Martin Harper
In the last few days, storms Dudley, Eunice, and Franklin have battered Western Europe, bringing record-breaking winds. Next week (28 FebruaryThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will publish its latest report on climate changes impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability. It is expected that the new report will be alarmingly different from the one the UN Secretary General stated was useful. Code Red for humanity.
Additional turbulence is also being felt in the east side of our continent, with the threat to war. All this is happening as the world takes tentative steps to lift restrictions imposed in the Covid 19 pandemic.
This is the context in which conservation organizations operate.
For some NGOs, whose operational space is severely constrained by political actions beyond their control, their very existence could be at risk.
It’s no surprise that environmental leaders are often talked about resilience. optimismWe need staff, supporters, and funders who can continue to tackle the climate emergency with the creativity and vigour that is required; and the resilience to be able make sense of the risks and opportunities available to help us take smart decisions even when faced with extreme adversity.
Without the support of family, friends, and colleagues, few leaders can be so resilient. It is why BirdLife is so important. Leaders need support, advice, and fresh perspectives. BirdLife Partners have been reaching out to other leaders in financial distress due to the pandemic’s economic shock; they have helped to find new funding opportunities for our developing Partners; they have even offered support for Partners whose very existence may be at risk; all the while continuing to collaborate to deliver transnational conservation projects as well as to discuss our regions strategic priorities over the next five years.
It is a unique community that displays the kind of solidarity, friendship, and cooperation required to fulfill the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Most conservation leaders I know draw inspiration from others and are role models for their organizations. I probably have taken traits from each of my 25-year-old colleagues and learned from them what works and what doesn’t. The extensive research on leadership that has spanned countless books and articles can provide further inspiration. I tend to choose messages that are consistent with my preferences, and I have been drawn to the framework. Jim CollinsHis analysis of what makes organisations successful (primarily corporate, but the lessons can be applied to not-for-profit) has provided valuable insight. His ideas can help you tackle the most difficult organisational or conservation challenges.
Some of these concepts feel especially current, such as the idea productive paranoia, where leaders who are productive and paranoid are rewarded. To avoid decline and navigate turbulent times, they must accept that things can suddenly and violently change. They constantly ask “What if?” Leaders of our Partners might well ask, what if the funding doesnt come through, political change results in the government pursuing a deregulation agenda, or (and this clearly did happen) a country votes to leave the European Union? These issues can be addressed before they occur by planning ahead and putting in place steps to prepare for them. I have had the pleasure of working with paranoid individuals who were extremely productive and logical. I can confirm that their thoughts can be wildly exaggerated at times, but they are often correct. The actions they triggered have saved me time and anxiety.
The same goes for the The genius of the andEncourages people to embrace extremes while still maintaining continuity, change, discipline, and creativity. This could be a focus on nature conservation where 30% of land, sea and freshwater are protected and managed well for nature. It may also mean improving the wildlife value and protection of the remaining 70% which will be farmed. It could involve buying large areas of land for nature reserve and working to change the policy and legal framework that governs all land not in nature reserves. It could be investing in science to solve conservation problems and inspiring the next generation by connecting them with nature.
Leaders have a strong desire to make difficult decisions. These are important but the strategy and approach they choose must make sense for conservation. It is worth reading Jim Collins before you finalize any strategy.
Finally, leadership can be lonely. The BirdLife partnership reminds us, like any global conservation network, that there are a lot of conservation leaders who are willing to share their ideas, experience, and inspiration. I hope that every conservation leader who reads this will reach out to that network.
This blog is part my series. You can find my previous blog here. Do you have any comments or suggestions about what I have written? We would love to hear your thoughts. Send me a tweet to @MartinBirdLife