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Leadership in Networks Lessons from The RE-AMP Network
PRESENTED TO LEADERSHIP LEARNING COMMUNITY:
Heather McLeod Grant, Monitor Institute Rick Reed, Garfield Foundation, Senior Advisor Dec. 6th, 2011
Who are We? What is Monitor Institute?
Part consulting firm … part think tank … part incubator…
What is the Garfield Foundation?
Welcome, Introductions
A Family Foundation using System’s Approaches to Achieving Sustainability
Monitor Institute’s “Networks” Work
Network of Network Funders
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Consulting Incubator Think Tank
A group of people or organizations connected by relationships
What Is a Network?
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network /ˈnɛtˌwɜrk/ ― Noun (the what): a structural form for organizing ― Verb (the how): to connect, spread, organize into a network ― Adjective: connected, transparent, decentralized
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ReAmp Network at a Glance
• Founded in 2003-04 with seed funding from The Garfield Foundation and Rick Reed leading the charge
• Desire to bring different nonprofits and funders together in a network to begin to change a system
• Now comprised of 138 nonprofits and 15 funders across 8 states in the Midwest
• Goal: to reduce global warming emissions 80% by 2050
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86% of member organizations agree that RE-AMP
is an effective use of staff, time, and resources.
65% agree that as a result of their participation in
RE-AMP they are using better strategies.
63% report that as a result of their participation
foundations & advocates in the network have become better aligned, and advocates have become better aligned with each other.
92% of foundation members agree that their participation
in RE-AMP is helping them make better funding decisions.
Making the Case: 3rd Party Evaluation Findings
Systemic Alignment = Accelerated Progress
= Policy Success = Policy in Play
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START BY UNDERSTANDING THE SYSTEM
YOU ARE TRYING TO CHANGE.
INVOLVE BOTH FUNDERS AND NONPROFITS
AS EQUALS FROM THE OUTSET.
DESIGN FOR A NETWORK, NOT AN ORGANIZATION—
AND INVEST IN COLLECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE.
CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP AT MANY LEVELS.
CREATE MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITIES
TO CONNECT AND COMMUNICATE.
REMAIN ADAPTIVE AND EMERGENT—AND
COMMITTED TO A LONG-TERM VISION.
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DESIGN FOR A NETWORK, NOT AN
ORGANIZATION—AND INVEST IN
COLLECTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE.
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CAUCUS:
Youth
CAUCUS:
Rural
YOUTH ORGS.
FAITH-BASED COMMUNITIES
RURAL COMMUNTY
ORGANIZATIONS
NATL. ENVIRONMENTAL
ORGS.
NONPROFITS TRACKING M.G.A.
POLICY
CAUCUS:
Natl. Environmental Organizations
CAUCUS:
Midwest Governors Association
Steering Committee
Synergy
Committee
WORKING GROUP:
Energy Efficiency
WORKING GROUP:
Coal
WORKING GROUP:
Found- ations
WORKING GROUP:
Global Warming Solutions
WORKING GROUP:
Clean Energy
WORKING GROUP:
Transpor-tation
ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDERS
Media Center The Commons
(Online)
Global Warming Strategic Action Fund
Learning & Progress Reports
In-Person Meetings
CAUCUS:
Faith-Based Community
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CULTIVATE LEADERSHIP
AT MANY LEVELS.
Many Leadership Roles in the Network
Sources: Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor, Net Gains (2006); Beth Kanter; Stephanie Lowell , Building the Field of Dreams (2007); White, Wenger, and Smith, Digital Habitats (2009)
ORGANIZER/
ENTREPRENEUR
LEAD FUNDER
NETWORK
COORDINATOR & STAFF
CONSULTANTS/
FACILITATORS
ELECTED MEMBER
LEADERSHIP
Establishes first links to participants Designs and oversees/ produces the process Brings in other resources and facilitators as needed Ensures flow of information and other resources
Provides initial resources for organizing the network Invests in network capacity building
Can be multiple people with formal and informal roles – help the group organize and do their work
Tasks and consultants change over time
Facilitates the network use of technology to learn, coordinate, connect Organizes convenings Connects people to each other Manages network “administration”
Steering Committee Working Group leaders Caucus leadership All represent the membership – leadership can emerge anywhere
ORGANIZER/
ENTREPRENEUR
LEAD FUNDER
NETWORK
COORDINATOR & STAFF
CONSULTANTS/
FACILITATORS
ELECTED MEMBER
LEADERSHIP
• Entrepreneur: Initiated first convening, identified initial participants and the “issue” to work on
• Catalyst: Launched systems-mapping process for Garfield
• Exec. Producer: Identified network needs, brought in other consultants to facilitate at different stages
• Evangelist/ Weaver: Helped raise resources and bring other funders and nonprofits to the table
• Holding the Whole: Oversees evolution of the whole network, continually identifying new collective needs
• Problem-solver: “Sees around corners” – spots problems and figures out solutions
Organizer/ Entrepreneur/ Evangelist (Rick Reed)
Source: Adapted from Net Work by Patti Anklam (2007) and “Vertigo and the Intentional Inhabitant: Leadership in a Connected World” by Bill Traynor (2009)
ORGANIZER/
ENTREPRENEUR
LEAD FUNDER
NETWORK
COORDINATOR & STAFF
CONSULTANTS/
FACILITATORS
ELECTED MEMBER
LEADERSHIP
Lead Funder (Garfield)
• Innovator: Had initial concept to test – wanted to apply “network” methodology to social problem solving on a big issue
• Catalyst: Hired Rick Reed to act as organizer/ entrepreneur on foundation’s behalf
• Seed Funder: Provided ample “walking around” money with few strings attached to get it off the ground
• Growth Investor: Continued to invest in collective capacity building (facilitation, convening, etc.)
