Social change movements have endured seismic changes in recent years. The gutting of civil liberties, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a worldwide racial reckoning changed what it means to be a leader for all of us. This has resulted in exhausted leaders, fractured movements, and a struggle to win lasting change. Worse, the rise of authoritarianism is an existential threat to progressive movement work. In times of great uncertainty, many look for strong leadership, and authoritarian actors are seizing that energy to move the country toward fascism. As we face what may be the most consequential election of our lifetimes and Supreme Court cases that will reverberate for generations, we recognize that we need our institutions and leaders to build power and protect those often left behind – low-income people and people of color.
The current and evolving threats to democracy are grave for the communities that social justice movements set out to protect and uplift. We believe that the leadership skills and capacities required to navigate these evolving threats come through deep personal transformation and evolution. Rockwood plays a crucial role in equipping leaders to meet this moment. Rockwood’s vision is to be a movement home for progressive leaders who want to enrich, enliven, and evolve cross-cause, multi-racial, multi-sectoral movements. Our efforts to work against the deep polarization that creates the conditions for authoritarianism couldn’t be more timely. Our model of transformational leadership equips leaders for these fights through personal evolution, deep relationship, network building, and strategic action. This contribution is a core element of what movements for social change need now and well into the future.
Rockwood’s approach is in high demand and we have innovated to meet that need. We have piloted and integrated more new offerings in the past four years than we did in our first twenty years. Due to participant interest, we have experienced 10% growth annually over the last 5 years, compared to 7.5% average for the sector. We have made strong investments in our internal capacity, allowing us to absorb this growth and better meet the needs of leaders.
This expansion has also increased our impact. Rockwood convenes and supports national and local leaders to strategize around the challenges to our movements. Most recently, convening the group that co-produced Maurice Mitchell’s article, Building Resilient Organizations, and launching the accompanying website that will provide resources for organizations seeking to implement the learnings from this article. Each year, Rockwood also participates in a range of public conferences and convenings, and provides private coaching and consultation to share our thought leadership more broadly.
This Strategic Plan represents the partnership of Rockwood’s team, Board of Directors and many of you. I am so grateful for your wisdom and dedication. However, this vision was truly co-created with Rockwood’s Managing Director, Bex Ahuja. Together, Bex and I practice deep and shared leadership, a model of leading that does not require me to lead alone. I am so appreciative of Bex’s partnership and support and applaud others in our movements who are exploring more sustainable, less isolating ways to lead.
As you read this vision for Rockwood, you will see our future work imagined as three interconnected sides of a triangle. The triangle is ubiquitous in the natural world, from the smallest seed to the tallest mountain. Its structural integrity is paramount, as each side leans on and supports the other to create a unified and enduring whole. The triangle of our vision is 1) Deepen Rockwood’s Social Justice Movement Impact; 2) Lead and Evolve the Transformational Leadership Sector; and 3) Advance Race Equity. The three sides of our triangle unite to ensure our ability to meet social justice leaders in this moment, and strengthen and expand the field of leadership development, all the while grounded in our vision for race equity.
In the past 24 years, over 10,000 movement leaders have benefitted from Rockwood’s programs, connecting deeply with other leaders in the process. These relationships last for decades and lead to movement wins in the real world. This amazing community inspires us to look to the future with hope and resolve. Together, we are committed to the long-arc work required to prepare, defend, and build a sustainable future for those generations to come. We’re excited to continue to evolve over the next three years and we look forward to being on this journey with you.
Thank you for being part of our beloved Rockwood community,
Darlene Nipper
CEO, Rockwood Leadership Institute
