Leading with Purpose: How Inner Focus Drives Social Transformation

In one of our previous articles, we explored transformational leadership and its 7 tenets.

Given its significance in driving social transformation in the nonprofit sector, this article will focus on one core principle: "Inner Focus." We will delve into how its twin aspects "inner work" and "intuition" enable outer transformation and strengthen the practice of transformational leadership.

The events that transpired in 2008 and 2011 marked the genesis of the Lotus Petal Foundation. In 2008, my journey of inner reflection began after reading the Autobiography of a Yogi, intensifying with each passing day. However, it wasn't until 2011 that this churning found its purpose, igniting within me a profound desire to integrate: family, work, service, and self into a unified whole. While waiting at the bus stop with my daughters on a wintry morning in 2011, I noticed two underprivileged children walking to school without proper winter attire. This unsettling image stayed with me and set the stone for Lotus Petal Foundation as is known today.

Over the years, I realized that this inner churning resides in each of us, and is nothing but our conscience asking us to engage with it. This engagement is what we refer to as inner work and intuition. However, a lingering question remains :

How do inner work and intuition enable social transformation in the nonprofit sector?

As practitioners and development professionals in the non-profit space, we are all seeking something intangible that results in a tangible change. Interacting with beneficiaries exposes us to their hardships, prompting a natural desire to alleviate their suffering and restore dignity. When addressing complex issues within a flawed system our moral compass has to work and be activated on all levels. During our daily work, we encounter real-life challenges that require us to come up with solutions regardless of their scale and demand. However, this can sometimes push us to the brink of emotional paralysis, where we no longer feel aligned with our core objective.

This is where it becomes crucial for us to pause, reflect and replenish ourselves to maintain commitment to our mission. Not engaging in inner work leads to alienation and burnout. Just as you can't pour from an empty cup, filling our own cup enables us to help others effectively. Meaningful change starts from within; inner change leads to outer change in an interconnected process. When we embrace change within ourselves, the ecosystem we inhabit interacts with the changed “self”, and this change percolates into other members of the ecosystem as well, paving the way for a large-scale transformation. Our belief in broader societal transformation strengthens, making inner work a catalyst for collective change.

It is a well-known fact that the compensation offered by the social sector is extremely muted as compared to the for profit sector. But the opportunity cost in the nonprofit sector, doesn’t deter people from the corporate sector towards becoming a part of the non profit spaces. This happens because the inner churning that resides inside each of us, wants to experience self fulfillment and social transformation. The purpose of social impact is what makes them invest their time, skills, and resources into building a system which is equitable and just in the long run.?

However, with all this talk of inner work, we haven’t really asked what do we mean by inner work and intuition and how does one undertake this process?

So, let’s take a look at what it means and how it enables social transformation :?

INNER WORK

• Refers to the practice of “working” on ourselves, more specifically it is the work that compels us to sit with oneself, look inwards and engage with our core self, purpose, commitments and values.?
• Extends beyond personal growth to influence organizational settings and interactions.?
• Enhances self-awareness, helps in identifying privilege, biases, fears, unlearn societal conditioning and sit with the uncomfortable truth that we are simultaneously a part of the problem but also a part of the solution (Bumb, 2022).?
• The key to equity as you are actively unlearning and relearning, becoming friends with discomfort, holding yourself accountable and creating space for a multitude of voices.

INTUITION

• Strengthened through inner work.?
• Heightened self-awareness leads to decisions aligned with our principles and values.?
• A process firmly grounded in the understanding of the self and the world one wishes to create.?

Focusing, I recall a student from our first batch who initially expressed a desire to work after completing his 12th-grade exams. We managed to find a job opportunity for him, but he later decided against it upon returning from his village with his father. This experience left a lasting impression as I realized that despite good intentions, I couldn't convince the student's father. It prompted me to reflect deeply on how to approach similar situations differently. It was only because of inner work that I was able to see clearly the fissures in the larger system on the lines of awareness and information asymmetry that persisted in the community I was working for. That is how I came up with the idea that to address this effectively we have to sensitize and counsel all ecosystem stakeholders, especially parents. And even if things don’t pan out the way we want it to, we will have to let go. These setbacks are necessary lessons but they don’t define our journey.

Through my own journey with inner churning, I have observed that inner churning in the For-profit world, is driven by the fulfillment of a particular outcome or goal. Whereas, in the nonprofit world, churning is about digging deeper and going into the depths to identify how "you" can improve or do things differently to lead transformation in the lives of the people you are working for. It is about collaborating with your fellow practitioners and inviting them to embark on this journey so that everyone can collectively work towards change. When dealing with system(s)/social problems that will affect thousands of lives, it becomes essential to reinforce your commitment to the mission and work towards it authentically.?

As individuals involved in the social sector we are constantly thinking about how our work can meaningfully transform the lives of the beneficiaries. As we strive to do this, we must remember that inner work and outer transformation go hand-in-hand in the sector.

At Lotus Petal Foundation, we promote the following practices among our changemakers to encourage? them to engage in inner work :?

1. Mindfulness and Breathwork workshops : Changemakers and teachers are motivated to enroll in these workshops to enhance self awareness.?
2. Development talks: Creating safe spaces which encourage changemakers to be vulnerable, share, listen and learn from each other to strengthen community bonds.
3. Anonymous feedback: We arrange this at the end of each year, where every changemaker takes ownership of what is not working out and provides feedback to the organization.?

Practices like these provide space for the leadership to think through things in a beneficial manner. At the same time it also promotes a conducive environment for transparency, and promotes objectivity by analyzing the cracks in a system from multiple perspectives. Hence, it brings people together in a joint exercise to contribute towards the mission authentically.

There exists an inner voice and churning in each of us,? it may not be activated at all times but it is what makes us human. The COVID 19 pandemic had a devastating impact on the lives of the people, as we witnessed major institutions fail its citizens completely. But at the same time we saw people from different walks of life coming together to help each other. In the face of an unprecedented crisis, individuals were forced to respond to their churning, bounce back and build solidarity across the globe. However, the point is we shouldn't need a crisis situation to force us to do inner work. Instead, we must sustain this momentum through consistent practice and self-reflection. Investing in self-care practices and unlearning can strengthen collective efforts which may help prevent future crises and lead social transformation at scale.?

Transformational leadership is often associated with nonprofit leadership. However, it is equally important in the for-profit sector. While the operating process in a for-profit organization is human centric, the investment in promoting sustainable and inclusive work culture is based on trend, numbers and intensity rather than intuition and conviction. But to reap the benefits of promoting these values and seeing its impact in the long run, one must engage in deep inner work. This is because to understand the “why” behind these values, one needs to unlearn and relearn a lot of practices. To create a workplace that supports employee growth, welfare, and participation, one needs to lead by example. Therefore, inner work is imperative for fostering fair and sustainable practices in the organization. It ultimately unlocks transformational leadership in the sector, ensuring the momentum of inclusive practices is sustained in the organization.?

We would love, if you could share with us a story or instance where you engaged in inner work and saw the social transformation unfold around you.

Resources:?

https://nonprofitquarterly.org/toward-love-healing-resilience-alignment-inner-work-social-transformation-justice/

https://www.fsg.org/blog/inner-work-the-heart-of-organizational-equity-work/

?