Collaborative Leadership with Sarah Popelka

Sarah Popelka believes that Collaborative Leadership is the most effective way to lead. Not because it's a “nice” thing to do, or because it makes people feel engaged, but because it creates agency and accountability in the work and builds community and well-being across the organization.

By being authentic and focused on community goals, Sarah demonstrated collaborative leadership increases the quality of performance, decision-making, and relationships-building along with her fellow Co-Executive Director, Mario Flores, to help Global Visionaries survive and ultimately thrive after 4 of the most tumultuous years in the 22-year history of the organization.

In this episode, Sarah answers the following questions:
- What is collaborative leadership? 
- What is a collaborative leadership style?
- What are the values of collaborative leadership?
- What are the benefits of collaborative leadership in the workplace?

Through their partnership, and with the buy-in and dedication from their staff, they were able to lead Global Visionaries, a youth leadership development non-profit in Guatemala and in the United States, through a series of very difficult events: the financial impacts of cancelled trips due to a volcanic eruption, flight disruptions, unsustainable financial models, the aftermath of the departure of the founder and another Executive Director…and, oh year, a global pandemic that required a complete re-write of how GV delivers programs to youth. 

Although Sarah recently left to become the Executive Director of another organization, GV is in the strongest position it’s ever been, and that’s a testament to all involved. And a style of leadership that is authentic, requires humility and vulnerability, invites participation and buy-in, and ultimately builds community. 

For more information about GV and Community for Youth: 
Global Visionaries: https://globalvisionaries.org/
Community for Youth: https://www.communityforyouth.org/

And the book that Sarah recommends is “Humble Inquiry” by Edgar and Peter Schein:
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/575055/humble-inquiry-second-edition-by-edgar-h-schein-and-peter-a-schein/ 

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Music in this episode created by Ian Kastner.

"What Do You Know To Be True?" is a series of conversations where I speak with interesting people about their special talent or superhero power and the meaningful impact it has on others. The intention is to learn more about their experience with their superhero power, and in doing so a maybe learn something about the special talent in each of us that makes us unique. For more info: got to https://WhatDoYouKnowToBeTrue.com 

“What Do You Know To Be True?” is recorded on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish and Suquamish people. To discover the ancestral lands of the indigenous people whose land you may be on, go to: https://native-land.ca/