You are on page 1of 14

ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1:

Week 1 Foundations of Leadership


3 HOURS
INTRO TO MORAL IMAGINATION & CHALLENGES IN POVERTY ALLEVIATION
COURSES
WELCOME TO
+ACUMEN COURSES!
We created +Acumen to give people a meaningful way to add Acumen to
their lives and our online courses are a new way to do just that.
We want to share what Acumen is learning in the feld our knowledge and
insights, and perhaps more importantly, the values and principles underpinning
our approach with more people around the world. Were focused on changing
the way the world tackles poverty and building a world based on dignity but we
understand we cant do this alone. It will take all of us.
With 7+ years of experience running our fagship Acumen Global Fellows
Program, we see an opportunity to use online tools to scale the impact of our
traditional leadership development programs so that even more emerging leaders
can gain the skills and networks they need to improve the lives of people around
the world. And even if youre not focused on poverty alleviation, we think the
skills and tools covered in our courses are valuable to emerging leaders in any
sector looking to drive change.
Youre joining a community of 50,000+ individuals from over 167 countries
who have already participated in a +Acumen course. We want you to take
what you learn at +Acumen and apply it in your own way. Innovation could
come from anyone, and we believe that the world truly needs you to lead.
This is your invitation.
ABOUT ACUMEN
ESSENTIALS 1
This is a 6-week introductory course to give you a taste of Acumens
leadership training. The content of this course was developed based
on our experience training Acumens Global and Regional Fellows.
This course is for those who are new to the social impact space and
interested in cultivating more self-awareness as a leader and change
agent. We will touch on Acumens investment model. However, this
course is not about the impact investing space and will not provide
an in-depth look at Acumens work.
The curriculum is drawn from diverse disciplines and methodologies
with the purpose of helping you better understand yourself, the
challenges of the work of poverty alleviation, and discover some clues
for how you might develop your own leadership style to get started.
We are also excited for you to connect more closely with other like-
minded individuals in this course, so that you can start to build a
community of learners that will beneft you on your journey.
4 WELCOME TO +ACUMEN COURSES
Course Learning Objectives
Explore your own values, motivations and goals for
how you want to impact the world
Understand the different perspectives and
complexities around the work of poverty alleviation
Understand Acumens patient capital model and
its role in poverty alleviation
Understand and begin to develop the capacity for
moral imagination - the humility to see the world
for what it is and the audacity to imagine the world
as it could be
Refect on your leadership journey and the changes
you might be willing to make in the future
This Course is for You
You will get as much out of this course as you put in.
There is much about this course that will seem challenging,
which is appropriate given that this is about leadership
development. You will need to be self-motivated to make
it through all 6-weeks. Some of the exercises are designed
to push you out of your comfort zone. You will need to build
relationships with your lab group and conduct meaningful
discussions with no clear authority in the room. Many of
the issues we will discuss will not have a clear right or
wrong answer. This may seem frustrating, but as our CEO
Jacqueline Novogratz likes to say it is more important to
live the questions. We will do our best to share Acumens
current point of view on these issues, but it is more
important that you come away with your own views and
opinions. We encourage you to question assumptions,
to share your point of view and respectfully challenge
your course mates.
Lab Groups
This course is designed as a group-guided learning
experience. In order to make this structure work, youll
need a group of at least 2 (and no more than 6) people. You
can read through this curriculum but its not going to work.
The real learning happens face to face, person to person,
when you challenge yourself and those around you.
Structure
Course content will be delivered over the internet. Each
week, you will have a set of pre-readings/videos to watch/
activities to do before meeting with your lab group. Each
group is expected to meet in-person once per week to
discuss/debate the pre-work/watch a video/ participate in
an activity together depending on the week.
Lab Leader
Each week, a new member of your team will serve as the
lab leader. This person will be responsible for reviewing
the lab prep readings/videos and the lab guide thoroughly
before the weekly meeting so that they can lead the lab
discussion and activities. The lab leader will also organize
your team to bring required supplies each week. You should
coordinate with your team to schedule who will be the
weekly lab leader for each week at the start of the course.