• Weaver: Brought other funders to the table
ORGANIZER/
ENTREPRENEUR
LEAD FUNDER
NETWORK
COORDINATOR & STAFF
CONSULTANTS/
FACILITATORS
ELECTED MEMBER
LEADERSHIP
Facilitators/Consultants (Many)
• Systems Mapping: Scott Spann led initial process to identify the problem and points of leverage
• Network Development: Grove Consultants helped working groups identify strategic priorities; they continue to facilitate whole-network convenings
• Network Design: Ruth Rominger helped conceptualize design of the network and apply theory to practice
• Evaluation/Learning: Pete Plastrik and Chinwe Onyeagoro conducted first Network evaluation to identify successes and opportunities for improvement
• Documentation/Dissemination: Monitor Institute codified learning from the network to share in the field
ORGANIZER/
ENTREPRENEUR
LEAD FUNDER
NETWORK
COORDINATOR & STAFF
CONSULTANTS/
FACILITATORS
ELECTED MEMBER
LEADERSHIP
Network Coordinator/Staff (Distributed)
• Network Coordinator:
• Staffs the Steering Committee, provides executive support for meetings (monthly and in-person)
• Plans annual collective convening
• Produces and manages annual budget for network
• Go-to person for Working Group leaders
• Manages other staff
• Staff:
• Half-time staff for each Working Group leader (co-located with WG leader’s organization)
• Three caucus staff report to coordinator
• Other staff distributed throughout structure and report to SC: Media Center; Commons; Learning and Progress
ORGANIZER/
ENTREPRENEUR
LEAD FUNDER
NETWORK
COORDINATOR & STAFF
CONSULTANTS/
FACILITATORS
ELECTED MEMBER
LEADERSHIP
Elected Leadership (Distributed)
• Steering Committee: Elected body comprised of Working Group leaders, at-large leaders, experts
• Working Groups: Primary mechanism for organizing the group’s work; each WG elects its leaders
• Caucuses: Other groups used to reach out and represent specific constituencies (appointed)
• Other: Leadership can emerge from anywhere in the network at any time – “do-ocracy”
Different Leadership at Different Stages
Adapted from the work of iScale and June Holley & Valdis Krebs
Characteristics of Network Leadership
• Distributed and fluid: many people, many roles, power not concentrated
• Spacious: radical democracy; leadership can emerge from anywhere at any time
• Collective: group “brain trust” and intelligence
• Committed: Deep buy-in and investment
• Messy: Sometimes process-intensive; decision-making can take longer
Challenges Faced by Network Leaders
Unlearning past behaviors (not reverting to
organizational model)
Sharing knowledge and collective learning
Letting go of control, messiness of process
Continuing to engage network participants
Learning and leveraging new technologies
Identifying and measuring impact/ network “health”
Source of images: Cut Throat Communications, Blog.com, Rutgers University RU FAIR, Kodaikanal International School, flickr
Decision rights; interface with outside world
Implications for Leadership Development Work
• New Paradigm: Shifting from leadership as an individual position to a collective behavior shared by many (leadership in networks)
• Collective Capacity Investments: Consider investing in collective capacity building, not just individual or organizational development
• Context: Leadership is imbedded in the context of an ecosystem of actors, and a whole system – not in isolation
• Recruiting: The above will impact how you think about recruiting, and who you are developing
• Competencies/ Evaluation: The skills you develop, and how you assess leaders is very different in a network
• Other: What else?
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Questions? Heather McLeod Grant, Monitor Institute
Rick Reed, RE-AMP [email protected]
To download the case study: www.monitorinstitute.com/reamp
