Emergent Queer Leadership (Part II)

Let's continue to explore other emergent principles and their interconnectedness with imagination for change.

By Justina Thompson — June 20, 2023

Tags: alignment, being present, building community, building trust, community, community dynamics, decision making, leadership, lessons learned, lgbtqia+, mindfulness, pride month, queer leadership, queer lives

In the first part of this piece, we explored the first half of adrienne maree brown's principles for emergent strategy, initially introduced as way to share an adaptive and relationship leadership model, inspired by the work of Octavia Butler. This is a great way to call in a note on imagination. Butler is known for her science fiction works that bring a creative lens to thinking about the world we may create for the future and what survival in it looks and feels like. In leadership, that capacity to imagine and envision past what currently exists allows your impact to ripple beyond a present moment. The queer imagination is unique in the way that it births creation in a spirit of love as a response to conditions that expect bare survival. A demand for more, for abundant and fulfilling lifestyles, curated strong communal systems to fill the exact capacity. With this dreaming, there is power to vision beyond boundaries and constraints, what individual impossibilities become the foundation for collective power. Let's continue to explore other emergent principles and their interconnectedness with imagination for change.

Never a failure, always a lesson.

Adaptation comes from the feedback loops that identifies failures. But as you might have heard from an elder or friend, failure only happens when someone decides to quit or stop. Negative feedback in the biological sense happens when there is a change in the process or flow, which is not necessarily indicative of a bad event. When applying this to perceived 'failures' in our leadership or working styles, asking what can be taken away from the event or applying changes to a next iteration creates a foundation for generative learning and growth, and opens a door for new information and opinions to be integrated as they're shared from co-leaders or other folks in the room.

Trust the People. (If you trust the people, they become trustworthy).

Relationships are built on the foundation of trust. Especially in leadership, that foundation must be present for guidance to be followed, feedback to be incorporated, and for things to truly move forward on a collective note without too much dissension. In what mentors have shared about diffuse leadership or co-leadership, no one individual has all the answers nor the capacity to make all decisions and changes on their own. Communities of care don't thrive because one person takes on all the work, it isn't sustainable. But with a foundation of trust, believed into fruition, a relationship of mutual accountability and truth can guide decisions and actions. A spirit of trust also allows issues that arise to be targeted directly, without always calling the intention of character of the player that revealed the issue in to blur the vision. And when this is called for, it can be done with care and intention, especially in an effort to maintain that trusting relationship.

Move at the speed of Trust. Focus on critical connections more than critical mass- build the resilience by building the relationships.

Building that same trust is not something that comes with the snap of a finger. It takes time, and when skipped often leads to moments of confusion or misalignment when it comes to decision-making, looking towards the future. With trust first, a pace of action relies on intuition, a value by which often gets dismissed when considering strategy. A space for communication is inherent in building and maintaining trust, and curates a culture of transparency in action. It also determines capacity for genuine engagement that doesn't push too far. When a team is close knit, they are able to better play on each others strengths, and have more room to ensure their needs are communicated and met. Capacity for that tailored attention may lack if quantity is prioritized over depth, and leadership practicing discernment in these cases is key. In an emergent collective and leadership strategy, progress will generate from care and connection, not rushed autonomous efforts, and trust will stand at the center.

Less prep, more presence.

In order for leadership to be adaptive, it must be receptive to the feedback from the collective being led. When facilitating gatherings or taking steps to action, getting lost in a linear path can dismiss grievances that come up along the way. The idea that it's 'too late' for change comes into play when the overarching vision only deems one way to a thriving reality. Settling leadership into the process is to take lessons and experience celebrations in live time. Making pause for listening, questions, and reflection makes room for intention and genuine engagement for folks moving together in a movement. Grounding in the small actions or big questions, allows for flow, for leadership to take shape of the current container, and for needs of the collective to remain present as a guiding factor in all processes.

What you pay attention to grows.

The challenges that feel heaviest or most pressing often create circles of worry and concern in our heads. The smallest wins can also seem insignificant without due attention and celebration. In-between spaces and dances along spectrums call for grounding in intention to ensure that time, energy, and spirit poured towards any one idea are for a purpose. While this is not exclusively true, external factors can't determine our feelings nor approaches towards them without explicit permission. As a leader, generation will occur where energy is directed, the same way a plant that is watered, and receives sunlight will grow, or how a compost that is turned will transform.

As you step away, hopefully enjoying your summer break, maybe even celebrating Pride Month, take these essences of queer community and imagination and their influences from nature, and consider how the principles of emergent strategy may guide you towards a more relational and adaptive leadership style on your learning journey!

Justina Thompson

Justina "Farmer J" Thompson is the Farm Education and Volunteer Manager at Urban Creators, Philadelphia, PA. Justina intentionally attended school in Philadelphia so she could “connect her passion and experience to the ongoing environmental justice work in the area.” As a speaker, educational curriculum designer, program leader, and community organizer, Justina possesses extensive knowledge on urban farming inspired to work in the field of environmental justice from a young age.

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