We understand that some people are stronger facilitators
than others but we believe facilitation skills are an
important component of any effective leaders tool box;
therefore, we like to give everyone practice facilitating at
least one lab group. If youre new to facilitating check out
the tips for good facilitation weve put together on pages
6 and 7. If youre one of those people with great facilitation
skills then let them shine and support your group members
who may be newer to this by providing tips and constructive
feedback when its their turn.
Time
Youll have about one to two hours of prep work each week
to prepare for your lab group. Each lab is scheduled to take
about two hours. The only exception is Week 4 which will
require you to come up with an empathy building exercise
that takes you out of your comfort zone and likely into your
community. This exercise could take 4 or more hours and
then you will need to write a short blog post about that
experience. This is why we give you two weeks to complete
Week 4.
Calendar
You should plot your lab group meeting on a calendar
with your group. Can everyone commit to attend all of the
sessions? If not, mark dates that members might miss and
plan accordingly or reschedule
Ahas
At Acumen, we have a practice of sharing Ahas on a
regular basis. It is a way to refect on an experience and
to gain more insight into the world and yourself. An Aha
moment is a moment of clarity, a moment that touched
you, challenged you, or possibly even changed you. They
can be big or small moments, funny or sad, surprising
and inspiring. Each one is unique, personal, and we think,
worth saying out loud. Youll be asked to participate in
this practice of sharing Ahas at the end of each lab and we
encourage you to share these with the greater global group
on the course Google+ community.
5 WELCOME TO +ACUMEN COURSES
If you do not have a Google+ or Gmail account
1. Go to https://www.google.com/
2. Find the red box that says sign up at the top right
corner.
3. Fill in the required information and register for a
Google account.
4. Once you are logged into your Google account, click on
+(your name) that appears at the top left corner of
your screen. For example if your frst name is Jessica, it
will appear as +Jessica.
5. Once you have reached your Google+ profle page,
you can either upload your picture by clicking Snap
a photo/upload an image or simply move on by
clicking on the blue box that says Finish.
Now that you have an account/already had a
Google+ account
1a. Click here and Ask to join the Acumen Leadership
Essentials community. The full URL for the
community is listed at the bottom of this page.
1b. Or Look for a button that says Home at the top left of
your Google+ profle page. Scroll down the menu until
you reach Communities in green. Click on it. Within
the box that says Search for communities, type in
Acumen Leadership Essentials. Click on the button
that says Ask to join this community.
2. Wait for an email confrming you've been accepted
into the Google+ Community.
Take a few minutes to orientate yourself to the
Google+ community
1. When joining the Acumen Leadership Essentials
Community, you must read the About this
community section on the community home page.
Please be sure to also read A word from our legal
team. We know the legal stuff isn't exciting, but it's
important.
2. IMPORTANT: Since this is a private community, the
default notifcation setting is ON. If you don't want
to receive an e-mail every time someone posts to this
community. Click the Notifcations bell OFF.
3. Browse the various sections of the Google+ community
under All posts. You can view comments posted by
previous course participants as well.
Some categories that you might fnd useful include
Tips for Google+ Community
Course Calendar
Optional
We have established a Google map to visualize who is
taking this course around the world. The link to the
Google Map of course participants and guidelines for
how to participate in this dynamic map is posted under
the category Map Who is taking this course? from
the Google+ community page.
Participate in the Google+ Community
We created a Google+ community to help you see what other lab groups are doing with
the course and share what youve been up to too. Use this community to continue your
discussions online and explore the perspectives of your course mates from around the
world. Depending on your familiarity with Google+ we've outlined how you can sign
up to participate.
6 WELCOME TO +ACUMEN COURSES
Provide a safe space for the group to share At times
the lab discussions may become diffcult. People may
share experiences that are particularly painful or
scary. Acknowledge at the beginning of each lab that
this is meant to be as open a conversation as possible.
It is also wise to ask everyone to verbally affrm what
is said in the space stays in the space.
Open with a Check In The Check In is the initial
phase of a meeting and is really independent of the
lab content. The purpose of this is to bring everyones
focus into the room and establish the discussion
boundaries, so that right from the start you can be
clear on how everyone is feeling that day and what to
expect from each other.
One technique is to go around the group and ask
everyone to rate on a scale of 0-100% how present they
feel. Are they only 75% present because they had a bad
day at work and are still mulling over what their boss
said? Or are they 100% present because theyve been
looking forward to this discussion all day.
