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Advancing Black leadership
Advancing Black leadership

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1.1 The power of professionals

Influencing professionals is different from influencing elected officials, who are subject to scrutiny and regular elections to renew their mandate. In addition, elected officials can be petitioned; they often run clinics for the constituents and can be accessed in other ways, including when dropping off leaflets and flyers in neighbourhoods during electoral campaigns. Professionals involved in local bureaucracies are accountable in different ways. They occupy a vital position in local public institutions, and any work you do or are involved in addressing racial inequalities will only succeed if you have them on board. You will explore their power and put some thought into how you can influence local public services.

Activity 1 Fidèle Mutwarasibo: Leadership practices

Timing: Allow 20 minutes for this activity

Now watch this video with Fidèle Mutwarasibo, lecturer at the Open University Business School. As you watch, draw up a list of the leadership practices deployed in the activities discussed.

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Transcript: Video 1 Fidèle Mutwarasibo – Engaging and collaborating with local public service providers

 
FIDLE MUTWARASIBO
Hello, my name is Fidèle Mutwarasibo. I am a lecturer at the Open University Business School, and I’m the director of the Centre for Voluntary Sector Leadership.
My research interests relate to the leadership of racialised minority networks. Before my Open University role, I worked in various positions in the voluntary sector. And I’m still active in the voluntary sector.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
 
Between 2017 and 2019, I call it the Fight Against Hate campaign under the banner of Citizens:mk, a chapter of Citizens UK, which involves local community groups, schools, and the Open University, among other partners to promote social justice. Through my involvement in the campaign and the broader research activities I engage in, I have engaged with Milton Keynes Council, the police, and the NHS. In my community leadership roles, I prioritise teamwork and collaboration and negotiations with the institutions I engage with.
I always want to allow people to tell their stories instead of speaking on their behalf. I engage effectively with stakeholders on any issues I’m working on. I always try to ensure that there are ongoing communications with all the stakeholders while investing time and energy into networking and building up my social capital.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
 
I have learned many lessons from engaging with local public services. These include making sure that I have done my homework in order to identify the right person to speak to. Using authentic testimonies rather than relying on statistics.
Engaging as part of a team rather than doing solo runs. Helping local public services to expand their reach in the communities. Proposing solutions that are realistic and actionable. Adding value to the work of local public services but also holding them accountable.
End transcript: Video 1 Fidèle Mutwarasibo – Engaging and collaborating with local public service providers
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Video 1 Fidèle Mutwarasibo – Engaging and collaborating with local public service providers
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Discussion

The clip highlighted several leadership practices that made a difference in the campaigns and research practices covered. Some of these practices are shared below, but the list is not exhaustive, and there may be others you have thought of:

  • Storytelling: telling authentic stories helps in getting other people on your side. Storytelling also humanises people and helps people look at human experiences rather than dwelling on the statistics that dominate discourses on equality and diversity issues.
  • Teamwork: collective leadership requires working with others. Successful campaigns involve many leaders, and a successful community campaign requires many skills that are not likely to be possessed by one individual leader.
  • Communication: a leader has to communicate with team members and other stakeholders. Communicating in this instance may involve intercultural communication skills; as a leader, you have to engage with leaders from other communities.
  • Research: in leadership, it is essential to do homework, for example, involving evaluating alternative solutions. Research is, therefore, an essential leadership practice, and many leaders use action research practices.
  • Negotiation: success implies seeking solutions that benefit most if not all stakeholders. The winner-takes-all approach is likely to fail as a negotiation strategy. An approach which focuses on benefitting all parties, on the other hand, allows all stakeholders to claim success and suggests a process of give and take.
  • Networking: networking skills are vital in leadership. As articulated in the video, successful community-led campaigns require expanding your networks.
  • Stakeholder engagement: leading change requires you to undertake a stakeholder analysis. Stakeholders range from those affected by the issue, those with influence over the change you are pursuing and others in between. As a leader, you must engage with stakeholders from various backgrounds.