CALS505

As I continue to reflect on my leadership style and goals throughout this course, I am reminded of potential areas of growth. What I have always valued about the idea of leadership is that it grows as we do. Our experiences influence our actions and decisions and the more we live the more we learn to navigate certain things. As Bolman and Deal (2017) note, “a messy, turbulent world rarely presents bounded, well defined problems, and decoding complex situations is not a single frame activity” (p. 295). My reflection as of late has been concentrated around how I navigate conflict and adversity as a leader. What is my role in diffusing complex situation? How can I navigate adversity more efficiently and effectively?

I think that the ability to navigate a complex situation speaks to the true strengths of a leader. The very nature of leadership requires maneuvering through the mucky waters that come with being in a position of authority. That position is not always easy to navigate. Personally, I struggle with conflict. I shy away, at times, from intervening in professional disputes or heated debates. Even if I strongly believe in something it can be hard for me to speak up.

This past year I was a counsellor for School District 61 in Victoria, BC. I represented the Indigenous students at a large local high school and was contracted (by the Victoria Native Friendship Centre) as an effort towards reconciliation within the school district. I was one of two new positions created as a member of the Indigenous Education Department. When I began at the high school I was stationed out of I quickly realized why I was there. The administration was a clear representation of racist behaviour without even knowing. There was no safe space for Indigenous students to congregate, no existing programs or supports in place, and no effort to be a visible ally to Indigenous students or actively engage in decolonizing practices. My role there quickly became both counsellor and advocate for the Indigenous students. I was a one person team and had many uncomfortable conversations where it became my responsibility to call out the inaction of the principal and rest of the administration. Initially, I was exceptionally uncomfortable doing this. I took part in countless meetings where it was my role to hold people accountable for actively disengaging in reconciliatory practices. It was complex and messy, political and cultural, difficult and nerve racking all at the same time.

At the end of the school year we made some serious progress. We were granted a much larger space where a friend and muralist installed a beautiful mural representing Indigenous story and culture through imagery. The administration began to prioritize the needs of Indigenous students and the importance to adhering to local protocol. They turned their focus towards anti racist policies within the school and district. Some positive steps were made even if they were baby steps. 

My role within the school district was my first experience, professionally, where I felt, as a leader, that I needed to tread lightly. I had to cautiously navigate historical racism and colonial education while simultaneously holding an institution accountable for their inaction towards a more just academic environment for the Indigenous population. It was daunting but made me feel that I could lead within conflict. That said, I want to improve my leadership skills within the area of conflict resolution, advocacy, and decolonizing practices. Kerber and Buono add that, “ a combination of…approaches creates a dynamic rhythm of change leadership, especially in complex and uncertain change situations” (p. 55). It can be difficult to work in a space that is not welcoming to all but it also is an opportunity to uncover our own strengths and be a part of positive and influential change. 

References 

Bolman, L., & Deal, T. (2017). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice and leadership (6th ed.). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. 

Kerber, K., & Buono, A. (2018). The rhythm of change leadership. Organization Development Journal, 36(3), 55-72.

CALS505

Where do I stand, as a non-Indigenous man, in the movement towards reconciliation? The more I reflect on what being a leader in the climate action space means the more I am brought to the idea that I must also be conscious and engage in reconciliatory actions. I must understand and acknowledge the deep history of colonial oppression that the Indigenous peoples of this continent have endured. Climate action is so directly linked to Indigenous knowledge that leading in one space requires being an ally and advocate in the other. I feel this strongly in my work. I advocate for Indigenous youth as a non-Indigenous person and take much pride in that. I am a firm believer that any movement requires cohesion and unity from multiple walks of life. From multiple backgrounds, cultures, and traditions. 

Climate action requires strong leadership yet so does reconciliation. Can one lead within the realm of reconciliation without being Indigenous? I think so. Leadership is not easy. It is not meant to be. It is complex in its nature and ever evolving. It requires taking chances and it requires making space for change to happen. The true leaders facilitate space for those around them to feel safe. When I think about the climate action program I am starting this is exactly what I hope to do. The program will lean heavily towards Indigenous practices and cultural knowledge sharing. If I can help create a comfortable space for an elder to come in and share his or her story then I feel I am leading in a good way. If I can help reconnect one young student to culture by way of land based programming then I am becoming the climate action leader that I hope to be. 

