OPINION
Save the World with Collaborative Leadership By Jeff Walker, McIntire ’77
They’re discovering that “large-scale social change comes from better cross-sector coordination rather than from the isolated intervention of individual organizations.” In other words, collaboration may ant to save the world? One way to do it is to be the key to making the world a better place. learn how to collaborate. Even more important, successful collaboration Last June, the president of the University of isn’t just a happy accident. It’s the result of speVirginia, Terry Sullivan, was fired. It was a big cific factors that can be recognized and duplicated. mistake—a decision made in haste by some trustees They include: who failed to think through the consequences of 1. Agreement on a simple, measureable their action. Many of us who love UVA were apgoal that everyone can understand and rally palled. We could have just stood by, complaining to around. The global malaria initiative, for example, one another. Instead, we took action. Thousands of rallied supporters around the goal of “cutting deaths students, alumni, faculty, administration, and staff from malaria through the use of insecticide-treated stood up together and sent a single, clear message: With today’s bed nets.” By contrast, some of those concerned “Bring her back!” desperate need for about global warming have succeeded only in scarTen days later, Dr. Sullivan was returned to new models for ing millions of people without providing them with office. Today UVA is healthier than ever before, with clear, actionable steps to take. an unprecedented array of constituents working higher education, 2. Leadership from an honest broker. In together to mold a new and even more vibrant collaboration among the malaria case, it was Ray Chambers, a trusted institution. That’s the power of collaboration. faculty, alumni, individual known and respected throughout the For decades, well-meaning people and orgaworld health community. The role of honest broker nizations struggled to solve the problem of malaria administration, requires someone with a managed ego, good listenin Africa, which killed more than a million people boards, staff, ing skills, passion for the cause, a large network, a year, half of them children under the age of five. and a history of collaborative successes. Business Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent without community, leaders in search of a second career are often great much to show for it. Then a group led by several key and students is candidates, while politicians, academics, and physiparties, including Ray Chambers, the UN Secretary more critical. cians rarely qualify. General’s Malaria Envoy, pulled together a coalition 3. Commitment from a small number of key of businesses, local governments, multi-lateral ororganizations. Other organizations will fall in line ganizations, universities, UN agencies, foundations, once the coalition has five or six credible participants. non-profits, and individuals to lead the effort. Now malaria deaths in 4. A small group of individuals who provide the “collaborative sub-Saharan Africa have fallen from 1.2 million a year to approximately glue” of continual communication. For malaria, a small office team 550,000, with the goal of zero deaths by 2015 realistically within reach. was established to track the collaboration’s goals, flag problems, and Collaboration made it happen. focus senior-level attention where necessary. Are these success stories one-offs, unique and impossible to dupliWhere can you find such people? During my tenure as an executive cate? Not necessarily. Today the art of collaboration is being studied by a in residence at the Harvard Business School (HBS), I got to know many number of universities as well advisors such as the consulting firm FSG.
[editor’s note—this article first appeared in the Huffington Post in March]
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