The Grand Challenges for Social Work John Devaney

The Grand Challenge(s) for Social Work John Devaney Ph. D Centenary Professor of Social Work

Popular Myths About Leadership • Everyone can be a leader • Leaders are born, not made • Leaders deliver better results • People who get to the top are leaders • Leaders are great coaches

Leadership • How can you lead effectively? • What role do vision, energy, authority and strategic direction play? • What personal qualities and attributes can support the leadership role?

Authenticity Self Awareness: An ongoing process of reflection and reexamination by the leader of his or her own strength, weaknesses, and values Relational Transparency: Open sharing by the leader of his or her own thoughts and beliefs, balanced by a minimization of inappropriate emotions Balanced Processing: Solicitation by the leader of opposing viewpoints and fair-minded consideration of those viewpoints Internalized Moral Perspective: A positive ethical foundation adhered to by the leader in his or her relationships and decisions that is resistant to outside pressures Goffee and Jones (2006)

How do leaders demonstrate authenticity? Three critical elements: ØConsistency between words and deeds ØCoherence in role performance (real self) is displayed in different roles to different audiences at different times ØLeaders have a ‘comfort’ with self – have a clear sense of who they are and where they come from

Achieving Coherence in Leadership • Know and show yourself – skilful self-disclosure • What works for you (e. g. voice, accent, clothes, special skills) – Tony Blair used a casual dress & informal style of business • Avoid being cut off from your followers • ‘Quiet leadership’ - modest leaders can achieve great things • ‘Listen to learn’ - try things out and get feedback

Caring to Change - How compassionate leadership can stimulate innovation in health care Inspiring Vision and Strategy Positive Inclusion and Participation Enthusiastic Team and Cross. Boundary Working Support and Autonomy for Staff to Innovate West, Eckert, Collins and Chowla (2017)

Compassion Attending - paying attention to the other and noticing their suffering Understanding - what is causing the other’s distress, by making an appraisal of the cause Empathising - having an empathic response, a felt relation with the other’s distress Helping - taking intelligent (thoughtful and appropriate) action to help relieve the other’s suffering

Attending Helping Compassion Empathising Understanding

Collective Leadership The arguments above imply a collective approach to leadership, which means leadership of all, by all, for all: • everyone taking responsibility for ensuring that there is high-quality, continually improving and compassionate care • shared rather than dominating leadership in teams • continual development of teamworking • interdependent leadership with leaders working together across boundaries, prioritising patient care overall, not only in their area of responsibility • a consistent approach to leadership across organisations, characterised by authenticity, openness, curiosity, kindness, appreciativeness and, above all, compassion.

The 12 Challenges • Ensure healthy development for all youth • Close the health gap • Stop family violence • Advance long and productive lives • Eradicate social isolation • End homelessness • Create social responses to a changing environment • Harness technology for social good • Promote smart decarceration • Reduce extreme income inequality • Build financial capability for all • Achieve equal opportunity and justice

Emerging Questions 1. What are the implications of the Grand Challenges for educating future social workers and preparing emerging social work scholars? 2. What strategies will be effective in translating Grand Challenges aspirations into real-world action and impact? 3. How do we use the Grand Challenges to better communicate the value and importance of social work in a challenging economic and political environment? 4. Who will be our allies and what alliances should we form?

J. Devaney@ed. ac. uk @JDev 65

Key References Baron, S. (2017) Grand challenges for social work. Critical and Radical Social Work, 5(2), 197205. Denis, J. L. , Langley, A. and Sergi, V. (2012). Leadership in the plural. Academy of Management Annals, 6(1), 211 -283. Devaney, J. and Spratt, T. (2009). Child abuse as a complex and wicked problem: Reflecting on policy developments in the United Kingdom in working with children and families with multiple problems. Children and Youth Services Review, 31(6), 635 -641. Goffee, R. and Jones, G. (2006) Why should anyone be led by you? : What it takes to be an authentic leader. Harvard Business Press. West, M. , Eckert, R. , Collins, B. and Chowla, R. (2017) Caring to change – How compassionate leadership can stimulate innovation in health. London, The Kings Fund.