Urban Leadership Foundation
A hub for leadership training in cities and among the world's 1.4 billion slum-dwellers
Leading
up to the Congress and flowing out of the Congress the formation and building
of networks provides the infrastructure for growth. Why networks?
There
have been dramatic changes in organizational culture over the last 30
years. The rapidity of information flow
has democratized decision-making, and meant that hierarchical organizations
with linear authority have ceased to be as competitive as the formal or
informal networks of small specialist organizations with similar goals and
value systems.
Movements
are developed through cell-like structures linked together, each with high
levels of commitment to their individual task in their context, yet linked to
the central goal of the movement. The
movement gives the integration, and added momentum, but the interlinked
networks give the free-wheeling dynamics at the coal-face. Usually the networks pre-exist the larger
movement, which harnesses existing values and dynamics. The value added by the movement is what has
come to be known as synergism, the
creativity and motivation and new ideas that comes from putting similar people
and organizations into interaction with each other.
Some
central structure is needed for any movement.
Of necessity it must be simple, minimal, yet formalized, and a servant
structure to the individual goals of the component networks. It must have enough resources to develop the
communications large enough to integrate the networks.
Generally
it will have three levels of Leadership - the Leadership team, a broader working team made up of the leaders
of the networks, and a council of legitimizing leaders, a "bishops
council" that has minimal responsibility but do act as advisors, and
givers of blessing from the formal church structures. The latter tend to become involved once the
grass roots movement is already initiated.
Such people may have a high profile at public events or as statesmen.
© Viv Grigg
and the Encarnação Alliance Training Commission
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Last updated: 05/15/09.