Bridge to Power Building Something New from the Bottom Up
Bridge to Power Building Something New from the Bottom Up by William Goodwin, RUN Steering Committee member, Bridge to Power Structure Committee Member
Right from the beginning I could see Bridge to Power (B2P) would be different. From the get-go each member was empowered to provide input on the decisions involving key elements of the organization such as defining our Vision and Purpose and drafting our Values. It was a grueling process of synthesizing all members’ beliefs, thoughts and values. But it was intentional. I still remember while we were on break, many of us were huddled together still exchanging ideas and passion. Using our radical imagination to reimagine what a movement organization could be. And that passion still remains and continues to drive our work.
That process of intense collaboration is not just part of programming. But it is our way of conducting business. It permeates through all our B2P committees. It’s a group centered point of view where we are all leaders. We practice this through intentionally creating opportunities for leadership throughout Bridge to Power.
It’s not just the process but how we show up in the process.
In fact, as a member of the Structure Working Committee, we were tasked with developing a decision-making process for the entire Bridge to Power collaborative. I came to the committee prepared with my ideas and thoughts on how we could proceed. Little did I know I would end up leading that discussion. But it happened in the normal course of doing business. I did not plan for it nor did I back down from the opportunity to lead. My thoughts and ideas were valued and accepted. I was treated as the expert. I was encouraged and supported, and, in that instant, it became a leadership role for me. I eventually presented the decision-making process to the Bridge to Power Steering Committee, walking them through the Decision Matrix the committee developed. Our work was rewarded with consensus and approval.
BUT that trust – it’s rare and it stood out for me.
It is emblematic of how we develop leadership at B2P– through participation in everything!--meeting facilitation, strategic decisions, trainings, fundraising. Everyone is invited to participate and are provided opportunities for us to share our abilities. Everyone steps into leadership in their own way. And those abilities are nurtured and cultivated; stitched into the fabric of the organization.
From presenting to the B2P Steering Committee, I took away something from that experience. More confidence and a spirit of curiosity that I took back to B2P Partner and my organization, Resident United Network (RUN). I wanted to build on my Bridge to Power experience. So, I volunteered to take on a much bigger leadership role at RUN’s Housing Summit. I helped co-design two training sessions, which I then facilitated. And in doing so, I learned more about what it takes to facilitate a training session. And now I am able to bring that experience and those skills back to Bridge to Power. It becomes reciprocal.
I realized I also left something with my committee members at B2P. The essence of our collaboration was ingrained in our shared experiences. That was evident at our last convening. I was not able to attend the first day so other members of the Structure Committee stepped up and gave the presentation I had given earlier to the Steering Committee to the Full Bridge to Power Collaborative. They became the experts.
What we are developing, it is not only a shared experience, it’s shared knowledge. A leadership development strategy that builds the capacity of knowledge for all our organizations. That same spirit of shared purpose is embodied in Bridge to Power’s “Train-the-Trainer” model of leadership development. It happens organically. Each member becomes the expert. Not through seminar or webinar styled training but through practice.
This is synonymous with our values: of Radical Love that we define as RESPECT and EMBRACING everyone's HUMANITY. And grounded in our definition of EQUITY- which is FULL INCLUSION. These are not just words to us. We believe it has to be embedded in everything we do, and so we must practice these values in our day-to-day activities.
