Leadership Challenge 2001: Connecting, Communicating, Collaborating

This groundbreaking $1.2 million dollar pilot initiative was created to test the belief that leadership capacity could be developed through a systematic process and that long-term systemic change in a marginalized community could be sustained through effective leadership.

The initiative focused on two complementary goals:
1) Developing and nurturing collaborative leadership capacity
2) Transforming communication styles and decision-making processes so that critical, ongoing community issues can be addressed more effectively

Two fundamental questions were asked in designing the initiative : (1) “What do leaders — specifically leaders in marginalized communities — need to know, in order to effectively lead in the 21st century?”; and (2) “How should training be structured to best develop this knowledge, change behaviors, and achieve sustainable results in the community?”

The initiative comprised a three-year training program, based on a curriculum model that focused on four levels of leadership skill development: individual, team, organizational and community.

The instructional part of the program took place over a three-year period during which participants engaged in 57 full days of instruction and skills practice. The curriculum was designed to move sequentially from an emphasis on personal growth and interpersonal communications (1st year), to working in teams (1st and 2nd years), then affecting change in organizations (2nd and 3rd years), and eventually engaging the broader non-profit community (3rd year). Although the program focused on the progressive development of skills, equally important objectives included encouraging participants’ self-exploration and creating a sense of community identity and trust.

Partners for Collaborative Change™

Following on the heels of that success, PARTNERS FOR COLLABORATIVE CHANGE™, a $ 500,000 program was launched in Colorado’s non-profit community.The purpose of this second generation leadership program was to develop and sustain collaborative, ethical and conscious leadership in non-profit organizations that focus on health-related issues, including HIV/AIDS, mental health, substance abuse and violence prevention.

The program comprised 18 days of training over a 9-month period. In addition to the formal training sessions, each participant received three hours of individual coaching, designed to encourage personal awareness through observational and diagnostic feedback, and support each participant in developing and implementing a Personal Development Plan and a Community Project.