The document discusses the challenges of leadership and outlines several "I" factors that leaders must consider: Integrity, Inquiry/Ideas, Inspiration, Innovation/Initiatives, Interests, Implementation, and Institution-Building. It also discusses qualities of effective leadership like being insistent, introspective, innovative, and integrative. The document advocates "being the change you want to see" and outlines paradoxical commandments for leaders such as succeeding despite gaining enemies and helping people even if they attack in return.

1. LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES: DR. NEREUS ACOSTA CONNECTING THE I’S SEPTEMBER 2007

2. LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES INTEGRITY

3. INQUIRY/IDEAS WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW? WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT IDEAS DRIVE OUR GOALS? WHAT KNOWLDEGE BASE DO WE HAVE OR NEED TO DEVELOP? HOW DO WE BUILD CAPACITY?

4. INSPIRATION WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO? WHAT DO WE BELIEVE IN? WHAT IS OUR PURPOSE? WHAT IS OUR VISION? WHERE DO WE DRAW ENERGY, INNER DRIVE TO DO THE THINGS WE DO?

5. INNOVATION/INITIATIVES HOW DO WE GO ABOUT DOING THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED? WHAT NEW WAYS, APPROACHES, STRATEGIES, TECHNOLOGIES DO WE TAKE OR USE? HOW CREATIVE, PRO-ACTIVE CAN WE BE? WHAT PARTNERSHIPS, CONVERGENCES CAN WE FORGE?

6. INTERESTS WHAT ARE THE STAKES? ISSUES? WHO ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS?/WHO ARE INVOLVED? WHAT ARE THEIR RIGHTS? HOW DO WE ACHIEVE CONSENSUS? HOW DO COMPETING INTERESTS REACH CONVERGENCE?

7. IMPLEMENTATION HOW DO PUT OUR PLANS INTO ACTION? WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT NEED TO BE EMBRACED? WHAT ARE OUR MECHANISMS FOR ENFORCEMENT? FOLLOW-THROUGH? WHO ARE ACCOUNTABLE? HOW DO WE MEASURE IMPACT? WHAT DO WE DO WHEN “THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD?”

8. INSTITUTION-BUILDING HOW DO WE SUSTAIN OUR WORK, PROGRAMS, PROJECTS? HOW DO WE STRENGTHEN SYSTEMS AND MAKE THEM SUSTAINABLE OVER THE LONG TERM? HOW DO WE STRENGTHEN GOVERNANCE? HOW DO WE CONSTRAIN ABUSE OF POWER, BUILD TRANSPARENCY/ ACCOUNTABILITY? HOW DO WE BUILD TRUST WITHIN THE SYSTEM?

9. INTEGRITY INTEGRA – WHOLE, SOLID SOCIAL TRUST, SOCIAL CAPITAL – LEADERS AND CONSTITUENCIES SHARE A COMMON VISION, TRUST ONE ANOTHER, DRAW INSPIRATION FROM WORKING TOGETHER

10. LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES INTEGRITY ENABLING FACTORS DISABLING FACTORS FREEDOM, DEMOCRATIC CONSENSUS-BUILDING, RESOURCES CORRUPTION GREED ENVY POVERTY ANTI-DEMOCRACY

11. LEADERSHIP AND TENSION/RESISTANCE LEADERSHIP as the management of tensions, building muscle when pain is greatest. Leadership is formed and tested not in times of convenience or comfort but in times of controversy and conflict. (Martin Luther King) taking the ‘difficult right’ over the ‘easy wrong’

12. QUALITIES/ATTRIBUTES OF LEADERSHIP Insistent -- persistence/perseverance, self-sacrificing Introspective – self-critique, would not run away from fear, self-doubt Innovative – stepping out of comfort zones, conventional ways of thinking, seek impact Integrative – interfacing/holistic, ‘the forest for the trees’, looking for new connections, linkages, global-local - ‘glocal’ approaches

13. Intuitive – faith, simplicity, humanism, inner strength, deep inspiration, life of example Be the change you want to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi

14. PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered. LOVE THEM ANYWAY. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. DO GOOD ANYWAY. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. SUCCEED ANYWAY. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. DO GOOD ANYWAY.

15. PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS Honesty and frankness will make you vulnerable. BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. THINK BIG ANYWAY. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. FIGHT FOR THE FEW UNDERDOGS ANYWAY.

16. PARADOXICAL COMMANDMENTS What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. BUILD ANYWAY. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. HELP PEOPLE ANYWAY. Give the world the best that you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST ANYWAY.

17. Leadership can be exhausting, thankless, frustrating, difficult. BE LEADERS ANYWAY.