Encourage storytelling people love stories and they
are far more likely to remember information they hear
in a story than as a recitation of facts. Encourage your
lab mates to share their stories, and share your own.
Opening up and a willingness to be vulnerable will
often create a greater willingness in your lab mates to
reciprocate and share their own stories. It builds an
atmosphere of mutual trust.
Allow each participant to come up with the answer
themselves These discussions are not intended to
feature a lecture. Instead, your goal as the facilitator
is to help participants and yourself to fnd your own
voice with in the discussion. You dont need to provide
the solutions. Everyone in your group has access to
wisdom and can help teach each other as well as teach
you. A good facilitator helps fnd those with the seeds
of wisdom in the room and allows them to grow. The
key is not to judge, not to impose your own opinions
and not to dominate the conversation.
Improvise Facilitation is not about following the
script. While we provide a series of topics, questions,
and activities, let the conversation guide the group.
Feel free to add your own questions or explore
ancillary topics and lines of discussion. You all have
your own experiences, knowledge, and wisdom that
will enhance these discussions. Use these topics as a
starting point, and make the conversation your own.
Dealing with diffcult group dynamics There will
be times when you will be faced with challenging
situations, either from individuals or from the group.
If you can learn to embrace these situations, and
work with them, they can be powerful experiences for
learning and growth. The following, taken from The
Facilitators Guide to Participatory Decision Making
by Same Kaner, gives some typical challenges, with
suggestions for how to deal with these.
Tips for effective facilitation
7 WELCOME TO +ACUMEN COURSES
Problem Common Mistake Effective Response
Highly vocal member
dominates discussion
Trying to control this person excuse me XXX do
you mind if I let someone else take a turn?
If one person is overparticipating everyone else
is under-participating, so focus your efforts on
the under-participators and encourage them to
participate more. Ask: How do the rest of you feel
about this? or break into smaller groups.
Fooling around in the
midst of a discussion
Trying to organize by saying ok, everyone,
lets get refocused.
Aim for a break as soon as possible. People become
undisciplined when they are overloaded or worn
out. After a break it will be easier to re-focus.
Low participation by
entire group
Low participation can create the impression
that a lot is getting done quickly, so the facilitator
assumes that things are going well and does
nothing.
Change from large group open-discussion to
something else, like idea listing, or working in
smaller groups.
Two people constantly
having a personal battle
Focusing on two individuals and trying to
resolve confict. A lot of time can be wasted
trying to resolve confict between two people
who have no intention of agreeing.
Reach out to other members and ask who else has
an opinion on this? or lets step back a bit are
there any other issues that need to be addressed.
Remember dont focus on the dominant
minority, but on the passive majority.
One or two silent members
in a group whose other
members participate actively
XXX, you havent said anything yet. Whats your
view? Can make the person feel put on the spot
and so retreat further into silence.
Break into small groups, to allow the quieter
members a greater chance of speaking up.
Minimal participation by
members who dont feel
involved/interested in the
particular topic
Ignore it, and act as though silence means consent.
Be thankful that they are not making trouble.
Look for an opportunity to have a discussion
on Whats important to me about this topic?
Have people break into small groups to discuss.
This gives everyone a chance to consider their
own stake in the outcome of the discussion.
Quibbling about trivial
issues/ procedures
Lecture them about wasting time Have the group step back from the content and
talk about the process ask them what is really
going on here?
Someone becomes strident
and repetitive
At lunch, talk behind the persons back.
Confront the person during the break,
and then be surprised when you see their
anxiety go through the roof when you resume.
People repeat themselves because they dont feel
heard. Summarize the persons point of view until
s/he feels understood. Encourage participants to
state the views of the group members whose views
are different from their own. People just want to
feel heard, not necessarily that everyone must
agree with them.
This document contains all the materials you will need for Week 1:
WELCOME TO
ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1:
Introduction to Moral Imagination &
Challenges in Poverty Alleviation
Objectives:
Become familiar with the lab format and get to know your lab group
Understand and articulate your personal values, motivation and
purpose for taking this course
Understand what leadership means to Acumen
LAB
Do this with your lab group
Estimated time: 2 hours
Pages: 1014
PREP
Do this on your own before
meeting with your lab group
Estimated time: 1 hour
Page: 9
ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1 Week 1
9
Context
At Acumen, we believe self-awareness and the practice of
internal introspection are vital to the success of a leader
and that understanding your core values, purpose and
mission help you anchor your life.
