Transformational Leadership: Relationship Building and Community Organizing

My main intent is to be in service to the wants and needs of the communities we will be serving. The context I want to set would be in the area of education both formal and informal, whether it’s educating those on the following areas or to support people stepping into leadership roles that will greatly impact the support of young people, specifically women and girls having access to education. Social Change to me means to build community, create unity, and move in solidarity towards a vision where each person gets to experience and access their greatness. This would mean exploring opportunities on ways that the black, coloreds, Indians and white residents can work together. To be involved or impact social change means to be a part of a movement towards social progress, innovation, evolution and liberation.

Transformational Leadership:
My working definition- An approach that causes change in individuals and social systems. It creates valuable and positive change with the end goal of developing followers into leaders.

Leadership

I have read that there are many leaders committed to the new development goals of South Africa, but many who are not adequately equipped with the knowledge and/or training to address the social challenges they face; organizations with different agendas also can hold back some of the progress; and individual opportunities, reflected in the dramatic accumulation of wealth through not only personal initiative, but also political connections and opportunism can be a barrier.

I will provide a new set tools and skills to address both internal and external challenges they may face when fully stepping into leadership roles in their communities, including the fears that may be holding one back. Additionally, it appears that the historical practice has been to address the symptoms, rather than the root causes of issues. How might we go from symptomatic or band aid approaches to uprooting the “why” it’s happening and strategically work from there.

I believe in the power and impact that an individual can have once they understand how to access it. People will be able to work collectively with different parties to find common ground in their most often conflicting interests.

Identity Development:
My working definition- The concept you develop about yourself that evolves over the course of your life. This includes a variety of different areas in your life that you may or may not have any control over.

What does it mean to be black, colored, or white in South Africa as it pertains to one’s own identity or cultural identity development? How does this impact (or not) ones ability to lead authentically in a way that inspires others, elevates one’s own leadership, or how can the lack of clarity in this area negatively impact one’s ability to lead effectively? Can you be an effective leader if you don’t know who you are or why you do what you do. This will be the question and inquiry I will in around this topic.

Many documents have discussed how blacks and coloreds have internalized both their history and the end of Apartheid. It has been mentioned that Black and Colored residents tend to be more certain about their “South African-ness,” have a more collective identity, and have a more positive perception around SA. I read where White and Indian residents are less certain about their South African-ness, have a more individualistic identity, and have a less positive perception about SA today.

How will this impact them having their vision for 2030 come to fruition? I plan to explore ways to not only have participants take a deeper look at how their identity has been shaped, but also what is their purpose, passion, and goals. What are the ways that we can work together in solidarity and build a bridge between the communities that operate individually and those who are more collective? I will share the importance of understanding one’s purpose, living with integrity (whatever that means to them), and how to nurture all of who they are in order to sustain themselves in the movement or journey they are on today.

Community Organizing:
My working definition- Coordination and leadership carried out by local residents to promote the interests of their community.

South Africa has set some bold and courageous goals in the National Development Plan (NDP). “We have received the mixed legacy of inequalities in opportunity and in where we have lived, but we have agreed to change our narrative of conquest, oppression, and resistance.” This can be accomplished with a clear understanding of what it means to be a community organizer and lead a movement. There is a deep desire that South Africa has on the importance of global possibilities and resource development, and how these can be set up in an appropriate and sustainable way.

I will provide an opportunity to learn more about what is community organizing, the importance organizing, how to elevate current organizing efforts or lead a group of organizers from scratch towards a common vision or goal. Community organizing is an opportunity to learn more about yourself, your neighbors, and the dynamics of people, teamwork, and cooperation. A true sense of community creates a sense of belonging that not only enhances our individual and collective survivability, but also strengthens our mental, emotional, and spiritual well being. I believe this will support the people of South Africa in a variety of social issues of reaching their progressive goals they have set for their country.

“Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.”

– Nelson Mandela

References

Leading a Connected Future

https://www.imd.org/uupload/IMD.WebSite/MicroSites/lcf/pdfs/South-Africa.pdf

National Development Plan
http://www.gov.za/issues/national-development-plan-2030

South African-ness Among Adolescents: The Emergence of a Collective Identity within the Birth to Twenty Cohort Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2684583/