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Leadership and beyond: how civil society can lead the future

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Leadership and beyond: how civil society can drive the future 1

2 Forewords The European Commission Diputación Foral de Alava (Spain)

7 Introduction

10 The forms of new leadership 1. Leadership development 2. Financial sustainability 3. Good governance 4. Soft power

22 Self-assessment questionnaire

30 Recommendations

31 About Euclid Network

34 Civil society leaders’ twinning programme

36 Contributors

Contents

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2 Leadership and beyond: how civil society can drive the future

Foreword from the European CommissionEuropean civil society leadership in the 21st centuryCivil society organisations play a vital role in the development of the European Union. They are the linchpins of Europe’s public sphere. They provide services which citizens need, thus contributing to social cohesion and solidarity.

At European Union level, they implement European projects in practically all policy areas - for example, human rights, equality, environment, social inclusion and youth - acting as intermediaries between EU institutions and EU citizens.

Civil society organisations contribute to policy shaping by responding to the Commission’s calls for public consultation, dialogue and partnership. They provide the Commission with invaluable input at an early stage of the policy-making process. Dialogue between civil society organisations and the Commission is now firmly established.

Civil society organisations also play the role of watchdog, holding public authorities accountable for delivering policies. They also help to raise awareness on issues at European Union level, explaining the terms of the debate in a user-friendly way, helping citizens to make up their own minds and enabling the European Union institutions to communicate more effectively with citizens.

The Lisbon Treaty now enshrines and reinforces the participatory dimension of the European democratic model. It introduces the

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European citizens’ initiative, which enables one million citizens who are nationals of a significant number of member states to call directly on the European Commission to bring forward an initiative of interest to them in a policy area of European Union competence. The diversity of civil society organisations will be particularly important in this context, as they have a unique capacity to mobilise resources, most notably volunteering. This is particularly important in view of the upcoming European Year of Volunteering in 2011.

This manual collects the experience gained by civil society leaders from across Europe as part of a project co-funded under the “Europe for Citizens” Programme. The project was selected to explore and develop innovative trans-national mobility schemes, in the spirit of developing “Erasmus-like” opportunities for all, while at the same time offering more structured avenues for longer term cooperation among European Union civil society organisations.

Civil society organisations operate in a variety of ways and have different goals. It is therefore crucial that civil society organisation leaders share know-how with their peers and learn from each other. Individuals as well as organisations and institutions, in fact European society as a whole, will benefit from such “cross-border cross-fertilisation”!

Civil society organisations are a cornerstone of the construction of the European Union, which is why I warmly welcome this manual and wish you an interesting read.

Viviane RedingEU Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and CitizenshipVice President of the European Commission

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Foreword from Diputación Foral de Alava (Spain)Innovation strategies for the future of the social service system – the case of Alava regionThe Basque province of Alava has been characterised for years by a pioneering model of social services, responding to the different needs of people and promoting a welfare system that guarantees the quality of life of its citizens.

These are its future challenges.

Alava’s population currently stands at 313,592 inhabitants. By 2020 71,500 people will be over 65 years old, representing over 20% of the projected population. The percentage of people over 80 years will reach over 6% of the total population compared to 4.5% in 2006. In that year 35,880 disabled dependent people will be living in Alava, so the potential number of people using the network of social services would increase by about 8,000 people over the 2006 figure.

This scenario raises the need to devote greater resources to the functions of health care, sickness and old age in order to maintain current coverage rates. The ageing of the population of Alava, as in the whole of Europe, poses challenging financial implications. Similarly, the evolution of preferences and needs of dependents and their families who wish to continue living in their homes, points to home care and community-based services.

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In parallel, it is expected that there will be a decrease in the care network for home-based carers, due to the increasing integration of women into the labour market (traditionally the primary caretakers of dependents), the ageing of caregivers and the reduction in the size of family support networks.

Our challenge today, besides putting in place the necessary measures to respond in a timely manner to these cyclical situations, is to ensure a future system that encourages autonomy, rights, equal opportunities and an improving quality of life of all people, seeking to respond to different needs, ensuring continuity of care.

Therefore, we have proposed five strategies:

1. Rationalisation and cost containment. Prioritisation of services and benefits of subjective rights. It is urgent to clarify the responsibilities of each public body in the provision of services, coordination between them to allow for effective and efficient management. It is necessary to establish guidelines for optimising the allocation of resources available, and establish mechanisms for managing, monitoring and enabling the development of good practices to avoid, among other aspects, potential fraud.

