As the Community Transformation Lead at the Maxwell Leadership Foundation, I collaborate with leaders in communities worldwide to help facilitate substantial positive changes. We often receive inquiries from leaders, such as yourself, about the feasibility of community transformation.
The Maxwell Leadership Foundation utilizes the Maxwell Transformation Framework to transform cities, regions, and even nations.Below is an explanation of how, as a leadership development organization. we began working with leaders to transform their communities, followed by an overview of how this framework operates.
How the Maxwell Transformation Framework was Developed
The Maxwell Leadership Foundation is a leadership development organization. Many people frequently ask how it transitioned to creating a movement toward worldwide powerful, positive change.
Over 10 years ago, John Maxwell was working with the president of Guatemala when the president asked him if he would help him transform his country. John Maxwell accepted the challenge and turned to his team for input on how to help transform a country. They considered the effectiveness of other models around the world, and wondered if there was a model that they could implement, or if they needed to create something completely new.
The Maxwell Leadership Foundation believes that everything rises and falls on leadership. This is a concept that John Maxwell realized over 50 years ago. If everything rises and falls on leadership, then the biggest challenges and opportunities facing our organizations, cities and countries today are a direct result of those who are leading.
Over 90% of all of the nonprofits and NGOs around the world aim their efforts on helping those who are most in need. While these efforts are needed, they do very little to address the leadership and the culture shaping values that are necessary to sustain powerful, positive change.
The Maxwell Leadership Foundation works with high-level leaders who are willing to unify around good values and collaborate to bring powerful positive change. The mission is to make cities and nations a better place to live and work for everyone.
The foundation has been helping leaders tackle the biggest challenges facing their cities and nations, all while infusing the culture with the values that are necessary to sustain the change that they want to see.
The transformations seen over the years have included helping a country form a new branch of governmental oversight to address systemic corruption, changes to policies and laws, building and resourcing schools, fostering a vibrant business community, creating upward mobility within a community, and aligning community and governmental resources for greater impact.
How it Works
Need for Change
The Maxwell Transformation Framework starts with a unified need for change. Transformation has to look like something.
Imagine your city ten years from now. What would it look like if it underwent a transformation? Keep this picture in mind, comparing it to your city’s current state. If you continue on your current path, will you reach this desired future? If so, that’s excellent; continue making your positive impact. Yet, if a gap exists between your city’s current state and its ideal future, and you’re open to collaboration, the Maxwell Leadership Foundation may be able to assist.
Keep in mind, everyone doesn’t need to share the exact vision of what transformation looks like. But we are looking for agreement among leaders that a change is necessary. You may be surprised to find that some leaders are content with the status quo, and others may even prefer the way things were in the past. However, if enough high-level leaders express the desire for change and are open to collaboration with the Maxwell Leadership Foundation, we then proceed to a vetting and discovery phase.
Leadership Influence
The first image within the transformation infinity loop is that of a waterfall, symbolizing how leadership and influence flow downward. We aim to unite a substantial number of leaders from the top 10% of all culture-shaping streams of influence, collaborating to create a Niagara Falls-like impact on the community.
We’re targeting CEOs and other C-suite leaders of influential companies within the community—leaders whose influence and impact capture attention, regardless of agreement or disagreement. We’re also seeking top governmental leaders, educational leaders like superintendents of school districts, and presidents of colleges and universities.
Leaders from associations like the Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Commission are also sought after, as well as those from nonprofit and small business associations. We’re interested in leaders from the largest faith organizations in the area, leading artists, entertainers, sports legends, and media personalities.
Remember, everything rises and falls on leadership. So, we need these leaders of the community to step forward first.
Transformation Within
The second image of transformation is a heart, symbolizing that change begins within us. If we aspire for a better world and improved cities, we must first enhance our leadership skills.
During the vetting and discovery phase, we introduce the Maxwell transformation tables. The Transformation Tables methodology is the tool we use to instill the values into a culture that will sustain powerful, positive change. Ultimately, everything rises and falls on leadership. Therefore, to create a better world and improved cities, we must become better as leaders.
Create Mobility
Our next transformation image is a ladder. When leaders take the first step, they create mobility.
Regardless of your position on the ladder, if the person above you doesn’t move, it limits your ability to progress. People will only endure this leadership lid for so long before they act. In cultures where people feel like they have freedom of movement, they’ll leave that situation.
This is evident when individuals leave organizations for better growth opportunities, or when they relocate for more affordable housing, better education for their kids, or improved employment opportunities. At an organizational level, businesses may relocate entirely for better prospects. However, history shows us, if there is no perceived freedom of movement, the leadership lid will eventually lead to revolt. Our aim is transformation, not revolution.
In this phase, we’re assessing if we have leaders willing to provide opportunities for employees to participate in Maxwell transformation tables. If leaders are unwilling to open the doors to their employee base, the Maxwell Transformation Framework won’t be a viable option.
The final phase of the vetting and discovery process for the Maxwell Leadership Foundation, is where both the community and the foundation decide if they’ll continue to collaborate together. Once this decision is made we start putting the influence to work to gain traction in the community.
As illustrated, the Infinity Loop moves from influence to direction, with a crucial element of collaboration and measuring in the middle that keeps both sides in motion.
Create Alignment
The next picture of transformation is the hands. The hands represent organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and government who agree to align together around the strategic direction to make powerful positive change in the community.
Transformation Tables
Every aligned organization launches community values transformation tables, creating opportunities for broad public participation. The aim is to ensure everyone in the community has a seat at a transformation table.
This is a space where individuals are known, seen, and heard. By establishing a common language, around common values unity within the community is fostered. This begins to steer the culture towards sustainable, powerful positive change.
Bridging the Gap
The final symbol of transformation is the bridge. This signifies the journey from where we currently stand to your desired destination. However, the journey isn’t completed merely by observing the bridge; action must be taken to cross.
This action constitutes the final part of our infinity loop. The loop symbolizes the continuous nature of transformation. Measurement provides feedback regarding the impact of our alignment and actions. If we are seeing the impact we desire, we add more fuel to the fire of our strategic direction and plan, allowing it to run. If not, adjustments are made to realign the strategic plan and subsequent actions.
Powerful Positive Change
The outcome of a community transformation project using the Maxwell Transformation Framework is powerful, positive change that enhances a community making it a better place to live and work.
Archimedes once stated, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I will move the world.” However, at Maxwell Leadership Foundation, we believe in the power of leadership. We say, “Give us leaders ready to unite around good values and collaborate for the common good, and we will change the course of world history.”
If you would like to be a catalyst for change in your community, learn more by visiting the Maxwell Leadership Foundation website.
In the meantime, I encourage you to read John Maxwell’s book, Change Your World, to fuel your inspiration to become a catalyst for positive change. Because together, we can change the world.