The Connector Project in Philadelphia did a project where the whole city was asked questions like who they most trusted. Answers to these questions led to researchers finding out who the connectors were, not who the most visible and outspoken people were, but who connected the community together.
We could advocate for this project to be run so that connectors will be in the room where decisions are made. Imagine if leadership positions weren’t decided by a single person for example, but came naturally out of finding the leaders that already exist and resourcing them, and listening to them.
This idea comes from me learning about The Connector Project at an EdClusters event by Digital Promise many many years ago, but I only now connected it to Advocacy work after the NYC Racial Justice Commission Youth Focus Group where K talked about just this concept, that it’s about connections and communities that already exist. That’s where leadershp is.