One of the key capabilities necessary for practicing
Transformative Leadership is the capability to make group decisions using
consultation. The following story illustrates
how consultation leads to better, more just decisions.
Mark listened attentively as Janet expressed her idea. It was so different from how he had seen the situation, but made perfect sense, now that he thought about it. Once again his heart filled with joy, as he looked around at the members of the team. Each one came from a different department of the organization in which he worked. Not only did they have different professions, but they also came from different cultures and had diverse life experiences.
At first, the diversity made it difficult to reach decisions. Everyone thought so differently, and each person was sure that his idea was best! But after the training they received in consultation, the group’s dynamic had changed. Rather than coming to the meeting with fixed ideas, they were now committed to learning from one another and broadening the understanding that each had of the reality of the situation they were analyzing. They no longer reacted negatively to unusual ideas; rather, they were curious and asked questions to better understand how the other person perceived the situation. Once the group began to do this, their ability to reach consensus had skyrocketed!
Mark reflected on how he now appreciated the group’s diversity. He learned so much by listening to the other members! He felt that he was deeply experiencing the truth of the quote from that they had studied in the training:
“Consider the flowers of a garden: though differing in kind, color, form and shape, yet, … this diversity increaseth their charm, and addeth unto their beauty… In like manner, when diverse shades of thought, temperament and character, are brought together under the power and influence of one central agency, the beauty and glory of human perfection will be revealed and made manifest.”
As he reflected, the last part of the quote caught his attention, and he realized that the central agency that helped them to integrate their ideas was their shared understanding of the vision and principles that guided the organization, especially their commitment to justice.
Available in Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/benefitsdiversity
It then presents certain guidelines and personal qualities that contribute to Availasuccessful consultation, as well as steps in successful decision-making, such as:
Delimiting the
topic to keep the consultation focused.
Writing down
the known facts and identifying further areas to investigate
Identifying
relevant principles
Brainstorming
several lines of action or possible solutions.
Selecting a
solution or a set of appropriate lines of action.
Applying the
solution or lines of action and evaluating the results
This book is helpful to anyone engaged in group decision-making, as a member of an organization, team, or family, including those who are already familiar with the practice of consultation.
Years ago I had the opportunity to attend a workshop by Stephen Covey. It was broadcast on the internet, and Nur University, as well as many other institutions throughout the world, organized local workshops to participate in it.
After all these years, I still remember a graph presented in that workshop, showing different methods of teaching and learning and the percentage of knowledge that participants tend to retain from each method.
As you can observe, the more participatory the method, the deeper the learning. This makes sense, considering that human beings need to feel actively involved for transformation to take place. Participation is a requirement for significant learning.
Of course, participatory activities are only relevant if they contribute to a deeper understanding of the topic being studied. To ensure this, in our workshops, we use a learning cycle with the four phases of Experience-Reflection-Conceptualization-Application.
Designing a workshop based on the learning cycle provides the participants with a variety of opportunities to connect to the workshop’s topics, consider them from the perspective of their life experiences, integrate and test new ideas, and practice them in a safe environment while getting feedback from other participants and the facilitators.
Structuring the workshop based on the learning cycle provides ample opportunity for discussion and experience, two of the activities mentioned by Covey that lead to deeper learning,
During the first phase, the participants take part in experiences that generate interest in the topic.
During the reflection phase, they participate in discussions, responding to questions based on their previous knowledge or experience.
During the application phase, the participants gain firsthand experience of what they are learning, carrying out group activities that help them to consolidate their understanding or to develop skills. They may also plan how they will apply the concepts in their lives.
Since teaching others is what most consolidates learning, during the workshops, participants also consult on what they can do on an ongoing basis to continue interacting with the concepts of Transformative Leadership and share them with others.
One path participants can explore is working with youth, using the workbookTransformative Leadership for Youth that includes discussion activities, simple investigations, and art activities. This facilitates the process of teaching the concepts of Transformative Leadership for those who are just beginning to share them with others. (See blog article “Beauty and Knowledge Empower Youth with Purpose”.)
Another helpful practice is to form ongoing
learning groups that meet regularly in person or online to share experiences or
to study a book that focuses on particular capabilities of Transformative
Leadership.