2. Additional fundraising. It is important to study the different alternatives that are being implemented in different countries and they have to do with the tax burden, tax-affected spending on social services, with special dependency insurance or with contributions to a contingency system. We need to establish the contribution of the users in the financing of the cost of the benefit or service, and the definition of the free services and those subject to co-payment.

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3. The promotion of public-private partnerships. In recent times new initiatives have emerged that shape the so-called fourth sector, aimed at a social purpose using practices from the private economic activity. They are new experiences with new approaches, seeking to tackle the great challenges that are impossible to ignore and difficult to manage, with the aim of achieving sustainable social action.

Alava has a dynamic third sector, capable of addressing these challenges, as demonstrated by its track record and experience in recent years. It also has a private sector, sensitive to social concerns and generating employment. An alliance between the two sectors is important at any time, but especially so at this juncture.

4. The creation of employment. The increase in demand for services for older people and their dependents will be an important field of employment and participation by the need to offer new products and services to these groups with growing needs.

5. Social innovation. The future of social policy is closely related to a model of social and economic organisation that considers ethical values and sustainable development. This model encourages balanced progress, putting people - their problems, their living conditions - at the centre of their actions and decisions. Social innovation, in this context, becomes the method that provides the ability to address needs in society at any given time. It is the appropriation of approaches and tools to find new solutions to the problems and needs of coexistence and social justice and equity in our society.

Covadonga Solaguren Santamaría Deputy for Social Policy and Social Services of the Provincial Council of Álava

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IntroductionThe world is changing and civil society has to change along with it. After the global financial crisis it cannot be business as usual. Governments and corporations can’t lead on their own, treating civil society as irrelevant. Whatever you call it – civil society, third sector, social economy, non-profit, NGOs, social enterprises – it’s the glue in society, a bastion of universal rights and pluralism, a source of citizens’ engagement, sustainable development and social innovation across borders and boundaries. However, its potential can be fully expressed only if it takes a new role.

Since its inception, Euclid Network has been a catalyst of such change, equipping the sector with the right skills and tools to rise to the challenge. It connects, develops and inspires civil society leaders with a new vision suitable for the 21st century. In Europe major shifts are underway: economic slow-down, ageing populations, migration and a European Union simultaneously integrating and enlarging. Confidence in the future has become rare. European citizens demand a different Europe with a new development model: innovative, sustainable and fair.

Meanwhile, traditional players look tired of leading. Post-WWII ideals sound dated while material interests are too volatile. There is a fatigue with institutional change. The European Union is in search of a new mission. It is time for civil society to lead the change.

Civil society could be the new driving force for the development of Europe, but some structural changes are required. There are five major challenges to be overcome.

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1. Coordination. European integration has reconnected states and progressively built a single market, but the third sector remains stuck in national borders. Leaders must take their organisations out of their domestic comfort zone and open up to the rest of Europe.

Internationalism goes to the heart of the solidarity that the sector promotes. Knowledge-sharing and economies of scale are the long-term benefits. Networks can be the vehicles to enable this.

2. Capacity.There is an urgent need for the sector to increase its effectiveness through investing in talent and skills. The sector hasn’t yet developed a culture of professional development. The mission comes first at the expense of developing staff.

3. Financial sustainability. While our economic system is under change, organisations have to become more creative in their income generation strategy. Looking across borders the sector has developed a rich variety of business models, from Scandinavian associations based on membership fees and volunteering, British charities surviving off private donations and sponsorships, to French and Italian cooperatives competing on the market and working with public contracts to deliver services. Civil society leaders can pick what suits their organisations.

The situation is different in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond the EU, where civil society organisations mainly rely on international or European funding. Where this funding is being phased out, diversifying income strands is the clear recipe for sustainability.

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4. Governance. Organisations focus on their day-to-day running at the expense of governance. Too often it’s said the sector is poorly led, lacking coherence in strategy, implementation, evaluation, transparency and accountability. Few countries have developed a governance framework or performance monitoring systems. At the European level, there are none.

5. Reputation.Though political rhetoric – at both the national and the European levels – now unanimously lauds the importance of civil society, public institutions still fail to give the sector appropriate recognition, while the public is not aware of the importance of the sector.

However, both membership and the reputation of third sector organisations are growing as confirmed by the Edelman Barometer of Trust again this year: NGOs are the most trusted across all sectors. Civil society is potentially the best agent of public diplomacy and the EU should not miss this opportunity to enhance its mission domestically and globally.

