good business sense, but it facilitates social integration and social mobility.
In today’s world, nurturing inclusion goes beyond being a ‘nice to have’ business consideration because inclusive workplaces are critical to social cohesion. Despite the numerous challenges, workplace inclusion and social integration remain lofty ideals that we must aspire to. Leaders in the social sector should be exemplars of good practice.
Visit here for my Fellowship research which draws on inclusivity lessons from the five leaders interviewed to make eight practical recommendations for other leaders and managers seeking to nurture inclusive workplaces which contribute to social integration.
¹ ³ Social Integration Commission 2014. How integrated is modern Britain? Available at: http://socialintegrationcommission.org.uk/SIC_Report_WEB.pdf
² Inclusive Employers. 2016. Inclusion, Diversity and Equality. Available at: https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/about-us/inclusion-diversity-and-equality
Hewlett, S. A., Marshall, M., Sherbin, L. 2013. How Diversity Can Drive Innovation. Harvard Business Review (online). Available at: https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-diversity-can-drive-innovation
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