Hi Reader,

Is the era of the single nonprofit Executive Director ending?

I don’t think so.

But I do think that we are in a moment where we are re-imagining what leadership looks like in practice… the shape it takes within organizations.

Interesting, my recent conversations with organizational leaders are less about understanding the meaning of leadership, and more about re-imagining leadership structures and roles within organizations.

They’re explore the more concrete and immediate question:

I love this inquiry.

It questions something that is so often taken for granted: That leadership rests with a single person.

Even when we talk about “leading from behind” or “sharing leadership” we tend to be talking about how a single leader uses and distributes power and authority.

What if shared leadership wasn’t about a single person finding ways to share power, but instead, it was about the structure of leadership itself being distributed.

As my friend and colleague, Lisa Cowan, has asked:

This week’s 3.2.1 articles and resources shine some light on this line of inquiry.

​

#Onward

Brooke

3 Articles

• I’m personally excited and intrigued by RVC’s new 4-person co-executive director​ model! They document their process and structure in this great overview!
• Instead of always trying to “do more with less,” these authors argue that shared leadership models expand organizational capacity by building organizations’ awareness, knowledge, and ability to develop staff as leaders at all levels of the organization.
• This is an excerpt from The Seventh Power that offers a five-step process for transforming leadership and organizational culture.

2 Resources

• This paper from the Building Movements Project explores new models of shared organizational leadership​ that do not concentrate authority and responsibility in one top person.
• This is an expansive reading list of articles and books about shared leadership models in theory and in practice.

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About Leadership Forward 3.2.1

This midweek briefing on sustainable leadership is my passion project. I hope it helps you gain deeper insight and equips you to create meaningful impact in the world. If you find this valuable, I'd love if you'd share with your friends! ​