Governance Futures Learning & Connecting (L&C) sessions are bimonthly virtual spaces that allow network members to gain insight into each other’s work and engage with colleagues around shared interests.

In October’s L&C session, two of our newest members, Ashanti Kunene and Cat Tully, tackled the following questions, respectively. They delivered guiding remarks, which were followed by breakout group discussions with fellow members.

• The stories we tell about governance in our current paradigm are rooted in a particular narrative tradition — they are written down, impersonal, technocratic/bureaucratic, dense, “objective.” If we believe that governance is about human relationships and belonging, how would we change the stories we tell each other about governance (and how we tell them) to build an emotional and personal connection to governance?
• What have you learned from the UN Summit of the Future and what are the potential implications for the Governance Futures Network?

In this post, we will tackle the enriching discussion led by Ashanti Kunene on the first question. If you would like to learn how the second discussion went, read more here to learn about how to build a wellbeing-focused and intergenerationally fair ecosystem among other key insights.

In her presentation, Ashanti Kunene focused on three key topics: governance in our current paradigm, how to change stories, and how stories help us build emotional and personal connections to governance. Key insights included the following:

• To change the stories we tell, leaders must change their heart posture away from fear and toward love-based leadership.
• Stories can serve as spell breakers, revealing where disconnection exists and highlighting the dynamics of power that pull you away from the person or leader you want to be. Successful leaders create space for self-checks and reflection.
• Everyone should examine their personal power, understand their relationship to it, and accept the rights and responsibilities that come with it. Can you do the right thing (put the collective interest above your own interest) when you’re constantly incentivized to do the wrong thing? Are you willing to live the truth of your values?
• Recognizing and having these conversations should be fundamental to our work. Even if society prefers that the “ugly” be hidden, it is still there. By embracing it, we are more likely to meet the challenges of leadership.

Members were emotionally connected to Ashanti’s presentation and the discussion that followed. There was general consensus that good leaders do not seek out power and that relationship- and love-based governance are vitally important. So how can we promote a different type of leadership?

Ashanti emphasized the importance of prioritizing people and planet over power and profit, noting this requires a “leadership love ethic” that redefines what failure means for leaders. Jessica Kiessel furthered this concept, speaking to the need for enabling conditions to nurture love within systems. Jake Dunagan then asserted that it is imperative to reject systems and dynamics that weed out “normal” caring, decent humans.

The discussion continued with members exploring the extent to which we support others or seek power for ourselves while constructing a new governance paradigm.The group agreed we should think about leadership as stewardship, pursue more community-based leadership, and change the model and mindset around leadership to center love. Jessica shared a quote from Russell Ackoff:

“The more efficient you are at doing the wrong thing, the wronger you become. It is much better to do the right thing wronger than the wrong thing righter. If you do the right thing wrong and correct it, you get better.”

Members recognized challenges that often impede this transition:

• When an organization is malfunctioning, lacking accountability, or suffering from weak leadership, the most qualified and highest performers are usually the first to leave, marking the beginning of a downward spiral.
• We don’t often have the space or time needed to reflect on our actions.
• It is often unclear to us when the right thing becomes wrong. And it is hard for us to do the right thing when there are personal costs to that decision.

The group recognized that the Leadership and Narratives Greenhouse can further explore Ashanti’s question, and the Community Stewards project can share stories that break the spell.

Following the session, Ashanti continued delving into this topic on her website. You can read her full account here.