Flipping the Script: We’re Not the Experts, They Are!
Having recently completed EmcArts’ Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators (ALACI) Fellowship, I jumped at the chance to reflect on my … Continue reading
Innovation as a Way of Working: A case study of 3 organizations (Part Two)
Part 2: Implications & Connections What are the adaptive muscles needed to respond nimbly and efficiently to complex challenges? Instilling … Continue reading
Innovation as a Way of Working: A case study of 3 organizations (Part One)
Context In 2014, I was working at Pillsbury House + Theatre in Minneapolis, MN, when we were selected to participate … Continue reading
The Anchorage Concert Association: Developing a Civic Practice
Recognizing the limitations of its traditional business model, the Anchorage Concert Association (ACA) undertook a radical shift in direction. It moved from presenting art to facilitating community transformation through art. After undergoing training in “civic arts practice”, ACA staff, board and artists experimented with new and unexpected community partnerships. Focused on its long-term resilience, ACA also made several key internal changes to embed this new experimental mindset into the “DNA” of the organization.
The Journey of Teatro Publico de Cleveland
The journey of Teatro Publico de Cleveland (TPC) is about generosity, learning, trust and the desire to connect in spite of challenges. … Continue reading
Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators: Announcing Cohort 2 Fellows from New York City
EmcArts has selected 12 fellows of color from New York City for Cohort 2 of Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators (ALACI).
Leadership and Organizational Culture: Conversations with Edgar Schein
Read about ALACI Cohort 1’s seminar with Edgar Schein on organizational culture, and why it’s an important aspect of facilitating adaptive leadership and change.
QUIZ! What kind of innovation team member are you?
My first Working Open post is an interactive quiz that examines the different roles team members can take in an Innovation Lab. Click through to take the quiz and play!
Three Case Studies: Innovating at the Intersections of Arts and Social Justice
Featuring Alternate ROOTS, Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, and The Theater Offensive, this rich and rigorous publication examines the contours, possibilities and limitations of adaptive change for three arts and social justice organizations in our Labs.
Musings from Cohort 1’s First Seminar – Arts Leaders as Cultural Innovators
ALACI Cohort 1 gathered for their first national seminar in Providence, Rhode Island from June 1st-3rd, 2015. This three-day convening brought ALACI fellows, faculty, executive coaches and EmcArts’ staff together, and featured inspiring and educational presentations on adaptive leadership topics such as emotional intelligence, organizational systems, authentic leadership, and more.
Artist-Partners: New Directions in Artist-Driven Institutional Models
With the goal of redefining roles and division of labor in arts organizations, ICE created a new organizational structure in which ensemble members act as “Artist Partners” who lead and manage the organization. This new structure eliminates traditional silos between artistic and management functions, strengthens curatorial capacity, gives ensemble members more decision-making power, and supports creativity.
August Topic: What Does An Adaptive Board Look Like?
How do non-profit boards cultivate an organizational culture that embraces change?
Your Responses: What Leadership Looks Like in Practice
We’ve heard from you! Here are some of the examples of what others are doing to practice adaptive leadership in their own work.
5 Perspectives on Leadership
We’re revisiting five past posts from the blog that focus on leadership practices and processes.
Build, Measure, Learn: “Lean” Principles and Innovation Process
By “going lean,” nonprofits use an cyclical, feedback-focused development process to use limited resources more effectively.