“ Gangsta Proclivities”: Resiliency, Leadership, and Abundance

1. CalWORKs Association Statewide Training Institute April 2010 “Gangsta Proclivities”:Resiliency, Leadership, and Abundance • Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard • PresidentLas Positas College

2. Our Role: Bear Witness • “The role of any intellectual, any color, any civilization, any culture, is the same—any regime, any administration: tell the truth with humility, be willing to bear the costs, and then bear witness to justice. And for me, accenting the least of these, beginning with the orphan, the widow, the poor, the marginalized, working people, gay brothers, lesbian sisters, elderly across the board.”

3. And the point of it all.. “When I dare to be powerful— to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” AudreLorde

4. Resiliency • According to a University of Wisconsin professor, resiliency is the answer to the following question: How can things change and persist at the same time? • Resilient system can withstand a shock without losing its basic functions. • Resilient systems can adapt to changing circumstances. • Resilient systems can transform to a different way of life when the current way is not longer feasible. • The Presidential Debate

5. Starting a Movement… • Leadership and Courage in Context

6. Definition of Abundance • Beyond having substantial financial resources, abundance is an organizational state marked by exceptional performance and vitality reached only through intentional and transcendent leveraging of tangible (i.e. staff, money, technology, facilities), intangible (i.e. human capacities, culture, reputation, organizational architecture), and leadership (i.e. inclusive leadership practices) resources.

7. Colleges of Abundance • An organization’s capacity is its potential to perform—its ability to apply its skills, competences, and resources to: • Achieve its mission, vision, and goals • Meet or exceed its stakeholders’ expectations. Stakeholders are both external and internal. • Capacity is achieved when the talent, skills, and competencies of people throughout an organization are used to the fullest possible extent.

8. Why is this Relevant? • Operating resources are declining in adverse proportion to demand in community colleges • A commitment to addition—more priorities, programs, services, and staff—prevails in our colleges where as a mechanism for substitution or subtraction lags • Organizational life for all employees is morphing into something they did not sign up for: • Lean staffing and incremental responsibility • Unrelenting demands and expectations • Avalanche of communication • Competing demands on time and attention • Almost unmanageable complexity

9. Relevance Continued • Personnel in work groups know less about the work life of personnel in different work groups than at any point in the historical development of community colleges • “Presenteeism” is increasingly common—in contrast to “futurism”—in our colleges • Increasing size and complexity have reduced the capability of employees to comprehend and relate to the whole organization • Loyalty and commitment have shifted from the institution to the operating unit—producing a lack of interconnectedness

10. Relevance Continued • Personnel in work groups know less about the work life of personnel in different work groups than at any point in the historical development of community colleges • “Presenteeism” is increasingly common—in contrast to “futurism”—in our colleges • Increasing size and complexity have reduced the capability of employees to comprehend and relate to the whole organization • Loyalty and commitment have shifted from the institution to the operating unit—producing a lack of interconnectedness

11. Characteristics of Abundant Colleges • Engaging in change has become an automatic response • Beyond continuous learning—continuous knowledge application • The College is always seeking new opportunities to serve stakeholders through discovery, development, and amplification of resources

12. Characteristics of Abundant Colleges • Innovation and creativity have become contagious • Continual focus on developing greater organizational capacity • Continuous enhancement of intangible resources • Human capacities, culture, communication, reputation, and organizational architecture • Operates as a network hub and partnership incubator • Leverages and develops internal networks

13. Concluding Thought “You find your voice, you find your calling, you have your vision, you give it your all, and when you die, you are used up. You have done everything you possibly could to be true to who you are, and you had a whole lot of fun in the meantime.” Dr. Cornel West

14. Questions? • Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard • dpollard@laspositascollege.edu • www.laspositascollege.edu