Changing Landscape of Leadership

We use to rely upon building systems and structures as a way of leading, but what I see emerging amongst the leaders with longevity is Purposeful Resilience and their ability to Embrace Ambiguity.  The more time I spend with leaders from diverse backgrounds and upbringings, the more I question what I was always taught about leadership.  

I've spent time reflecting on the last ten years out of the crisis and disaster scenes and I'm now questioning what was previously held up as our role model to aspire to.  I'm finding the leader I want to be and the leaders bringing the most amount of change over the longest period of time is different to what we've been led to believe. You won't find her leading based on structure and systems, she's on the ground, embracing and pushing through resistance with determined belief.  

I now question those leadership styles below on the left as I see the increased emergence of those on the right. 

The Social Venture Program which I will lead again in July of this year, builds on the great programs we have run in the past and this year we add to it another dimension.  

Once again we will start in the Khlong Toey slums of Bangkok spending time with Khru Prateep and her team.  For the past couple of years now we have been taking teams into the slums to be part of our building deconstruct.  The local community leaders identify one family from within the 100,000 people who call the Slums home and we will build them a new home.  Well to be more accurate we don’t actually build them anything. We’re involved in the deconstruct of their current home and then we turn the site over to builders from the community who over the following 43 days will build the family a new home.

Each of the recipients who receive a new home are entirely deserving and each have a story that brings many to tears.  The biggest challenge is how you decide which family will be the one who’s life will be changed while saying no to the rest. Glad that’s not a decision I have to make.

Finishing up in Bangkok we return to Baan Home Hug to spend time with the remarkable Mae Thiew and bath in the richness of the lessons she can offer us from a life of giving and leading.  For the first time we will head to a location in the Buriram Province where we will engage with a social change engineer who has spent decades challenging the status quo and turning learning on it’s head.  I’m really excited about the addition to the program and how that will stretch the minds of those who travel with me.  

In addition to engaging hearts and hands we will also spend time engaging your head and challenging concepts of leadership.  I will be spending time reflecting on what I see as the changing landscape of leadership, from what I have witnessed during the days of crisis and disaster management which was very much about Command and Control to the emergence of Influential Leadership styles based upon Ruthless Empathy and Purposeful Resilience.  

I’d love for you to be part of the next Social Venture Program and engage your heart, hands and head with some amazing leaders.  We limit the size of the group to ensure intimacy and have less than a handful of spots remaining.  To learn more or secure your position head to http://socialventureprogram.com The public program will only be run once this year so if you’re ready for a leadership program with a difference join us in July. 

Peter Baines