Social Change Leadership
Social Change Organizations (SCOs) address systemic problems by helping to bring the voices of their constituents and communities to public debates and engage in collective action. Despite considerable constraints on their resources, SCOs succeed by finding ways to identify, grow, and use the talent and knowledge of their people. With intentional leadership work, SCOs can transform scarcity into abundance to leverage their organizational power and influence.
Research on SCOs documents the adaptive, creative, and pragmatic ways in which leadership acts to create social change. The research and documentation component of the Leadership for a Changing World program articulates these findings, systematizes them into a social change leadership framework, and explores the sets of leadership practices at the framework’s core.
These practices are strategic interventions that emerge organically to help accomplish collective leadership work on social issues with no ready solution. They demonstrate practical strategies for social change leaders to become more adaptive, inclusive, and effective in their work through developing leadership and building the capacity of individuals, organizations and communities.
Resources
- Jennifer Dodge, Amparo Hofmann-Pinilla, Angela Beard and Caitlin Murphy, February 2013. Beyond Foundation Funding: Revenue-Generating Strategies for Sustainable Social Change.
- Ospina, Sonia. Leadership for Social Change: Contributions for a Contemporary Theory of Leadership as a Social Construction. In Barreda, M. and A. Cerrillo (eds), Governance, Institutions and Development: Homage to Joan Prats. Valencia, España: Editorial Tirant lo Blanch, pp. 325-346. 2012 (in Spanish)
- Paterson, Doug, Elizabeth Kasl, Elizabeth Canner, Kathie deNobriga, Timothea Howard, Annie Lanzillotto, Pam McMichael, and Cara Page. 2008. Art, creative practice, action, and leadership. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Yorks, L., A. Aprill, L. James, A. Rees, A. Hoffman-Pinilla, and S. Ospina. 2008. The tapestry of leadership: Lessons from six cooperative inquiry groups of social justice leaders. In Handbook of action research: Participatory research and practice., eds. P. Reason, H. Bradbury. 2nd ed., 487-496. London: Sage.
- Holden, Teresa, John Arvizu, Suzanne Bring, Michele Nicole Johnson, Alice Kim, Kevin Lind, Sonia Ospina, and Beatrice Shelby. 2007. Better together: Peer-led fundraising workshops for social change. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Ospina, Sonia. Governance and leadership for social change. Reforma y Democracia, (35): 93-122 (in Spanish). 2006.
- Almanza, Susana, Monica Byrne-Jiminez, Michelle de la Uz, Stan Eilert, Theresa Holden, Mary Houghton, Linda Smith, and Deborah Warren. 2006. Seeking the common values of successful social change leadership.
- Minieri, Joan, Erica Gabrielle Foldy, Amparo Hofmann-Pinilla, Jennifer Dodge, Marian Krauskopf, and Sonia Ospina. 2006. Transforming lives, changing communities: How social justice organizations build and use power. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Buckley, Tamara, Jonathan Walters, Larry Ferlazzo, Reverend Tyrone Hicks, Carmen Mirazo, and Pastor Cornelius Taylor Jr. 2005. Building communities on self-reliance: Sacramento Valley Organizing Community. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Minieri, Joan, Jennifer Dodge, Erica Gabrielle Foldy, Amparo Hofmann-Pinilla, Marian Krauskopf, and Sonia Ospina. 2005. From constituents to stakeholders: Community-based approaches to building organizational ownership and providing opportunities to lead. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Alcántara, Lucia, Larry Ferlazzo, Reverend Tyrone Hicks, Victoria Kovari, Craig McGarvey, Mary Ochs, and Lyle Yorks. 2005. Don’t just do something, sit there: Helping others become more strategic, conceptual, and creative. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Fine, Melinda, Jonathan Walters, and John Parvensky. 2005. Staying the course for the right cause: Colorado Coalition for the Homeless. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Valdés, Javier, Jonathan Walters, and Harold Mitchell. 2005. Cleaning up a community, it takes generations: ReGenesis. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Fine, Melinda, Jonathan Walters, Sister Mary Scullion, and Joan Dawson McConnon. 2004. Reframing the problem of homelessness: Project H.O.M.E. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Hofmann-Pinilla, Amparo, Jonathan Walters, Susana Almanza, and Silvia Herrera. 2004. From dumping ground to fertile fields for community action: People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources (PODER). New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Walters, Jonathan, Dianne Bady, Janet Fout, and Bethany Godsoe. 2003. A different power source: Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Godsoe, Bethany, Jonathan Walters, and Barbara Lau. Using a social entrepreneurial model to treat substance abuse: Building citizens, not just sober individuals. Triangle Residential Option for Substance Abusers (TROSA). The Electronic Hallway and Research Center for Leadership in Action, 2004.
- Walters, Jonathan, Bill Rauch, and Bethany Godsoe. 2003. To challenge and to be challenged: Cornerstone Theater Company. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.
- Walters, Jonathan, Gail Aska, Paul Getsos, LaDon James, Joan Minieri, Dianne Reese, Tyletha Samuels, and Jennifer Dodge. 2002. I got the tools to fight for myself: Community Voices Heard. New York, NY: Research Center for Leadership in Action.