If you have the chance, we strongly urge you
to come to the workshop in San Diego and experience this process for
yourself. For more information, write to
translead9@gmail.com
“What is beautiful to you?”, I asked a room full of 11-15 year-olds during a Being the Change Through the Lens seminar in a Fort Collins, Colorado school. Several answer: “trees”, “family”, “mountains”, “space”, “friends”, “music”, “dance” and “art”. Another question I posed to the group was, “What do you want to learn about?” Answers were similar to the first question with additions such as, “languages”, “photography”, “science”, “diverse cultures”, “cooking” and “animal-care”. Many of the answers included specific skills and capabilities.
As we reflected on our answers, I realized the significance of the moment. It wasn’t what was beautiful or what we wanted to learn more about, but rather, it was the fact that every single person shared at least one example of something beautiful that attracted them and an example of what they wanted to learn. What was also significant was the effect of our discussion on students. It resonated with individual purpose and the desire to contribute to positive change.
Jeremiah Baltz, an Intercultural Change Agent participant in the Transformative Leadership weekly seminar commented: “Group discussions and questions such as: “What is beauty to you?” and “What can we do to change the world?”, really help your mind to stir with ideas. Before I was introduced to Transformative Leadership, I really had no interest or motivation to investigate what we could do to contribute to the betterment of humanity. It has been very fun, engaging and mind-opening.” Another participant said his purpose was “seeing the beauty in everyday things”.
As our discussion continued we realized that our attraction to beauty awakens a sense of individual purpose for personal change and motivates us to contribute to the betterment of the world around us. Through the Transformative Leadership model, our relationship with individual and collective purpose is nurtured and then expressed through diverse art mediums and projects.
Students study Transformative Leadership and develop ink drawing and watercolor painting skills that cultivate their innate purpose to contribute to personal transformation and positive change.
One day, as our group explored the relationship between beauty, knowledge, and purpose, we focused on two elements from Transformative Leadership’s conceptual framework: our moral responsibility to investigate and apply truth and seeing others as essentially noble. We also selected capabilities that nurture personal transformation, such as learning from reflection on action and creative initiative and others that foster better relationships, specifically imbuing thoughts and actions with love and promoting unity in diversity. As the facilitator, I noticed the following impacts:
the power of ‘beauty’ can motive purpose,
a desire to learn and take ownership of one’s own development,
the ability to question, examine, analyze and reflect using one’s own eyes (rather than seeing through the eyes of others; blind imitation)
a desire to contribute to positive change connected to individual purpose,
the feeling of hope in the world,
positive-self and empowered concept,
the desire to help others develop capabilities
One project — Seeing the Positive in the Negative —was quite simple and yet it provided a challenge for the participants. Students were invited to choose an image such as a tree, potted plant, or chair — something that they could observe. The group had already reflected on how our culture often promotes a competitive or adversarial environment which often results in negative self-concepts and generates challenges in relationships among students. The participants had committed themselves to fostering a culture of cooperation instead of participating in the culture of competition. Even with this clarity of purpose, negative thoughts and habits are difficult to change without practice. Our project’s purpose was to develop the ability to ‘see’ with our own eyes the positive (or beauty) in the (far too often) negative space.
An example of art from Seeing the Positive in the Negative by a student participant.
The students, using pencils and watercolors, were asked to draw the ‘negative’ of their image. Rather than drawing the main subject, they were encouraged to ignore the ‘positive’ (subject) and paint the area that was outside of it (the negative space). It took the class almost an hour and several attempts to see past what they perceived as the main subject of their image. Once they succeeded they were asked to “bring into being something that did not exist before” (Anello, et.al. Transformative Leadership, p. 148), showing, creative initiative, which they had studied in Transformative Leadership.
By developing and practicing the skills to ‘see’ endless potential in the negative — during this class as a project and then in our ongoing relationships with others — we investigate by seeking knowledge and then apply through our actions what we recognize to be positive (beauty or truth).
Partnering the capability of imbuing thoughts and actions with love strengthens this ability and “creates in others the desire to respond positively and to cooperate.”(Anello, et.al. Transformative Leadership, p. 161) This capability also strengthened the element of seeing others as essentially noble. By learning to see the positive in others, we begin to see past the negative and recognize the beauty that is unique to each person.