This course will bring up tough issues and you are likely to
emerge with more questions than answers. This is okay. In
the words of the poet Rainer Maria Rilke, it is important to:
So we begin by having you better understand your self.
Lab 1 is all about exploring your motivations for joining
this course and the question of what leadership means
to you.
Read and Watch
1. A manifesto by Acumen
(http://bit.ly/Acumenmanifesto).
New to Acumen? (http://acumen.org/about/)
2. No Ordinary Leaders by Rutendo Change
(http://bit.ly/Rutendo)
3. Inspiring a Life of Immersion Jacqueline Novogratz
TED Talk. (http://bit.ly/LifeofImmersion) If your
internet connection does not allow you to stream
video, you can read a transcript of her talk.
(http://bit.ly/LifeofImmersionText)
Refect and Write
1. Acumens manifesto serves as a moral compass for the
kinds of leaders we hope to be and to refect the values
of leadership required in an interconnected world.
What are the key components of your moral compass?
What people, places, and ideas have infuenced the
development of your moral compass?
2. What are the moments or turning points in your
life that have infuenced your beliefs? (Youll be doing
an activity based-off this refection during your lab
group meeting)
3. Why drew you to this course? What are your personal
objectives or takeaways for this course?
We look forward to hearing more about your frst lab!
try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked
rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Dont
search for the answers, which could not be given to you now,
because you would not be able to live them. And the point
is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then,
someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even
noticing it, live your way into the answer.
1 HOUR PREP
ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1 Week 1
10
Lab leader, please welcome
everyone to the very frst lab
group and guide the group
through the following
activity and discussion
questions. Appoint one of
your lab mates to be time
keeper for this session.
Introductions: Life Maps
45 min 1 hour depending on the size of your group
Course Logistics
20 min
Group Discussion
35 40 min depending on the size of your group
Ahas
15 minutes
Preparing for Week 2
5 min
A printed or electronic copy of this Lab Guide
Enough sheets of white paper for each lab member
Black/colored markers/pens/pencils (enough for each lab member)
Tape (optional)
Something to keep time with
Agenda
Materials
1
2
3
4
5
2 HOURS LAB
ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1 Week 1
11
Welcome to your frst lab! In order to break the ice and help you get to know each other,
you are each going to make a LIFE MAP.
But a life map is different from a
normal map because you can make
it look like whatever you want it to
look like...
it can look like a timeline, taking
you from where you were born, to
where you grew up, to where you
are now
it can look like a normal map,
retracing your footsteps across
the world and point out all the
places youve been
it can just be a collection
of pictures, showing a few
memories that are important
to you
Instructions
youll have about 20 minutes to draw your life maps, and then you will each take turns sharing your life maps with
the group (each presentation should take about 5 minutes).
you can share as much or as little as you want with your life map, but know that this is a safe space and
that no one will make fun of you for what you decide to open up about. So feel free to put down as much
as you feel comfortable sharing.
include what drew you to this course and what you hope to takeaway from it
lab leaders should have markers and paper for you to draw your maps, and if not, improvise.
you have about 20 mins to draw your maps Time keepers please set a timer or watch the clock. Ready? Get set. Go!
Next take 5 minutes to share your life map with your lab group. Once again, time keepers please set a timer or watch the clock.
A: Thats right! Its a map of your life!
A life map is just like a normal
map that
helps you understand where
you are by thinking about where
youve been and also helps you
fgure out how to get to where
you might want to go next
tells you about the major
landmarks and buildings or in
this case a map of your life tells
you about the major landmark
events in your life
tells you about the places you
came from, a map of your life
tells you about the country/
culture/family you came from
Q: Can anyone guess what a life map is?
The most important thing about
your life map is that it tells a story
no two people in this room are
the same and we each have a
unique and special story about
our lives
we each have had a different
journey that has brought us here
together today, and by learning
from each others stories and
experiences we can learn more
about the world
when we share stories we become
more connected because we learn
about the things that make us
both different and similar
feel free to include on your life
map your happiest moments or
moments where you were sad...
