Last week Blair and I interviewed current and previous participants of seven different fellowship programs. The process was very exciting — thank you to everyone who participated in the interviews!
One thing that became evident from our conversations is that programs approach leadership development in very different ways. Some programs are more “outward” focused, exposing individuals to a network of leaders with whom they can have conversations about their personal leadership experience. With this approach, the regularity with which participants access the network and whether they involve the cohort in processing the lessons learned is highly dependent on individual motivation. Programs like Ashoka, White House Fellows and Synergos Arab World Social Innovators, which use the “outward” approach, are great at connecting individuals and building large networks of program supporters.
“The strength of the White House Fellows program is the ability to give people the opportunity to get access to powerful people in government making important decisions on so many different dimensions and gain a sense of what it takes to create change”- Sunil Garg, White House Fellow
A second approach to leadership is what we are calling an “inward” approach where discussions about leadership happen mostly within the cohort. This type of program combines a number of activities and experiences asking the participants to spend time reflecting on their own leadership style, assessing their role as leaders in the world and obtaining feedback from their peers. Examples of this category of fellowship programs are Acumen Fund, Henry Crown and Coro. Some characteristics that make the “inward” approach programs unique are:
Length and intensity of interaction: Program duration is of a year or less if full-time and up to two years if fellowship is incremental. In either case, participants come together as a cohort frequently. For example, Acumen Fund Fellows come together as a cohort for 6-8 weeks at the beginning of the one-year program, two more times during their 10-month international field placement and three weeks at the end of the program. Of shorter duration but similar intensity are the four-day seminars where Henry Crown Fellows come together from across the country to engage in discussions and feedback sessions about leadership.
Experiential and peer learning- Participants learn about leadership from reflecting with their peers on their own experiences at their work setting or temporary placements. Coro Fellows interact with their cohort on a weekly basis during full-day seminars where participants share their experience in their placements and debrief collectively.
“This is the only experience set up to learn from your peers. The primary purpose is to understand what are the principles and values under which good team work happens and the role of leadership within that”- Dileepan Siva, Coro Fellow
Creation of a safe space: Interviewees agree that one of the most powerful experiences for personal growth and for becoming more self-aware leaders is the opportunity to speak openly about personal challenges and receive feedback from peers. They find that to engage in this rewarding exercise they need to reach a level of comfort. This is achieved only when they feel they are in a “safe space” where they can share their experiences with people they trust and where they will not be judged or measured. Most of the interviewees have found this rare and valuable space only with their cohort of fellows.
“When you talk about leadership it is kind of a personal thing therefore to seek out and be open to feedback it is important to have a good bond with people, feel protected and safe.”- Chris Walker, Acumen Fund Fellow
Interestingly, most of the interviewees shared that they have found this rare and valuable “safe space” only with their cohort of fellows.
Next week we will share with you insights as to how the cohort experience has impacted the leadership development journey of our interviewees.
In the meantime, what do you think of these two leadership development approaches?
Tags: AF Fellows, Cohort Experiment, Talent