SummaryThe scale and complexity of these five crucial challenges – coordination, capacity, financial sustainability, governance and reputation – is daunting, and a response must be multifaceted. The following pages contain the contributions of leading figures within the European third sector, who deal with these challenges on a daily basis. Their testimonies1 map out a range of ways in which these challenges can be addressed, and offer a personal view on how to survive and thrive as a leader in this new era. We hope that among their words you will find tools to add to your repertoire, strengthening you and your organisation.

1 We have used selected quotes for this publication. You can, however, read the full contributions at www.euclidnetwork.eu

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The forms of new leadership1. Leadership development

Timeless leadership traits“More than 2,000 years ago, Lao-Tzu needed fewer than the 400 words I have been asked for to describe leadership:

“ A leader is best when people barely know that he exists, not so good when people obey and acclaim him, worst when they despise him. Fail to honour people, they fail to honour you. But of a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say, ‘we did this ourselves’. “

This is still a state-of-the-art description of optimal leadership.

Good leadership... • is barely visible at times and leads from the front at others; • is able to tackle complex leadership challenges with

minimal formal authority; • is a serving leadership mobilising the wisdom and the

power of ‘the crowd’; • strategically balances local, national and global levels for

maximum impact.” Burkhard Gnärig, Berlin Civil Society Center (Germany)

“At a minimum, a leader should not ask of others more than what he/she does ask of himself. A leader must also have the courage to risk being unpopular. A leader is not someone that takes popular decisions to win support, but rather someone

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who wins support because he/she can take unpopular decisions that will prove popular with time.” Simona Paravani, HSBC Global Asset Management (UK)

“ Leadership is not primarily related to decisions, but about the ability to inspire people to make them change direction. The leadership uses empathy and relational skills to achieve set goals and improve the overall climate in which we live and work.”

Gian Paolo Montini, Associazione Peter Pan (Italy)

Adapting to the new era“ We live in a complex world, needing for the leaders to take into account a vast number of factors to make a decision and to succeed with his team. Therefore, the needed management is far more about horizontal networking than vertical authority:

• to get the best of each actor and of his/her capabilities; • to make a collective assessment and tackle the complexity

of each situation.” Thierry Weishaupt, Réseau Education & Solidarité (France)

“ These 21st century leaders see the world differently, leaving the command and control hierarchical tradition of leadership behind them. They embrace a new collaborative approach in order to seize new opportunities.”

Patricia Munro, World Café Europe (Germany)

“ Increasingly social partners are recognising that the greatest challenge of the 21st century is to find synergies between the non-profit organisations, private companies and public administration. The instrument for finding these new ways to lead is to implement integrated innovation processes adapted to the third sector, and to identify new opportunities by systematically incorporating creative processes and professional management tools.”

Gorka Espiau Idoiga, DenokInn (Spain)

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“ First try, then think if it may work. Be creative. Look for change! Be more courageous and not too afraid of failures.”

Magdalena Zawodny-Barabanow, Social Enterprise Poland

“ As the once clear divisions between the three sectors of business, government and civil society are becoming increasingly blurred, third sector leadership will require different skills and approaches. For too long, the sector defined itself by what it was not, setting itself apart from the other sectors and eschewing engagement. This has changed significantly in the past decade, and the third sector is now better positioned to demonstrate its complementary value, rather than to stand in opposition.

• First, third sector leaders need to be curious about the world, and outward-looking in their approach. Whether one is leading a large international NGO or a small community-based organisation, there is no advantage to isolationism. Domestic third sector markets have too often been focused on internal competition and local context, ignoring the richness of models, best practice, innovation and learning emerging from the sector in other parts of the globe.

• Second, leaders need to borrow the best from other sectors, and not feel compelled to adopt models or ideas wholesale. Leaders need to free themselves from this legacy, allowing the sector to borrow freely what is useful and leave aside what is not.

• Third, leaders need to actively engage in global decision-making processes and position themselves as players alongside government and business. There needs to be a shedding of the token role of “third sector voices”, and a premium placed on the inclusion of world-class experts who happen to be drawn from the third sector.”

Cynthia Hansen, World Economic Forum (Switzerland)

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“ The winning recipe appears to be almost independent of where leadership is applied: profit, not-for-profits, politics....It rests on four key traits and qualities: the ability to be an effective “networker”, a global mindset, being a results-driven pragmatic decision-maker, and having a high level of personal integrity.”

Simona Paravani, HSBC Global Asset Management (UK)

“ If we are to provide guidance and ideas to young leaders, who will be in uncharted waters, we must make sure that we are connecting with them, recognising what we don’t know and what they can teach us. Some of this will be about how to influence in the new world of social media, engaging with people globally, using different definitions of community… The use of information technology presents enormous opportunities to do things in different ways, reaching and involving people with an immediacy that challenges how we have learned to communicate as leaders.”

