As leaders work to improve conditions for children and families in communities, the only constant is change.

Change can be scary and complicated, not only for leaders themselves, but also for the communities they serve. The goal of effective leadership is to lead through that change in a collaborative and responsive way.

Parthenia Fields and Jose Orozco

“Conflict causes change and change causes conflict — they work in tandem, yet either way we grow from it.” – Parthenia Fields, Mississippi fellow

Parthenia and

In the realm of human interaction, conflict is unavoidable.

As leaders, however, the ways we elect to manage conflict can be the difference between collaboration or collapse. Within the WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership, conflict is defined as “any situation in which one’s concerns, wishes or values are not in agreement with those of another person.” Unsurprisingly, the complex issues faced by children and families across the country can give rise to situations where there is disagreement.

In August, the class three fellows gathered in New Orleans, otherwise known by its Indigenous name Bulbancha, which means the city of many tongues. This was a perfect location for fellows to explore the realities of managing different perspectives and gain tools and strategies for leading through conflict effectively.

Dr. Karen Garcia of Michigan, Gina Womack of New Orleans, Paheadra Robinson of Mississippi and Darlene Gomez of New Mexico discussed how conflict arises in their work, which values they use to navigate conflict, and how the tools offered in the fellowship program have enhanced their leadership practice.

Many of the issues children, families and communities face do not have one simple solution.

Effective leadership requires understanding the difference between solving a problem and managing a polarity. Within the WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership, a problem is defined as a situation with one answer and a definable end point. A polarity is a situation where two or more right answers are interdependent with no identifiable end point that must be managed over time.

Leveraging polarities is an ongoing practice of holding multiple realities and perspectives at the same time, even when they appear to be in opposition. During the class three gathering in New Orleans, fellows were encouraged to explore the polarities active in their communities and apply new tools and strategies for leading through polarity management.

We facilitated a roundtable conversation with Caitlin Brooking of Jackson, Mississippi; Shay Everitt of New Mexico; Dr. Allisyn Swift of New Orleans; and Kamilah Henderson of Michigan on how polarities are showing up in their work and how their learnings from this fellowship have changed their

The word “feedback” can often provoke negative feelings, like fear or defensiveness. However, feedback is a gift that we can offer to ourselves and to the people in our communities.

As part of the WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership program, fellows are introduced to the situation-behavior-impact (SBI) model for giving and receiving feedback. The SBI model provides a structure for feedback to be focused and relevant, while increasing the likelihood it will be received in a clear, non-defensive manner.

Effective feedback – whether reinforcing positive behavior or identifying a growth area – is a core skill required of any leader

You can’t pour from an empty cup.

Developing an effective, empowering and impactful leadership practice requires prioritizing deep rest and recovery. Before our communities can be well, we, ourselves, must model that wellness.

While gathering on Tamaya land in Bernalillo, New Mexico, the WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership fellows were asked to reflect upon their self-care practices and how they can ensure they are burning brightly, not burning out.

We sat down with Social Impact Champion Sonya Lara of New Mexico, Self-Expression Advocate Ericka Thompson of Michigan, Movement Strategist Alison McCrary of New Orleans, and Mindful Healer Jessica Reed of Mississippi to discuss self-care and its implications on effective leadership.

How do you build energy as a leader?

Sonya: My values energize me. When I see challenges or barriers facing those I

As the old African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” This is also true in developing impactful leaders; it requires an entire ecosystem of support. The WKKF Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership fellowship is constructed with this wisdom in mind.

As part of the program, fellows are paired with executive coaches who provide guidance, thought partnership and personal development support. The fellows meet with their executive coaches on a regular basis over the course of the 18-month fellowship to dig deeply into their leadership practice and identify strengths, as well as areas of growth.

At the class three gathering in New Mexico this May, fellows had the opportunity to interact with their executive coaches in person and reflect upon how this relationship has impacted their leadership journeys.

The past is never far behind us.

As part of the four-day experience, fellows had the opportunity to visit several museums in the Washington, D.C., area, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, as well as the National Museum of the American Latino.

These visits helped put the fellows’ journeys into historical and cultural context. Inspired by the work of their predecessors, we asked fellows to share

So many of the communities we serve have had their trust broken by failing systems.

Hear fellows reflect upon the importance of fostering trust within their communities, what are barriers to that process, and how the fellowship is helping them gain tools and insights for promoting true healing and change.

The Importance of Trust

In the first video in our series on trust, class three fellows