Transformational Insights: Evolution from Local to Global

08/29/23 • 27 min

I'm really excited to share some actionable advice from my recent podcast chat with Sara Nathan, the President & CEO of Amigos de las Américas. We go into the incredible transformation Amigos went through – shifting from being all about US-centric to becoming a locally-led global powerhouse driven by local vibes.

Sara's story kicks off with her days as an Amigos volunteer as a teenager in Latin America, which ignited her passion for community development and leadership. This set the stage for her current global volunteer program leadership role at Amigos.

We had a real heart-to-heart about how Amigos realized they needed to shake things up in a changing world. This lightbulb moment led to Amigos moving from just sending US volunteers to nurturing local leaders, building stronger relationships with local partners, and expanding its reach through local resources and teams. Sara shared that If Amigos had not changed to localization, they would not be relevant today and empowering young people worldwide.

“Right now, 70 young people run programming. Half are from all across Latin America, which is kind of amazing. It's an evolution.”

And as Sara explained, it wasn't all smooth sailing. Embracing change had its own set of challenges. Dealing with remote teams, reimagining programs during the pandemic, and rethinking strategies – it was all part of the wild ride. Sara made it clear that the transformation to being ready to adapt and open to constant evaluation in locally-led development was key. She credits her teams for the success.

“I give credit to our board and the teams that had the courage to envision different ways of doing programming and different ways of reimagining how we could reach our mission and purpose.”
My talk with Sara was like a crash course in continual adaptation, an ongoing need for reassessment and communication within the organization and with external partners in leadership where local partnerships lead to powerful localization.

Thank you, Sara, for sharing your transition to leadership roles and the key events that shaped your passionate leadership perspective.
Get your VIP ticket to explore this fresh approach firsthand and be part of the action. You’re invited to use the link below to join Tom Dente and me on September 15th at 1 pm ET for a locally-led development executive forum. Don't miss out!

“Right now, 70 young people run programming. Half are from all across Latin America, which is kind of amazing. It's an evolution.”

Previous Episode

Lessons from Leaders: Featured Guest Gary White, CEO & Co-founder, Water.org & WaterEquity

I had the opportunity to sit down with Gary White, an inspiring problem-solver and innovator. With three degrees in civil and environmental engineering, Gary tells of his passion for social justice began in his 20s when he became aware of the alarming statistic that 1.5 billion people worldwide lacked access to water and even more lacked access to sanitation. As an engineer with a solution-seeking mindset, he was determined to find answers.

In our conversation about his unique start, Gary shares how his seed of information was found during his early exposure to TED, a key source of inspiration. He felt like a "kid in a candy store," exposed to so many diverse ideas and perspectives that were outside the engineering domain. He continues, "To be able to sit for a few days and hear ideas and concepts from people who are doing nothing like you were doing, and yet all of those ideas could kind of be borrowed or kind of bent in your direction. I think that's where the concept of bending microfinance towards water and sanitation was. Here was this thing that was happening around the world with others, and it was completely divorced from what we were doing with water. Why does that have to be? Let's bring those things together."

Gary shares his experiences and insights on how he drew on this wealth of outside-the-box knowledge, bent it to become relevant to his work, and co-founded Water.org, a groundbreaking organization that helps finance water and sanitation solutions for individuals living in poverty.

Gary's work is a testament to the power of creativity and passion in solving complex social challenges. Quoting Thomas Edison, Gary shares, 'I feel like I've never done a day's work in my life because it's all been fun.'

I am grateful to Gary for sharing his insights and inspiring us to think outside the box when faced with challenges. I invite leaders to listen to this episode and emerge with new determination and fresh ideas.

To connect with: Water.org - https://water.org/

To connect with Gary White on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/waterpartners

Next Episode

Unlocking Your Team’s Potential

Join me for a captivating interview with Will Warshauer, President & CEO of TechnoServe.

Will’s leadership journey began as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sierra Leone. A chance encounter with a young boy named Bolo highlighted the impact of unequal opportunities, inspiring him to dedicate his career to international development and unlocking potential for people.

Will reflected on another pivotal career moment while leading a team in Pakistan. They faced delays and productivity issues. Frustration built as he pushed the team to work harder. Then, a complex issue arose, one the group was attached to, and Will experienced a lightbulb moment.

“The very same team, once resistant to change, transformed into dedicated problem solvers after being attached to a new complicated issue and taking ownership. It ignited my journey into adaptive management, understanding diverse needs, and unlocking untapped potential."

Tailoring his leadership to the unique needs and dynamics of different individuals and situations allowed Will to unlock their potential. He has used that lesson ever since.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Will learned to lead from behind. With 90% of TechnoServe’s global staff from the country where they work, Will realized that many were already accustomed to handling crises, from coup d’etats to natural disasters. Will leaned into empowering his team, granting them the autonomy to tackle challenges. The results were remarkable.

“A lot of my leadership during COVID was...really admiring and supporting our leaders around the world, who were less angst-filled and more action-oriented, and did a great job figuring out how we continue to deliver.”

During this time, Will also received feedback that his team sought inspiration from him as the CEO. In response, he initiated a weekly call where anyone could ask him about anything.

“People were incredibly frank and open with me, which helped me be the same with them. It was a real gift they all gave me and something I won't forget. It brought me a lot closer to people. There were a lot of hidden gifts in all the sadness and struggle during COVID for me.”

Lastly, Will explains why he wants “the need for [TechnoServe] to go away” through market-based approaches to fighting poverty. He issues a powerful call to action for more long-term measurement of development impact to determine what actually works and what doesn’t.

I hope you enjoy listening to this fantastic, insightful, and downright fun conversation with TechnoServe CEO Will Warshauer.