Leading with Joy Practices for Uncertain Times

In a time of increasing disconnection and uncertainty, Leading with Joy shows how leaders can reclaim their purpose and embrace joy in service of social transformation.

Leadership that connects people and centers compassion and trust instead of competition and disconnection is needed more than ever before. There are plenty of manuals that show people how to manage organizations, but what is really needed in this moment is a book that shows us how to include kindness and inspiration within leadership. Leading with Joy promotes a courageous and compassionate approach to leadership that can sustain purposeful action and social change.

This book takes the form of a series of vignettes about the authors’ insights and stories, with reflection questions at the end of each one. Through these stories—which address topics such as workplace triumphs and lessons, family relationships, and even near-death experiences— Akaya Windwood and Rajasvini Bhansali illuminate different aspects of leadership, such as humility, forgiveness, and kindness, and invite leaders to respond to the current moment.

The book draws on the authors’ lived experiences as leaders, including their encounters with oppression, and their wisdom in principled leadership. They demonstrate how leaders can create conditions of abundance and well-being, which are necessary for long-term social transformation.

Akaya Windwood advises, trains, and consults on how change happens individually, organizationally, and societally. She is on the faculty for the RSF Social Finance Integrated Capital Fellowship and is the founder of the New Universal, which centers human wisdom in the wisdom of Brown women. She was the president of Rockwood Leadership Institute for many years and directed the Mycelium Fund.

Rajasvini Bhansali is executive director of Solidaire Network, a community of donor organizers mobilizing critical resources to the front lines of social justice. In her wide-ranging career devoted to racial, economic, and climate justice, she has previously led an international public foundation that funds grassroots organizing in Asia, Africa, and Latin America; grown a national youth development social enterprise; and managed a public telecommunications infrastructure fund addressing the digital divide in the Southern United States.

Contents

Introduction: An Invitation to Practice Joy in Leadership
1.    Purpose and Vision
2.    Humility, Experimentation, and Growth
3.    Preserving and Honoring Individual and Collective Dignity
4.    Healing, Forgiveness, and Redemption
5.    Kindness, Trust, and Compassion
6.    Grief, Challenge, and Disappointment
7.    Keeping the Circle Whole and Healthy
8.    Flexibility, Creativity, and Adaptability
9.    Taking Risks and Staying Steady
10.Learning to Care for Ourselves as We Care for Our Communities
Conclusion: It’s Worth It