Community Health Innovation

Duquesne University Offers Innovative Online Program in Community Leadership

Community-focused leadership is increasingly being recognized as a distinctive concentration within the field of leadership studies.  One sign of this development is the creation of graduate academic programs aimed at producing community-focused leaders.  Duquesne University is offering one such program at the master's level.  As described on the DU website:

The Master of Science in Leadership, concentration in Community Leadership (MSCL). was designed for the education of leaders who are committed to improving - indeed transforming - the quality of life in the community. Healthy communities require a vibrant blend of an involved and informed citizenry and the ongoing development of a multitude of local resources. Community-driven leadership is the intangible asset that combines these and other ingredients in creative and effective ways - to design and enact a desirable, sustainable future.

The program emphasizes:

• Instilling excellence, not as an action, but as a habit
• Building consensus and a community of leaders
• Synthesizing individual and community needs
• Strengthening the overall societal impact of individuals and organizations
• Effective decision-making from visionary, ethical and analytical perspectives
• Building upon individual and organizational strengths
• Leading change based on an understanding of people, processes and systems
• Developing, implementing and measuring the performance of impactful programs
• Identifying and capitalizing on strategic opportunities
• Shaping the future of our communities through community-wide dialogue and collaboration
• Engaging key community stakeholders to create lasting community change
• Tapping public and private resources to serve community-based initiatives

Click here to learn more about this innovative program....

 

The Case for Stakeholder Engagement

In this article published by Stanford Social Innovation Review, Kathleen P.Enright and Courtney Bourns of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations propose that:

"Grantmaking initiatives often fail when the foundation remains isolated from its grantees and the communities they both serve. To remedy this problem, grantmakers must work more closely with their grantees, community leaders, and other important stakeholders. This engagement helps everyone involved gain a deeper understanding of the problems they are tackling, create new and better solutions, and build more effective organizations."

The authors go on to explore the concept of stakeholder engagement, why some grantmakers are reluctant to engage stakeholders, what stakeholder engagement might look like in practice, and the potential benefits of engaging stakeholders.  This is a thoughtful article for staff and board members of grantmakers and grant-funded organizations.

Read the full article at Stanford Social Innovation Review....

Six Questions for Strategic Leaders

By Steve Horan, Community Health Solutions

We all like to 'be strategic' in our work as leaders.  But what does being strategic really mean?

In our research to develop The Practical Leadership Model we identified six key factors that influence strategic achievement:

1. Long-term thinking
2. A return-on-investment perspective
3. Strategic investment in capacity
4. A focus on mission and goals throughout the organization or team 
5. Continuous attention to culture
6. Continuous attention to execution.

Whether we are leading an entire organization, an internal team, or an external partnership, we can use these six success factors to guide our leadership.  They key is to integrate these success factors into our leadership thinking by asking ourselves six questions every day:

1. Are we thinking long term?
2. Are we building return on investment for our stakeholders?
3. Are we developing the capacity we need for sustainable excellence?
4. Is everyone focused on the right intentions (mission, goals, etc.)?
5. Does our culture support the kind of innovation and collaboration we need to succeed?
6. Are we fully executing what we set our to do?

Ask yourself these questions whenever you are contemplating a significant decision or initiative.  Also engage your team in asking the same questions on a regular basis.  This will help you build a team of strategic thinkers who are ready to take your organization or initiative to the next level.  At the same time, you will be developing the next generation of leaders.

 

Jim Collins on Good to Great in the Social Sectors

 

Jim Collins is the author of Good to Great , Good to Great in the Social Sectors, and other best sellers on what works in leadership and strategy.  He has also compiled a series of free short videos and podcasts on Good to Great in the Social Sectors at JimCollins.com. 

Click here to access any of the following

• Greatness is Not a Business Idea | 02:07
• The Uber-Flywheel in the Social Sectors | 01:21
• A Conversation with a Church Leader About the Resource Engine | 01:58 | Download MP3
• "First Who, the Hedgehog Concept, and Your Personal Trajectory" | 02:58 | Download MP3
• Funding: Time-Telling Vs. Clock-Building | 01:51 | Download MP3
• Greatness Is a Matter of Conscious Choice and Discipline | 00:58 | Download MP3
• Harnessing the Flywheel | 00:40 | Download MP3
• A Hypothesis: Executive and Legislative Leadership | 01:07 | Download MP3
• "If We Only Have Great Companies, We Will Merely Have a Prosperous Society - Not a Great One" | 00:35 | Download MP3
• The Importance of Distinguishing Inputs from Outputs | 00:50 | Download MP3
• The Inverse Relationship of Leadership and Power | 03:12 | Download MP3
• Lack of Resources Is No Excuse for Lack of Rigor | 01:24 | Download MP3
• The Social Sectors' Compelling Advantage: The Desperate Craving for Meaning in Our Lives | 00:42 | Download MP3
• The Solution Is Not to Be More Like a Business | 00:35 | Download MP3
• The Three Circles and the Resource Engine | 00:40 | Download MP3