This also supports promoting unity in diversity, a necessary capability for bettering relationships with others, which is essential when promoting a culture of cooperation where diversity of thought, experience, and culture is valued and desired. The group thought bullying behaviors such as unkind words, hurtful actions, or intimidation would not be so common if more students were able to ‘see the positive’ in each other and appreciate the beauty of diverse cultures and backgrounds.
Young people today are faced with challenges that call for an evolving framework that can translate positive change into action for personal, intrapersonal, and social transformation. As we practiced another capability from Transformative Leadership — learning from reflection on action — we recognized the interconnectedness between beauty, knowledge, and purpose that is universal for students of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We learned that our individual purpose helps nurture an atmosphere of inclusive and dynamic friendship and understanding.
Jeremiah shared his personal reflection on purpose stating, “purpose to me is what you feel that you were born to do, by doing something you love or branching out and seeing all the things you’re capable of. Beauty can be inspiring and make you feel connected and it opens up my mind and makes me think of my life. So beauty can definitely help inspire purpose.”
Transformative Leadership is providing youth with a framework for action that empowers them to develop their innate attraction to beauty and cultivates their volition to quench their thirst for knowledge which nurtures individual and collective purpose. Currently, youth are continuing their learning weekly while fostering diverse friendships and community and translating their purpose into action by imbuing inspiration, hope, and love for all.
Jessica Lani Kamál Kerr is a professional photographer and artist and has over 15 years experience in community empowerment at the grassroots level of community, specifically in mentoring young people in addressing the challenges of today. She has been helping students in Northern Colorado embrace beauty in diversity by offering Transformative Leadership in neighborhoods and schools. She is also the founder of Cultivating Capacities, GSO and serves on the Intercultural Community Builders’ Board of Directors, both of which are non-profit organizations based in Northern Colorado. Jessica lives in Colorado with her husband and four children.
At Nations University in Guyana, we offer a Master’s in Education, in which the students receive a diploma in Educational Leadership from the University of Cambridge. The course materials affirm that “leadership is very widely studied, but not well understood.”
The students in our Master’s program have found the book on Transformative Leadership by Eloy Anello, Joan Hernandez, and May Khadem to be like a breath of fresh air amidst the academic theories they are obliged to study. As one student, Indra Ragnuth commented: “In this Master’s in Education program, we encounter so many theories, but the one that resonates most strongly with us is Transformative Leadership.”
Our Master’s in Education course begins with an examination of what is wrong with education internationally. We learn that “the organizational structure of most schools is fundamentally unchanged since the beginning of the century …for the most part they are hierarchical, bureaucratic and balkanized.”
Internationally, the present attempts at educational reform are proving largely ineffective. Teaching is at a crossroads (Fink 2005: xv, 13). Constant cutbacks, increasing class size, publicized tables of school performance, outside inspections which are of a punitive nature, all contribute to teachers losing the pleasure of teaching.
We are consumed with testing in schools in a mythical search for ‘growth’ that could instead be used for nurturing maturity and deep learning. Hargreaves & Fullan(2012) reflect that there is an obsession with ‘data’ which, in turn, prevents teachers from reflecting on what they are doing, which leads to overlooking important topics for today’s world, such as Environmental Education, World Citizenship, and Health Education.
We know that in recent years, society has become so much more complex; therefore, education needs a more sophisticated model of leadership. We need leaders of leaders, teachers who foster leadership in students.
The critique is as relevant to the North as to its poorer neighbors in the South. Kozol states, “we limit what we teach to what we can easily measure…. thereby pushing our children to focus on memorizing information and regurgitating facts …Imagination and empowering are not big items in the testing and accountability agenda…Choosing the right answer to someone else’s question is what counts.”
How can we, therefore, achieve
change?
We need a new agenda, new lines of action and a movement away from robotic teaching in a bid to transform the entire profession. Teachers need to reflect on new ideas. They need to plan for the future and reflect on the past. We need to encourage teachers to take risks and protect others who take risks. We can’t make progress without taking risks. We need to change teaching into a collaborative and collegial profession. We need to regard schools as having a soul. We need to care for those around us and focus on how persons interact with one another. Teachers need to appreciate that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
Students from Nations University celebrate at graduation
Grace Mohamed, one of the students of education at Nations argues that “Transformative Leadership offers hope in developing this new paradigm. We have to change the way people think.”