Dame Clare Tickell, Action for Children (UK)

“ Today it is no longer about choosing between top-down or bottom-up leading, participative or charismatic styles, people or profits, competition or cooperation, teamwork or individualism, courage and caution, creativity or logic. No either-or, no black or white, no right or wrong… The only successful approach to address fast-changing contexts is to develop context-driven ‘adaptive’ solutions. Shaped from their intentions and purpose, driven by the values out of which they emerged and adapting continuously to the tasks at hand.

Leaders are looked upon to anticipate, define, give direction, be decisive and solve truly ‘wicked problems’ all the while harnessing the creativity of the whole including the diversity in cognitive maps, divergent values, morals and ideas everyone uses to make sense of their confusing information environment. To lead in such non-dialectic way, we need to be aware of our own and others’ ‘maps’ of reference, our belief systems and values as well as the perspectives we choose to accept as valid at the time.

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We have to base our decisions on a blend of thesis and anti-thesis, on contradictory angles on the one strategic issue at hand. Leading then becomes a way of reconciling the positives of seemingly contrary ideas and bridging the gap between them, making every solution ‘hybrid’ and fitting to its purpose, the people involved and the planet hosting us. And more than anything else, it means we need to be able to face conflict because we have to accept that we cannot satisfy the needs of the ‘either-or fraction’… And possibly the most difficult task of all: we need to get our ego out of the way and our conditioned thirst for having all the answers.” Wiebke-Anka Koch, Berlin Hub of Social Innovation (Germany)

“ A third sector organisation leader needs to be a sound financial manager, long-term strategist, psychologist, team player responsive to the attitudes and feelings of his/her staff, being able to both delegate tasks and responsibilities and take responsibility when it matters. A leader needs to be able to recognise, give room to and reward the personal initiative of people within the organisation, giving them the opportunity to be entrepreneurial and realise the ideas and activities that make it meaningful for them to be part of the respective organisation.”

Nadezhda Maksimova, Coalition for the Nature (Bulgaria)

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Seizing the historic opportunity“ The financial crisis generated by the banking sector, together with the need to address the causes and effects of climate change [offer an]… opportunity for not-for-profit organisations to once again reassert their unique identity - an identity shaped around a set of core values and a search for change. If our organisations were to take up that opportunity, what might it look like? If we were to effectively and overtly put our ‘stated’ values into practice, there would be benefits for our own organisations in addition to the benefits for wider society. Bringing values to the forefront and being able to show how they are put into practice, how using a values-based leadership approach is key for healthy and effective CSOs - all of this can be an attractive proposition. It can attract supporters and donors; it can encourage and motivate staff; it can mobilise activists.”

Brenda Lipson, Independent Consultant (UK)

Taking the best from business“ Running a third sector organisation can be just as challenging as leading a large listed private sector business or a major government department. We need to be professional, innovative, financially literate, a strategic thinker, flexible yet disciplined, good with people and motivated by passion and values. If we think that well-meaning amateurism is sufficient, then the impact for our beneficiaries and social good will be diminished. Yet we cannot simply swallow without thought the business school mantras.”

Dr John Low, Charities Aid Foundation (UK)

“ Europe is lacking in entrepreneurs that can build initiatives in an effective and sustainable way, not only to create new ventures but also to improve existent organisations… We have to reinvent the business school concept to address to the social sector. We have to identify effective social business models, empower them to create best practices and research in order to develop active learning contents and effectively share knowledge.”

Miguel Alves-Martins, Social Entrepreneurship Institute (Portugal)

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2. Financial sustainability

Being practical“ Many new opportunities for funding will be pursued and found in big cross-border projects realised by large consortia of participating organisations and institutions from different countries… but the present EU programmes with all the paperwork (taking up to 60% of the time of work on the project for paper and document work instead of real action) are not suitable for the future and the real action, grassroots organisations.”


“ Do not get dragged into bureaucracy simply because it is the language my funders understand; it is not the language of my clients.”

Jim Baker, Age Concern Brighton, Hove & Portslade (UK)

“ What kind of innovation in funding strategies? Innovative approaches to securing funding through leading consortiums (e.g. of third sector organisations) and also through joining in as a partner in consortiums (e.g. led by multinational private sector companies).”

