Here’s the deal – we are moving into the most inequitable, complex decade the world has faced in nearly 100 years. That complexity is philanthropy’s context and the inequities are the reason philanthropy exists.

Massive upheavals like 2020 can be a time to undo and expel old ways of thinking, working and being. As Seth Godin articulated recently, “The industrial era, struggling for the last decade or two, is now officially being replaced by one based on connection and leadership and the opportunity to show up and make a difference.” This is where new leaders and traits come in, as powerful forces, for a new kind of connection and leadership. To build a future that otherwise risks fast-becoming less and less equal and more and more siloed along economic, political, and health lines, leadership is the seminal lever in civil society.

Whether you are investing in leaders or looking for new leaders or are one of the leaders ready for the decade ahead yourself, these are five leadership traits that will respond most powerfully and effectively to the complexities of the decade ahead.

  1. Generosity Mindset
  2. Authenticity
  3. Data Conviction
  4. Complexity Capacity
  5. Cross-Sector Fluency

Read the full article about leadership traits for the future of philanthropy by Paul Shoemaker at avpn.