Leadership is universal. It can come from anywhere, and anyone can be a leader. As major transitions in leadership are happening In philanthropy and across social change work, we ask, what skills and practices does an evolved leader truly need?

One possible answer to this question is that we think network leadership composes the most highly effective practices of interdependence, adaptive problem solving, emergence, invitational, facilitative, and embodied leadership. In this article, we discuss these key elements with the aim of steps we can take to develop our leadership inside our organizations, teams, and communities for better outcomes for those we are working to serve inside philanthropy and across the social sector.

We see network leadership as a form of leadership that encompasses some of the strengths of each of the practices above. Network leadership, having existed for millennia, engages people around a shared purpose to co-design new structures while creating space for learning and collaboration for systems impact through communities of practice.

Below are some of what we see as the core competencies of network leadership:

  • The purpose at the centre: stewarding the purpose and engaging with it from multiple angles of the system (which requires different perspectives) as articulated by Converge.net;
  • Emergence: building relationships, space, and trusting what will come;
  • Power-sharing: inviting peers into facilitation, co-design, and practice (while letting go of control);
  • Humility: consistently choosing to show up bravely; letting something bigger move through you; surrendering your identity and much more in service of the larger work.[1]

Read the full article about network leadership by Elsa Henderson and Devon Davey at Alliance Magazine.