Dr John Blackmore, Action Acton (UK)

Innovation and financial professionalism“ It needs nowadays a lot of energy and intelligence to gather necessary funds. Therefore, we need to explore new ways, and in particular:

• to mutualise social economy/third sector funds to support individual projects when needed, nationally but also internationally;

• create social investment funds with public money to specialise in financing of operations with social return rather than financial return.”

Thierry Weishaupt, Réseau Education & Solidarité (France)

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“ Our strategies need to go beyond traditional ideas about funding. We need to understand the principles of business and be able to create sustainable means of generating income that supports our social impact. Setting up a business is not necessarily for everyone, but delivering contracts and securing loans, as well as grants has to be part of the modern CEO’s portfolio.”

Allison Ogden-Newton, Social Enterprise London (UK)

“ It’s important to pay more attention to developing independent sources of income for social economy enterprises, especially associations. They create employment when they invest in core business activities. Hence, public authorities should promote:

• investment in developing public and/or public income streams through purchasing equities;

• granting multiannual contracts which include an assessment of results at the end.

On the other hand, social economy enterprises ask for tax advantages such as OSEO. This is a fund helping French SMEs grow. Social economy enterprises can call on OSEO for social innovation. They can equally ask to have access to the regional hubs of innovation from which social economy enterprises are excluded.”

Jean-Marc Roirant, Ligue de l’Enseignement (France)

“ When it comes to funding, the third sector needs to understand how important innovation and new approaches will be. […] We must make sure that we are able to show that what we do makes a positive impact on people and on communities with evidence. But we must also make sure that we retain our independence and ability to speak truth to power, challenging injustice and unfairness when we see it. If we don’t, we let down the people we serve.”

Dame Clare Tickell, Action for Children (UK)

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Changing regulations?“ I would not be surprised to see trans-national giving governed by international treaties, probably brokered by the UN long before the middle of the century. Loan finance, bonds and quasi equity in the not-for-profit sector will be commonplace and banking services for the sector will be increasingly differentiated. Differentiation between traditional civil society organisations and social purpose business will be altered in part as a result of allowing greater returns on investments. Lines may become even more blurred with traditional private sector firms becoming increasingly defined as social purpose businesses and vice versa.”


“ New funding strategies may be embedded in law as well, giving ordinary people the option to choose which third sector organisation to donate their money to, as opposed to creating an enormous state-run fund for financing NGOs which would make them too dependent on the government.”


3. Good governance

Governance checklists“Good governance... • serves the mission; • involves all key stakeholders; • is flexible and open to outside influence; • is transparent and secures the organisation’s transparency; • is accountable and holds others accountable.”Burkhard Gnärig, Berlin Civil Society Center (Germany)

“The principles of good governance in the social economy are: • collective governance: one person, one vote, to avoid the

excesses of individual property;

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• shared governance: participation of all stakeholders in the project (participants, members and employees);

• not for profit or not just for profit: profits are reinvested in the mission of the organisation;

• localisation where employees leave to avoid delocalisations and takeovers;

• transparency in decision-making.” Jean-Marc Roirant, Ligue de l’Enseignement (France)

“ What kind of governance? A governing body that is committed to self-evaluation through regular ‘governance health checks’.”

Dr John Blackmore, Action Acton (UK)

Being reflective“ The central thing that I learnt is that I have lost sight a little of why I am in the third sector. That sense of community that sees further than an inability to fund something and retains commitment to the direction you believe the organisation needs to travel. The third sector in the UK is so built into the nature of the `system’ that we can often end up thinking like central or local government rather than who we are… At the moment I am focusing on bringing in money and modernising the organisation. The visit2 reminded me that people need to brought along with that or I will lose the very people who care about our clients.”

Jim Baker, Age Concern Brighton, Hove & Portslade (UK)

“ I am asked about governance more regularly than any other single subject. Introducing the right balance of accountability and responsiveness is key. You need to be able to react quickly to the changing requirements of your social needs and put the ideal finance in place. The way in which you are set up needs to be able to let you do this, as do your Board of Trustees or Directors. Social enterprises demand good business people at the helm, people

2 Refers to Euclid Network’s Leader Twinning Programme, see page 33 for further information

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who understand the market place and are passionate about the social benefit you create.”


Big changes ahead?“ In part due to the EU and in part because of increasing charities’ tax incentive arbitrage between countries, pressure will mount for international norms of governance in the sector. It is likely that not-for-profit governance will be unrecognisable in 50 years. Frankly it is not possible to predict with any confidence which type of model will emerge on top.”


