A call for collective crisis leadership

Ngwenya, Nobesuthu; Helfand, Rosalind; McNamara, Aylin; Cooper, Michelle; Espinosa, Paola; Flenley, Daniel; Steiner, Noa; Awoyemi, Stephen; Dicke, Iris; Musasa, Monipher; Sandbrook, Chris

doi:10.1017/s0030605320000496

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…To this end we have established the University of Cambridge Conservation Leadership Alumni Network. It has regional groups that meet regularly, an elected global council to provide strategic direction, and has carried out collective activities such as submitting proposals to the CBD post-2020 process and publishing an editorial in Oryx (Ngwenya et al, 2020). We will continue to support the Network by allocating increased staff time, providing small grants for alumni projects, and promoting mentoring and regional activities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thirdly, where once leadership was considered an individual trait that is either present or absent, it is now considered a bundle of skills and strategies that can be improved through training and experience (Kainer et al, 2019). Fourthly, leadership can be a property of networks and collectives, rather than of individuals acting in isolation (Olsson et al, 2008; Ngwenya et al, 2020). Fifthly, understanding of leadership has evolved, from an early heroic model to a complex range of leadership concepts, including situational, authentic and transformational leadership (Bruyere, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaluating the impact of the first 10 years of the Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership

Sandbrook

Nelson

Bolderson

et al. 2021

Oryx

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Conservation lacks sufficient well-trained leaders who are empowered to catalyse positive change for the natural world. Addressing this need, the University of Cambridge launched a Masters in Conservation Leadership in 2010. The degree includes several features designed to enhance its impact. Firstly, it recruits international, gender-balanced cohorts of mid-career professionals, building leadership capacity in the Global South and providing a rich environment for peer learning. Secondly, teaching includes applied leadership training in topics such as fundraising, leading people and networking, as well as interdisciplinary academic topics. Thirdly, the degree is delivered through the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, a partnership of international NGOs and networks, facilitating extensive practitioner-led and experiential learning. We present details of programme design and evaluate the impact of the Masters after 10 years, using data from course records, student and alumni perspectives, and interviews with key stakeholders. The course has broadly succeeded in its design and recruitment objectives. Self-assessed leadership capabilities, career responsibilities and the overall impact of alumni increased significantly 5 years after graduation. However, specific impacts of alumni in certain areas, such as on their professional colleagues, have been less clear. We conclude by outlining future plans for the Masters in light of growing demands on conservation leaders and the changing landscape of leadership capacity development. These include reforms to course structure and assessment, long-term support to the alumni network and developing a conservation leadership community of practice.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating the impact of the first 10 years of the Cambridge Masters in Conservation Leadership

Sandbrook

Nelson

Bolderson

et al. 2021

Oryx

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…There is still of course value in international collaborations to support colleagues who are working around the world to tackle problems in their own countries, but these need to be both initiated and led locally. All of us need to be more generous and accepting of the contributions and viewpoints of others, and recognize that a rainbow of approaches is needed, dependent on scale, location and circumstances. Although we have a long way to go in improving the diversity of conservation (both in terms of who is involved and in terms of the approaches we use), it is important to start to make progress in the right direction, recognizing that we cannot solve our deep-rooted problems instantly (Ngwenya et al, 2020). …”

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confidence: 99%