MAY 2007

Leadership of the Human Spirit

Photo: Paul Voorthuis

Ending hunger requires leadership — but not our grandfathers’ leadership. Not hierarchy. Not giving orders. Ending hunger requires transformative leadership — leadership that is inclusive, collaborative, opens people’s hearts and minds to a new possibility, and builds their confidence by producing results. Hunger Project leadership must be grounded in principles of human dignity, interconnectedness, and an unyielding commitment to unleashing the creativity and responsibility of every person.

The Hunger Project is at the forefront of calling forth this kind of leadership. We have been described as the world’s largest leadership development organization. The lion’s share of our work is carried out by 150,000 committed, trained volunteers, who mobilize the self-reliant energy of more than 22 million people.

This, of course, includes many of us who are investor activists — who awaken those around us to the joy and satisfaction of participating in this historic process.

Here are 10 key aspects of Hunger Project leadership, and some examples of Hunger Project leadership in action.

1. Changing our own mind-set

The initial motivation for most volunteer leaders is to want to “help the poor” — a natural impulse that is unwittingly condescending. A key step in training our 100,000 volunteer animators is to transform that impulse into a profound respect for the self-reliance of impoverished people. Similarly, both women and men need to examine their inherited gender attitudes. Women have needed to learn to speak out; men have needed to learn to listen to women.

2. Inclusion

Hunger Project leaders must transcend barriers of caste, religion and family rivalries to ensure that the most marginalized members of the community have access to lives of dignity and self-reliance.

Monoranjan Mondol (far right) is an exemplary elected local leader in Batiaghata, Khulna, Bangladesh. He became a Hunger Project animator in 1999, and then organized four more animator trainings in his area — building a strong cadre both male and female, Hindu and Muslim. His local council has strong women’s leadership, and the communities have achieved 98 percent literacy and 100 percent safe sanitation, and have launched campaigns to stop dowry. With education, people have adopted family planning and have the lowest birthrate in the district. Dozens of local cooperatives have been formed, increasing income and food supplies.

3. Appreciation

Hunger Project leaders deeply appreciate those with whom they work, and cultivate the skill of powerfully listening and acknowledging people — holding up the mirror so that people experience their greatness.

4. Mutual learning

Hunger Project leaders have a profound humility. They don’t have the answers or even necessarily the questions. They are on a shared journey of discovery, and are as open to being taught and transformed by those they lead as they are to contributing.

 
Hunger Project Global Board members Dr. Speciosa Wandira
Kazibwe (left) and Dr. Mohini Giri.

5. Courage

Even after we change our mind-set once, we wake up each morning in a culture that pulls us back. Hunger Project leaders must have the courage to go against the cultural grain — to call on families to send girls to school, and for men to support the leadership of women.

The husbands of women animators in Bangladesh were asked the question, “How has it enriched your life now that your wife is an animator?” The men had diverse answers, such as more prestige in the community, new pride and inspired daughters. But one thing all of them reported was new friendship. “For the first time in our marriage, my wife is my friend. There are far fewer disputes. We are equals for the first time.”

6. Powerful distinctions

Hunger Project leaders make things clear. They develop the skill to awaken people to new possibilities by drawing powerful distinctions — between self-reliance and dependency, between equality and injustice, between how society has conditioned us and who we truly are.

 

7. Integrity

Hunger Project leaders must cultivate a degree of personal integrity that includes not only honesty, but also a willingness to have one’s whole life be an expression of deep human principles, and the courage to stand up against corruption and injustice.

María Zenona Olvera Favela is a 33-year-old mother of two, and became a Hunger Project animator in her village of San Gabriel, Zacatecas, Mexico. “At first, I thought I couldn’t speak in front of all those people and that they would think I was crazy, but The Hunger Project’s state coordinator, Margarita Salto, gave me the confidence I needed to do it. When I saw the results of my first workshop, I was happy. Before, our community didn’t have street lights and people were afraid. We organized to get good lighting. Next, we got clean water for the kindergarten. Then, we set up a ceramics business. “Now, my husband not only allows me to keep learning and spread this work, but he helps me to do more things. We’ve become closer, because he appreciates me for all I’ve learned and shared.”

8. Vision

Hunger Project leaders are able to clearly see, powerfully articulate and tirelessly inspire people with a widely shared, achievable vision. Leaders take responsibility for generating inspiration from the depths of their being.

9. Commitment and discipline

Making things happen against tremendous odds requires leaders with extraordinary focus and persistence.

Madame Koumba Ndiaye is president of the Coki epicenter bank in Senegal. Under Mme. Ndiaye’s leadership, the bank has become one of the most successful Hunger Project-initiated rural banks in Africa. Its repayment rate is consistently over 95 percent, and the bank’s capital is now US$161,840, half of which is members’ savings. These statistics are 2 to 10 times higher than those of other Hunger Project-initiated banks. Convinced that savings are the key to progress, Mme. Ndiaye persuaded the community to accept an unusually high savings policy. To obtain a loan, you must save a third of the sum you want to borrow. While this was deemed quite stringent at first, the community has now developed a strong culture of savings.

10. Catalytic action

Success is achieved through catalyzing the leadership and success of others. Once people are inspired to take action, it’s vitally important that they succeed. With each success, confidence grows.

Anjali Bora, president of the Dergaon panchayat in Assam, India, says: “We have constructed four public roads, 20 tubewells and houses for 180 destitute families, and we have formed 64 women’s self-help groups. Despite this, a local politician tried to oust me through a no-confidence motion. However, I had the support of the people and his effort bore no fruit.”