4. Soft power

“ The ability of third sector organisations to influence the policies and decision-making processes of ruling elites will be even more determined by their ability to talk understandably to the public and to attract public support through changing people’s perceptions about causes, problems and issues in our society. Their success will very much depend on their readiness to challenge their own notions and convictions, on their ability to enter into dialogue with their perceived “enemies”, employing new methods for social dialogue that are able to bring people closer together.”

Nadezhda Maksimova, Coalition for Nature (Bulgaria)

“ The complexity of the current society requires a co-responsible attitude by all of the social agents implied with the matters of collective interest… it is crucial that the third sector participates actively in the processes of construction of public policies, bringing up its vision as well as giving voice to the most deprived.

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The entities of second and third level develop a fundamental role for advocacy, since they constitute as key interlocutors and representatives of a great number of entities and collectives. The more coordinated are the actions of advocacy, the more impact they can have.”

Pau Vidal and Laia Grabulosa, Observatorio del Tercer Sector (Spain)

“ The role of social economy in society must be recognised by government through a state or direction within the ministry of economy and employment to exercise its influence. Only in this way will it be recognised in its legitimacy as happened in the UK and recently in Spain. This has to be complemented with a clear legal framework and related financial support by government.”

Jean-Marc Roirant, Ligue de l’Enseignement (France)

“ It will be the third sector which will give voice to the vulnerable and hold politicians to account, underpinning democracy, but delivering tangible social change in the process, directing the vast power and resources of the state for the betterment of societies of all kinds and histories.”


“ You need to be persuasive, genuine and as clear as spring water. People will not listen to you if you shout but if what you are saying strikes them as vital, necessary and exciting they will listen even if it comes to them in a whisper.”


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This questionnaire is based on the leadership competencies identified in this publication and generically. Use this questionnaire to help assess your strengths and development needs in leadership.

Instructions• Read each statement and reflect on how often you

demonstrate this competency: Never; Rarely; Usually; Frequently; Almost always. Tick the appropriate column.

• For each competency count the amount of ticks in each column and record a sub total.

• Add the sub totals of each column and record a total for each column.

Self-assessment questionnaire

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Leadership Competency Nev

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Collaborator

I facilitate a co operative and collegiate approach within my organisation and across the sector

I pursue and encourage an exchange of ideas from a wide variety of sources

I create a flexible environment to ensure the right people work on the right projects to get the best possible results

SUBTOTAL: Add the number of ticks for each column

Networker

I build and use networks of influence to achieve objectives

I engage my networks to share ideas and resources for mutual advantage

I tap into and use the professional expertise and experiences of others


Global mindset

I seek to understand the culture of the local environment in context with the wider national and international view

I identify and interpret new patterns affecting the organisation and local environment

I respond to issues with insights and perspectives from a diverse variety of sources


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Persuasive negotiator

I recognise and respect cultural and style differences in others and amend my communication as required to achieve best results

I identify key influencers and know how to involve them to deliver outcomes

I motivate others using a range of techniques to achieve the vision


Resilient

I confidently embrace ambiguity and complexity and operate within my circle of influence

I achieve balance between work and personal time to minimise my stress levels

I identify the risks of alternative actions


Quick learner

I integrate key points from a mass of disparate information and make sense of it

I reframe negative situations to gain learning and move situations forward

I push myself out of my comfort zone and seek development opportunities


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Strategic management skills

I set the strategy by consulting internally and externally and translate this into objectives for others to achieve

I clearly and positively communicate the organisational vision, mission and strategies

I set challenging performance standards for myself and others


Management skills

I remove obstacles for the working team so objectives can be met

I seek feedback on my performance and implement development plans

I give performance feedback and coaching to others regularly to ensure objectives are met


Accountable for achievement of results

I drive myself and others to achieve objectives

I ensure everyone has the tools and resources to achieve objectives

I resist pressure to be distracted from achieving the vision and objectives


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Accountable for improving results

I challenge others and address poor performance if it is affecting service and delivery

I measure and evaluate results

I actively work to improve the performance of myself and others


Innovative

I challenge the status quo

I acknowledge innovation and encourage creative thinking in others

I think and act with a long term view to identify opportunities and linkages


Systematic

I make it a priority to know about what my organisation is delivering and the impact this has on end users

I organise and analyse research on issues linked to my organisation’s mission and use this to identify options that will have the greatest strategic impact

I resist pressure to be distracted from achieving the vision and objectives


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Stakeholder management

I work to develop a clear understanding of each stakeholder’s requirements

I strive to create conditions for successful partnering

I work to meet multiple stakeholder expectations


TOTAL: Add all the subtotals for each column and record the total for each column

How to interpret the results

1. Review the ratings of each competency in turn For each competency area, which column has the highest

number of ticks? i. If it is the columns Frequently or Almost always then this

competency is one of your strengths. ii. If it is the column Usually then you may like to reflect on

which specific areas in this competency you may need to develop further in.

iii. If it is the columns Never or Rarely then you may like to consider developing in this competency.

