Making Decisions Collectively with Alicia Bell
The Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
Release Date: 12/05/2023
The Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“I understood that doing my work well made it possible for everybody else to do their work well.” - Morgan Mahdavi In this episode, our very own Morgan Mahdavi joins Mia for a conversation about their working relationship and how they invite accountability in relationships through transparency, genuine care, and radical trust and grace. Morgan and Mia have worked together in a variety of ways (including here at Freedom Lifted), and they agree that accountable relationships that encourage follow -through are important to shared work and shared power within the work. Morgan shares how...
info_outline Making Decisions Collectively with Alicia BellThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
When we share power, we don’t have to take everything on ourselves…. ‘Many hands makes light work.’” - Alicia Bell In this episode, Alicia Bell explains how slowing down to make decisions as a collective can enhance the experience of Shared Power and actually ensure the work happens more quickly. “Slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” Alicia shares And we know this requires collective trust: Can we trust the slow parts of the process… and trust that the foundational work will move us toward the future we envision? This conversation dives deep into how fear of...
info_outline Navigating Conflict with Aarati Kasturirangan & Rebecca SubarThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“If we don’t do the internal work, our movements will suffer.” - Aarati Kasturirangan This conversation is about expanding what’s possible - even within conflict. Mia is joined by Rebecca Subar (they/them) and Aarati Kasturirangan (she/her) from Dragonfly Partners to discuss how nonprofit organizations and movement leaders can navigate conflict from the inside-out. Together we dive deep into why our individual and collective orientations to the work make a difference, when it’s okay to walk away from conflict, and how to learn every step of the journey. Plus, Rebecca eloquently...
info_outline Communicating to Build Power with Mariame KabaThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“I never saw social media as opposite to what I’m doing in social organizing. For me, it’s just a tool… it always has been.” - Mariame Kaba Social media has completely transformed the way we organize, communicate, and connect. This is true in so many areas of our lives, but especially with social justice organizing and global movements for justice. For this conversation, Mia is joined by social organizer, educator, and curator, Mariame Kaba. We consider questions like: How can we engage, collaborate, and connect on social media in ways that remain genuine and authentic? Why do...
info_outline Embracing Zones Of Genius with Lewis Raven WallaceThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“None of this would matter if we were doing it alone. We’re actively resisting the dominant culture through collaboration… which comes with, perhaps, individual risks [that are worth it].” -Lewis Raven Wallace In this episode, Mia is joined by independent journalist Lewis Raven Wallace for a conversation about accessing our Zone Of Genius and what it means for the practice of Shared Power in collaboration. Zone Of Genius can be defined as a flow state that takes you “beyond the sum of its parts,” as Lewis says in this episode. When each of us resides within our Zone Of...
info_outline Connecting Identity and Power with Brian BradyThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“My professor and others woke me up to [injustice], but I didn’t have enough of a toolkit to really articulate what I was doing within these structures. Now the tools we have to analyze structures and to work collectively are so much stronger.” - Brian Brady This candid conversation with Brian Brady, a veteran nonprofit leader, is about his regular reflections on shared power within nonprofit leadership positions as a white man. In this episode Mia talks with Brian about the challenge of maintaining relationships within large organizations, why vulnerability is a key...
info_outline Redefining Leadership with Deborah HarringtonThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“Things don’t have to last forever in order to be successful… Sometimes we get too caught up in ‘sustainability,’ which prevents us from experimenting.” - Deborah Harrington In this episode, philanthropic trailblazer and seasoned strategist Deborah Harrington joins Mia to discuss how we can redefine leadership in ways that diversify group thought, create a culture of trust, and build mutual loyalty. Deborah (she/her) brings to the conversation decades of experience leading in the public sector and social change philanthropy. She talks eloquently about how to reorient an...
info_outline Telling Our Origin Stories with Yashna PadamseeThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“Starting with a relationship instead of starting with a project is foundational, because relationships will continue even as projects and organizations close or change.” -Yashna Padamsee How do we fulfill our organization’s mission without sacrificing its people? And how do we support our people without sacrificing our mission? For this episode, Mia is joined by Yashna Padamsee, a consultant with over 17 years serving social movements, to talk about the importance of sharing our origin stories when working together in organizations and collectives. ...
info_outline Shared Power vs. DEI with Lisa Marie PickensThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
“There is no limit to power: The world is better when we ALL have power… and we have to recognize this, even if society doesn’t.” - Lisa Marie Pickens Why do so many DEI initiatives fall short? What does shared power look like in organizations, even the homogenous ones? Can a shared power analysis reframe and expand DEI work? These are the questions Mia explores in this episode with Nonprofit Consultant, Lisa Marie Pickens. Mia and Lisa Marie discuss the problems with general DEI initiatives, the day-to-day practicing of shared power through collaborative learning and...
info_outline What is Shared Power? Mia Henry in conversation with Alysia TateThe Shared Power Podcast: Notes on Collective Leadership with Mia Henry
In this first episode, Mia is joined by one of the podcast producers, Alysia Tate, to explain the intention behind this season, how we chose episode topics and guests, and why justice and equity work matters in every area of life (no matter your career choice). Alysia interviews Mia and also shares how she now applies the concept of shared power within the Montessori classroom.
info_outlineWhen we share power, we don’t have to take everything on ourselves…. ‘Many hands makes light work.’” - Alicia Bell
In this episode, Alicia Bell explains how slowing down to make decisions as a collective can enhance the experience of Shared Power and actually ensure the work happens more quickly.
“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” Alicia shares
And we know this requires collective trust: Can we trust the slow parts of the process… and trust that the foundational work will move us toward the future we envision?
This conversation dives deep into how fear of relinquishing control can keep us from sharing power in making decisions, why realignment is a necessary part of the process, and how to navigate and change societal expectations and assumptions through collective decision-making.