Transformative Leadership regards leadership as an opportunity for service to others rather than for self-aggrandizement. Another of the students, Duane Phillips, commented that “such an approach does not create dependency. Rather it seeks to empower those who are served.”
Another student, Felicia Dupan, shared: “One of the most valuable features of the Transformative materials was the focus on self-evaluation and learning from reflection. I found this of great benefit in helping me to recognize my strengths and weaknesses. I began to understand that the process of self-reflection was not to dwell on my shortcomings but to learn and grow.”
Another student, Alexandra Collins, said that in reflecting on the materials from Anello and Hernandez she began to understand how crucial the art of encouragement is. She stated, “we need to see the significance of enjoying the success of others, something that is all too often in short supply in our culture in Guyana.”
Our discussion in the Master’s in Education class last weekend focused on how these theories and ideas can be applied to the Guyanese context. We reflected on dealing with constructive criticism, learning from experience, developing effective listening skills and providing constructive feedback to those with whom we work.
Dr. Brian O’Toole is an Educational Psychologist from the UK who moved to Guyana 42 years ago to be of service to the Baha’i community in Guyana. He has served as a consultant for a range of UN agencies in 36 countries on education, health, and development projects. Brian has written more than 60 articles in international journals. He was recently given the highest National Award by the Guyanese government and in May was presented with the MBE by Prince William at Buckingham Palace for services to education.
University students study Liderazgo Moral (the Spanish version of Transformative Leadership)
Our Transformative Leadership course, which lasted 16-weeks, was characterized by joy and love. The aim of the course was to develop analytical thinking about mental models of leadership. Furthermore, the course had the purpose of providing a space where students could reflect and share their reflections on their experiences with the theme of leadership. The students generated solutions to personal and social problems, evaluated the leadership style of Latin American leaders and demonstrated – through a video-project at the end of the year – their new conceptual framework of what it means to practice Transformative Leadership.
The book Liderazgo Moral was the catalyst for moments of perception and vision and established the framework within which each student explored their role in the university, in the community and in their own family, with the intention of applying what they had learned.
As a professor, one thing that surprised and pleased me greatly was the willingness and eagerness of my students to learn how to implement the capabilities of Transformative Leadership. There was no rejection of the idea that we need to examine reality and seek the truth, and that it is important to abandon mental models that do not correspond to reality.
A particularly transformative moment occurred the day that we talked about competition versus cooperation. As I participated in the discussion on the subject, I saw what every professor wants to behold: faces illumined with the light of understanding.
Learning does not end at the end of a semester. I have extended to my students the invitation to participate voluntarily in the study of other related topics. While I do not expect them all to respond, I feel this is a coherent step in deepening the process of capacity building and community service, and some will definitely participate.
Here are some comments from the students in the course.
“It was very interesting to learn about different types of leaders. It was something that captivated my interest. And the gems! If a person has ten bad qualities and one good one, then we focus on the good one.” ~ Paulina García Zavala
“The best lesson I take from the book is to always be aware that we can change toward the good, as long as we reflect on our behavior. There is always room for positive change because in some way we are always going to influence others. Even though we are not perfect and egotism lives in us, I think we have the strength to fight it when making decisions that affect others.
The greatest satisfaction comes from service and seeing positive change not only in ourselves but also in others. Life is full of opportunities in which we can grow emotionally and wisely. In order to do that, we have to be humble, accepting our mistakes with an awareness of the changes we need to make.” ~ Margarita Howard
“This book has opened my mind to think about how I can help others with a spirit of service and humility. It also made me reflect on my mental models. Today I am aware of how our thinking can change our perception and how we see the world around us.
Furthermore, I learned to value mutual support and reciprocity through the exercises in the book that we do in groups. Taking into account the ideas of others helped me to put into practice what the book teaches.
Finally, family dynamics are important to me. Another important lesson I learned from the text was to consult as a family and talk about the problems that exist among family members. I have put this into practice with my family and it nurtured our souls and minds. ~ Alex Velázquez
Dr. Mary Sobhani is responsible for the Department of Languages at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, USA. Each year she gives a course in Spanish on “Cultural Topics” to students in their last or penultimate year of Spanish studies. This year she chose as the text for the course the book Liderazgo Moral (Transformative Leadership).
