Facilitator: National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), the Philippines
This training session is part of the series of training programs under a broader theme “Empowered Leadership, Thriving Cooperatives: Strengthening Governance for Better Tomorrow” organised by ICA-AP as a part of ICA-EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement (FFPA2) to equip cooperative leaders with the skills and knowledge necessary to navigate the complex challenges of the modern world. The training will focus on enhancing leadership capabilities, tools, and strategies necessary to lead effectively, promoting good governance practices, and ultimately driving cooperatives toward sustainable growth and success.
Rationale for Session on Cooperative Leadership for Social Impact:
Leaders in cooperatives play a transformative role in the lives of the members and in the community by embodying the values and principles and community engagement. They are tasked with creating a culture of inclusivity, excellence, and participation, which is essential for addressing social and economic challenges effectively.
Through their commitment to ethical practices and good governance, cooperative leaders inspire trust within their organizations that lead to greater productivity and continuous development. This trust is foundational for mobilizing collective action towards sustainable development goals. Effective co-op leadership is about guiding others toward a common vision while ensuring that everyone feels valued and included, amid the challenges of the BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear, and Incomprehensible) world.
How can co-op leaders lead with impact, ensuring both the achievement of economic and social goals? How can they promote and exemplify the cooperative identity amid cut-throat competition? What skills are necessary to lead with purpose and impact and to leave a legacy of excellence and servant leadership? All these will be explored through the insights, experiences, and expertise of our resource person, as well as through the exchange of perspectives and reflections among the participants.
Session Objectives:
● Present the leadership skills that create social impact by identifying key leadership skills necessary for driving social change and promoting cooperative values and principles amid the BANI world.
● Present ways on how to develop a culture of excellence, innovation, empathy and inclusivity
● Create actionable plans for leadership development by developing personalized plans for enhancing leadership capabilities within participants’ respective cooperatives, focusing on continuous improvement and capacity building.
Session Flow:
1:30 – 1:40 Welcome and introductions
1:40 – 1:55 Icebreaker and unfreezing activity based on the topic
1:55 – 1:57 Presentation of the Resource Speaker
1:57 – 2:15 Leading with Purpose and Impact
2:15 – 2:30 Leadership Skills that Create Social Impact
2:30 – 2:50 Leadership and Building the Culture of Excellence, Innovation, Empathy and Inclusivity
2:50 – 3:00 Action Planning for Leadership Development
3:00 – 3:15 Q and A
3:15 – 3:30 Closing Remarks and Evaluation
Resource Person:
Ms. Lecira V. Juarez, a cooperative practitioner with over 40 years of experience. She has extensive exposure to cooperative work and services in various capacities, including as a cooperative staff member, manager, and leader.
As a young woman leader, she broke the glass ceiling of male dominance in the boardroom by becoming the first Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Mindanao Coop Federation after 36 years and of the National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO Network) after 26 years. In 2003, she won the Development International Desjardins’ World Search for Community Finance Advocate, which was largely attributed to her management and leadership skills, as well as her cooperative’s achievement in breaking the world record for operational self-sufficiency through the implementation of Freedom from Hunger’s Savings and Credit with Education (SCWE). Additionally, she served as an EXCOM member of the Asian Women in Cooperative Development Forum (AWCF) and has gained various cooperative and credit union experiences in countries such as the USA, Europe, Canada, Japan, Russia, Germany, Finland, Australia, and across Asia.
She currently consults for cooperative legislators, state banks, and government corporations on cooperative development issues. Lecira was also a member of the UN Expert Group involved in the United Nations’ declaration of the International Year of Cooperatives under UNDESA. She is a certified Development Educator for Asia and Australia and an accredited Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas in its CSF Program.
Notably, she was the youngest Chairperson ever appointed to the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), the government’s regulatory body of the cooperatives in the Philippines.
Currently, she serves as the Managing Director of Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Associations Center for Training and Research in Rural and Agricultural Banking (APRACACENTRAB) and is a consultant to the Cooperative Development Office of the City of Taguig.