Your proudest achievements but
also things that you might regret
1
INTRODUCTIONS: LIFE MAPS
45 min 1 hour depending on the size of your group
ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1 Week 1
12
2
The lab leader should guide this discussion. This course
has a group-guided learning structure and will be most
successful if you follow as closely as possible to the
guidelines below. Discuss each of these guidelines and
determine if there will be any problems and map out
potential solutions.
Time
Youll have about one to two hours of work each week to
prepare for your lab group.
Each lab is scheduled to take about two hours. The only
exception is Week 4 which will require you to come up with
an empathy building exercise that takes you out of your
comfort zone and likely into your community. This exercise
could take 4 or more hours and then you will need to write
a short blog post about that experience. This is why we give
you two weeks to complete Week 4.
Calendar
You should plot your lab group meetings on a calendar
with your group. Can everyone commit to attend all of the
sessions? If not, mark dates that members might miss and
plan accordingly or reschedule.
Lab Leader
Each week, a new member of your team will serve as the
lab leader. This person will be responsible for reviewing
the lab prep readings/videos and the lab guide thoroughly
before the weekly meeting so that they can lead the lab
discussion and activities. The lab leader will also organize
your team to bring required supplies each week. You should
coordinate with your team to schedule who will be the lab
leader for each week at the start of the course.
COURSE LOGISTICS
20 minutes
Set group norms
We recommend that your group takes a moment to set a few
rules or norms for how you would like the weekly meetups
to function. One way to start is with a pen, a piece of paper
and a group brainstorm. Here are some questions to get you
going:
How can you structure the weekly meeting to ensure
that an environment of mutual trust and respect is
created?
How should feedback (both positive and negative) be
communicated so that each individual and the group
get the most out of it?
Are there other rules that you can think of which will
make the weekly meetups run more smoothly?
Sharing
Weve created a Google+ Community where youll be
asked to post updates from your lab group meetings and
learn what other groups around the world are discussing
and doing. See page 5 for instructions on how to join the
community.
Pick a group name
Your group should select a name. Have fun with the name
and choose something that is distinctive and represents
your lab group. Youll use this group name to post updates
to the Google+ community
ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1 Week 1
13
GROUP DISCUSSION
35 40 minutes depending on the size of your group
3
In the lab prep you were exposed to several voices from
the Acumen community speaking about leadership.
What do you think leadership means to Acumen?
What was new to you? What surprised you? What are
you still puzzled about?
How does this compare to what leadership is to you?
What are the qualities/characteristics leaders you look
up to possess?
Acumen decided to write a manifesto, which we asked
you to read, to help guide us through the tough decisions
around investing in companies and leaders daring to
serve the poor in genuine, empowering ways. It is an
aspirational document, a moral compass to ground us in
the kinds of leaders we want to be.
What are the key components of your moral compass?
What people, places, and ideas have infuenced the
development of your moral compass? (Share and
discuss similarities and differences among your group)
What kind of leader do you aspire to be?
What are some of the barriers/challenges to becoming
the leader you want to be at this moment?
What do you all think are effective ways to overcome
these barriers going forward?
ACUMEN ESSENTIALS 1 Week 1
14
AHAS
15 minutes
PREPARING FOR WEEK 2
5 minutes
4
At Acumen, we have a practice of sharing ahas on a regular basis. It is a way to refect on
an experience and to gain more insight into the world and yourself. Take 12 minutes to
think and write down your aha: a key takeaway, a new perspective, a memorable comment
or question, or a parting thought from this lab. Then share your aha with the group. If you
are struggling to come up with an aha, heres a question to help you: If you were to tell your
friend about this experience tomorrow, what would you tell them?
5
1. Report your participation
(Individuals) In order to be eligible for a Statement of Accomplishment at the end of the
course, you must individually report your participation each week. Please complete your
Lab 1 report (This will take you less than 5 minutes) (http://bit.ly/AE12014Q3ReportLab1)
2. Choose your lab leader for next week
3. Confrm the time and location for next weeks lab meeting
4. Dont forget to
Join the Google+ Community if you havent done so already
(http://bit.ly/ALEcommunity)
Share your individual Ahas from Week 1 and/or any photos from your Lab 1 meeting
on the Google+ Community under the discussion category Lab 1. Feel free to share
your team name, group norms, and answers to any of the discussion questions too.
Browse the Google+ Community posts from other participants around the world
Have a great week!

You might also like