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2. Rank the competencies By recording for each rating category the competency which

has the highest, second highest and third highest subtotals.

Rating category

Competency with highest

subtotal

Competency with second

highest subtotal

Competency with third

highest subtotal

Almost always

Frequently

Usually

Rarely

Never

i. Your key strengths will be the competencies with the highest sub totals in the rating categories of Almost always and Frequently.

ii. Your moderate strengths will be the competencies with the highest sub totals for the rating category Usually.

iii. Your development needs will be the competencies with the highest sub totals in the rating categories of Rarely and Never.

3. Review the TOTALs column Which column overall has the highest score? i. If columns Almost always and Frequently, congratulations;

you are operating at a high level. ii. If the column Usually, congratulations; you are meeting

requirements. iii. If the columns Rarely or Never then you may want to

seek some expert coaching and/or mentoring to help you develop your leadership further.

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4. Seek feedback from others Seek feedback from others to confirm your self view. You

could give the questionnaire to a range of staff and other stakeholders to complete for you. Alternatively ask staff and stakeholders by discussing the competencies with them.

5. Reflect on your key strengths • What do you need to do in order to keep building on

these?

6. Reflect on your moderate strengths • Which of these is vital for success? • What do you need to do in order to develop this moderate

strength further?

7. Reflect on your development areas • Are these areas vital for success? Do you need to develop

in these areas? • If yes, what do you need to do in order to develop in this competency?

8. Seek a coach, mentor or trusted peer to help you make sense of your results and to create a development plan

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Taking in to account the opinions of third sector leaders across Europe, including those in this publication, participants on the Leader Twinning Programme and the wider network, Euclid Network propose 6 recommendations to the European Union in order to support civil society in achieving its potential to lead Europe out of the recession and in to the future:

1. Establish and scale up an Erasmus-like exchange programme for civil society.

2. Reform European funding, starting with the reform of the financial regulation, to promote a culture of social innovation and ensuring a better return on investment for tax payers, European institutions and civil society.

3. Moving from a culture of social spending to social investments, recognising the importance of social investments in the Europe 2020 strategy, and earmarking quotas of European structural and regional funds for social enterprises.

4. Establish a European fund for social investments which will widen the credit base of national social funds.

5. Develop a framework for good governance across borders and link it to more flexibility in European funding.

6. Invest developing the role of civil society as an agent of public diplomacy to promote European values in the EU and globally.

Recommendations

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Euclid Network (EN) is the European network of third sector leaders, working together to strengthen civil society across borders, promote professionalism and enhance innovation.

Like any network when you connect its members, or in our case 300 leaders across 25 countries, you enable change to happen through the collective knowledge of entrepreneurial and driven social change makers (or as we are often called, trouble makers).

EN was established in 2007 as a joint venture between ACEVO (UK), CJDES (France) and Ideell Arena (Sweden) and our vision is for third sector leaders at the heart of the European project: a source of peace, freedom, justice and prosperity for citizens of Europe and beyond.

What we doAs a network of leaders, we focus on the challenges that our members face using peer-learning and cutting-edge technology:

About Euclid Network

Focus Reason What we do

Peer-learning

Where strong leaders are required to build a strong European civil society, EN develops members through connecting members from across the sector and from all corners of Europe to engage in knowledge sharing and peer-learning.

Run Erasmus for Social Entrepreneurs – an exchange programme for members to learn about social enterprise across borders.Has completed its ‘Leader Twinning Programme’, funded by the European Commission to connect third sector leaders.

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Focus Reason What we do

Sustainable funding

The recession has highlighted and reinforced the importance for organisations to develop a culture of sustainable financial management. On the other hand, donors and grant makers need to increase the scale and effectiveness of funding available.

Campaign for the reform of European fundingPromote innovative funding models.Support members in access European funding.

Good governance

Good governance is crucial for all third sector organisations and varies across Europe. But with the European Union funding civil society projects across Europe, is it possible for organisations to adopt a shared framework for governance?

Run a research project looking for shared principles of good governance across Europe with a view to establishing a common European code.Run good governance workshops .Share and develop resources.