As a personal goal, I would like to continue to learn how to simultaneously be a leader and an ally when engaging in both climate action and reconciliation. How can I maintain cultural sensitivity in my work? At times, I am self conscious about pioneering a climate action department at an Indigenous organization. I don’t want that to be perceived in the wrong way. I want the program to be a bridge towards growth and transformation. A community where folks can reclaim what was stripped from them and become the next generation of climate action leaders. I believe that Indigenous voices are pivotal in the effort to combat climate change. A climate action department at an Indigenous organization seems like a perfect fit.

When I think of leadership I am reminded that overcoming adversity and criticism comes with the territory. There is never one singular right answer. Good leadership calls upon understanding the diversity of culture, perspective, and lived experience. It calls on us to be humble, sensitive, researched, and honest. And lastly, it is the leader who holds up those marginalized, persecuted, and oppressed and allows for identity to be reclaimed with honor and purpose that I wish to be. This is what I hope to do. This is how I hope to lead. 

After reading the Spiller et al. (2020) article, Paradigm warriors: Advancing a radical ecosystems view of collective leadership from an Indigenous Māori perspective, I was struck with the powerful and profound notion of collective leadership. This idea, belief, and philosophy is one I have yet to explore. However, it embodies how leadership truly should be. 

I was raised in a western worldview where “leadership referred to the capacity of an individual to convince others to accept/follow his decisions and/or the associated underlying paradigm” (Vignola et al., 2017, p. 85). Leaders were determined by their strength, charisma, and ability to captivate, sway, and, in many ways, to this day still are. The Maori worldview brings forth the idea of collective leadership as a “new and emerging paradigm” (Spiller et al., 2020, p. 516). It is so vastly different than the western views of leadership that they are nearly incomparable. 

Collective leadership stems from an ecosystems view where relationships “across generations and across living and non-living entities” are valued with high regard (Spiller et al., 2020, p. 517). It is a paradigm that diverts from the “hierarchical, vertical, and individualized leadership styles to collective, horizontal forms” (Spiller et al., 2020, p. 517). I am deeply inspired by this paradigm, as it gives way to welcoming Indigenous knowledge into the present and future of climate action leadership. Leadership is not linear. It is fluid and circular. Leading through story, relationship, and vision is such a profound way to lead.

Collective leadership is rooted in Indigenous ecological knowledge, social ecological systems, and a Maori worldview. Three pillars that can educate and inform of the inevitable impacts of climate change. It is also rooted in wisdom passed on through proverbs, stories, parables, song, dance, and carvings (Spiller et al., 2020, p. 518). Collective leadership, therefore, becomes a part of culture, spirituality, and history. Past becomes a blueprint for present and future. It makes so much sense to me. I deeply believe that no one person can undue what has been done to our land and waters. We are to blame for those actions and wrongdoings. However, ‘collectively’ is the way forward. Spiller et al. (2020) add, “it is through the collective will of others that leaders earn respect, not through self proclamation and self assertion” (p. 518). The greatest leaders lead knowing that they are on this earth for a fraction of time and that their actions are meant to carve a way forward for generations to come. To me, that is climate action leadership at its core; a willingness to dedicate one’s life and professional pursuits to an unknown future. 

When I think of leadership what comes to mind is engaging community. How do we effectively join hands to create lasting, positive, and impactful change? How do leaders uplift more leaders in the climate action space? I had never heard of collective leadership before but it feels that it has been there inside of me all along. Knowing that the most powerful change comes from common ground and seeing eye to eye with our peers. Understanding that in order to lead in a good way comes with it a responsibility to represent those that speak but also those that do not. As climate action leaders, we are representing the land we walk and the air that we breath. We are representing all of our ancestors, all of our journeys, and all of our histories. 

References

Spiller, C., Maunganui Wolfgramm, R., Henry, E., & Pouwhare, R. (2019). Paradigm warriors: Advancing a radical ecosystems view of collective leadership from an Indigenous Māori perspective. Human Relations, 73(4), 516–543. https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0018726719893753

Vignola, R., Leclerc, G., Morales, M., & Gonzalez, J. (2017). Leadership for moving the climate change adaptation agenda from planning to action. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 26-27, 84–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.03.005