Leadership & Lifelong Learning Task Force's Report
by Dr. Antoinette Rüegg, Chair
During this agitated term, very different tasks had to be solved.
1. Development of the PILOT Tool 2014-2021
The goal of this PILOT was to establish and test digital tools which use the unique potential and expertise of the members of our worldwide network and show the performances of BPW on all levels in a sustainable manner. Result: The following 3 tools proved successful. The Member Projects, the Collection of Titles of Club & Federation Projects and the Experts. Please find all information, reports, registrations and guidelines on the website: www.bpw-projects.org
2. A special triennium regarding leadership on international BPW level
2.1 The triennium was overshadowed by a strong conflict between the outgoing and incoming President. A never previously witnessed aggressive polarization took place, which absorbed a lot of energy of all leaders, damaging the organization.
Concerning Leadership, fighting a democratically elected President from the beginning is not very smart. If a president shows clear inabilities, it would be smarter to try to compensate for these inabilities and profit from her outstanding qualities. Weakening an elected President doesn’t make her better, on the contrary. What is the true motivation of such a behavior? For me the term was not a pleasant one, but a very impressive lesson could be learned regarding the development of a war.
Manipulation strategies could be observed and studied and what happens if beliefs and stories replace facts and constitution. Everything can be twisted in a very impressive manner and followers can be found.
2.2. Special Tasks
At their Executive Board Meeting in Bangkok in October 2018, in place of the Final Congress Accounts 2017 the Executive Board Members received different papers like budgets, invoices and a unfinalized profit loss statement for decision-making. For making a fact-based decision, papers have to be clear and therefore I analyzed them which took me several days. The result was very impressive. The investigated papers and a summary of my analysis (12 points statement) are published on YouTube and on a website (with passcode).
3. BPW International Leaders’ Summits 2018 & 2019 in New York
Both Summits were fully booked. The first day was dedicated to BPW leadership topics, the second day to projects. The preparation work was done by a closed Facebook group.
4. Website and Digital Tools
Please find all Taskforce information on the website.
The learning and the exchange of experiences by use of digital tools will become more and more important. A webinar sequence is in process of planning.
A big thank you to our webmaster Ursula Schmid who offers us her services for free.
5. Task-force Members from Europe
They obviously decided to go their own track. In a voluntary working context, it is important to let people do what they are motivated to do. Not having received any information I thank them for their commitment and wish them success and satisfaction.
Report 2017-2020 / Workbook p. 59