Soft power Civil society across Europe is no longer just an ‘add on’ but is central to providing solutions to some of Europe’s most pressing social problems including an ageing society, the environment and the delivery of public services.

Campaign on key issues for the sector.Create guides on how to lobby effectively.Connect our members to the policy makers.

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Where we workDespite being a pan-European organisation, EN recognizes that civil society is not the same in every country. Far from it.

On a national level some civil societies are relatively ‘young’ whilst regionally many countries share common challenges and opportunities. Furthermore, civil society is a vehicle through which democracy is developed and is a driver towards European Union integration.

Sharing expertise and knowledge between peers, EN is empowering civil society through running specific funded projects:

• ReunitingEurope: The 18-month civil society development project funded

by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office aimed to empower civil society in Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro.

• Strengtheningcivilsocietyacrossborderstodevelopdemocracy:

The two-year project, funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund, aims to increase the potential for democracy in Ukraine and Moldova by improving the relationship between civil society and government.

For civil society, EN works as a champion for the sector across Europe, bringing solutions to the table.

For our members, we are many things to many people but ultimately we offer the opportunity for third sector leaders to develop themselves and their organisations.

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This publication is part of a pilot project funded by the European Commission to foster civil society through connecting leaders in an Erasmus-like exchange programme called Leader Twinning.

The Leader Twinning programme has sent 26 leaders from across Europe on week-long job-shadowing exchanges to Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Germany, Slovenia and the UK.

Working with local partners, the objective of the programme was to give leaders the platform to connect, learn and develop long-term partnerships across borders with both their ‘host’ and with other ‘twinners’ on the exchanges.

The responses have been positive:“ I learned a lot in five days; the customs, traditions and, above all, about the people in Estonia who are building civil society and the relationship with the government structure. I also had the opportunity to start building good relations with organisations and wonderful people.”

Gianpaulo Montini, from Italy, went on an exchange to Estonia

“ All contacts I made during the exchange are useful for my organisation. I met representatives from different European CSOs that have rich experience and expertise.”

Stefan Stoyanov, from Bulgaria, went on an exchange to Germany

Civil society leaders’ twinning programme

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“ The third sector in the UK is so built into the nature of the `system’ that we can often end up thinking like central or local government rather than who we are. The Italian concept is much more of a welfare and family model, which is one that is also central to our traditions, but one possibly we lose sight of.”

Jim Baker, from the UK, went on an exchange to Italy

Euclid Network is also piloting the first exchange programme for social entrepreneurs developed within the framework of the European project Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs.

See www.euclidnetwork.eu for more information.

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Name Organisation CountryAllison Ogden-Newton Social Enterprise London UKBrenda Lipson Independent Consultant UKBurkhard Gnärig Berlin Civil Society Center GermanyDame Clare Tickell Action For Children UKCynthia Hansen World Economic Forum SwitzerlandDobrinka Valkova Workshop for Civic Bulgaria Initiatives Foundation Gian Paolo Montini Associazione Peter Pan ItalyGorka Espiau Idoiga DenokInn SpainJean-Marc Roirant Ligue de l’Enseignement FranceJim Baker Age Concern Brighton UK Hove & Portslade Dr John Blackmore Action Acton UKDr John Low Charity Aid Foundation UKKai Krabo Peipsi Center for Estonia Transboundary Cooperation Laia Grabulosa Observatorio del Spain Tercer SectorLuigi Vittorio Spes Contra ItalyMagdalena Zawodny-Barabanow Social Enterprise Poland PolandMarta Meloni Lai-momo Italy Cooperative Society Miguel Alves-Martins Social Entrepreneurship Portugal Institute Nadezhda Maksimova Coalition for Nature BulgariaPatricia Munro World Café Europe GermanyPau Vidal and Laia Grabulosa Observatorio del Spain Tercer SectorSimona Paravani HSBC Global Asset UK ManagementStefan Stoyanov Workshop for Civic Bulgaria Initiatives FoundationThierry Weishaupt Réseau Education France & SolidaritéWiebke-Anka Koch Berlin Hub of Germany Social Innovation

Contributors

Euclid Networkis the European network of third sector leaders, which was launched in 2007.

It connects over 300 members from 29 European countries to strengthen civil society across borders and promote professionalism and innovation in the sector.

Euclid Network was established as a social venture between the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (ACEVO) in the UK, Centre des Jeunes, des Dirigeants, des Acteurs de l’Economie Sociale (CJDES) in France, and Ideell Arena in Sweden.

For more information, visit www.euclidnetwork.eu

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Leadership & Management

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