Photo by student from Being the Change through the Lens, Fort Collins, Colorado
What is the purpose of leadership for today? What concepts, attitudes, skills and qualities contribute to positive leadership and empower youth to navigate and overcome feelings of not belonging, of divisiveness within relationships and the high demands of societal expectations to be “successful” and “perfect”?
A group of middle and high school students in Fort Collins, Colorado, have been exploring the relationship between the purpose of leadership, photography and multi-media art during seven months. In the Being the Change through the Lens workshop, students met for two hours once a week to develop basic photography skills and explore a model of shared leadership that invites individuals to develop a new conceptual framework for personal and social transformation.
Two elements of Transformative Leadership accompanied by student artwork at a recent school exhibition in Fort Collins, Colorado.
In the workshop, the 6 elements and 18 capabilities of Transformative Leadership are expressed through photography and multi-media arts, empowering students to develop their own systematic approach for learning through action that translates into positive change within themselves and in the world around them. Participants, known as Intercultural Change Agents, develop capabilities and practice skills to integrate areas of life into cohesive patterns that are in harmony with their environment and contribute to bettering relationships with self, others and society while nurturing the capability for service and contribution to the betterment of the community.
A student in the Being the Change through the Lens workshop practicing photography skills in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Seeing the world through the lens has been a wonderful foundation for Change Agents to take ownership of their learning and apply it in everyday life. Elements of Transformative Leadership such as our moral responsibility to investigate and apply truth and seeing others as essentially noble empower youth to problem-solve and gain greater clarity while developing the capabilities of establishing justice and consultation. Recognition that each person has a part of the “truth” is essential for collective progress and creates an environment that is rich and vibrant with ideas and plans for action. Intercultural Change Agents are the “being the change” we “wish to see in the world through the lens.
Additional elements of the Transformative Leadership framework provide a clear vision and enable young people to make sense of the tremendous changes in today’s world. These include:
Student artwork expressing Transcendence created in Being the Change through the Lens workshop.
Leadership being founded on a spirit of love that is expressed through service,
Understanding that the purpose of leadership is twofold: to personally develop qualities and capabilities and to contribute to building a more just and cooperative society,
Practicing transcendence by connecting to universal values found in all world cultures and
Dedication to developing capabilities in self and others
The youth of today are endowed with incredible potential and limitless capacities, such as justice, enthusiasm, zeal, and hope.
Join us on our journey as we share what we are learning about individual and social transformation through Transformative Leadership through the lens.
Jessica Lani Kamál Kerr is a professional photographer and artist and has over 15 years experience in community empowerment at the grassroots level of community, specifically in mentoring young people in addressing the challenges of today. She has been helping students in Northern Colorado embrace beauty in diversity through offering Transformative Leadership in neighborhoods and schools. She is also the founder of Cultivating Capacities, GSO and serves on the Intercultural Community Builders’ Board of Directors, both of which are non-profit organizations based in Northern Colorado. Jessica lives in Colorado with her husband and four children.
During the month of service that I gave in the Bahá’í Temple in Santiago, Chile, I had the opportunity to give one two-day workshop on Transformative Leadership to the coordinators of the different work teams, and two one-day workshops on the capability of making decisions through consultation to three of the teams.
Workshop on Consultation
One of the workshops on Consultation was especially powerful. When giving this workshop the last session focuses on “Steps in Decision-Making”, emphasizing the following:
1. Investigate the facts, identifying the causes
of a situation and prioritizing them.
2. Identify relevant principles.
3. Suggest several lines of action or possible
solutions.
4. Select a solution or a set of appropriate
lines of action.
5. Apply the solution or lines of action and evaluate the results.
The group gave two valuable suggestions that made the methodology even
more effective.
At the beginning clearly delimit the topic of consultation, so that the ideas offered are more focused.
Write the facts, principles and possible actions on a whiteboard. This helps in several ways:
The participants know that the ideas they express are taken into account so they are less likely to repeat them.
Having all the information on the board helps to keep attention focused.
The results were impressive! When looking over the various suggestions for action –6 or 7 in all – the group realized that there were some that the team could carry out short-term, and others with which they would have to coordinate with another team. Of all the suggestions, only one was eliminated as impractical. So the wealth of ideas was consolidated into two decisions.
