Inspired by Katapult Future Fest 2024
To create the future we wish to see, one of thriving, connection, equality and community, we need to talk about power. We know where today’s power has come from and it is clear that the structures of power, where it sits, with whom and even how we tend to view power has outlived its use.
What do I mean by that? Power in our society is closely equated to wealth and demographics, whether for people, organisations or nations.
The richest 1% in the world own 45.8 % of all global wealth – whilst the poorest 52.5 percent hold just 1.2 percent of global financial wealth (Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2022).
The role of financial wealth needs to move from one of acquisition, hording and extraction to one that acknowledges the historical, structural drivers of wealth accumulation in the first place; and supports a different future. This is why investment that has impact and helps shape a better future is so essential. We must see capital flow to the activities that create the conditions for that future to become reality.
Currently, most wealth and power sits with the few; mostly white men of a certain age, many of whom are wonderful and well-meaning. Yet, as shown by Mary Ann Sieghart in her book The Authority Gap, we all continue to listen and rate their opinions higher than those of others. So unconsciously we are reinforcing a feedback loop that reinstates the same people in positions of power over and over again.
Many of those talk about transition of power; that they want to hand the power to the young, often to the engaged and inspiring activists we have seen emerge over the past six years. It is an admirable sentiment. Yet, I would argue that it is not as simple as ‘handing over power’ – to do so would be to continue the same zero-sum game but with new players. In fact, to create the systemic change needed we must look at power and leadership completely differently; we must change the rules of the game. Power needs no longer be accumulated and tightly held much like the wealth that has sat behind it. It needs to be distributed, spread to those with differing experiences, knowledge and drivers.
Instead of thinking about who to hand their power to, current leaders need to see that power is a dandelion and what is most needed, is for them to give up their traditional power, break the feedback loop by letting go of the need to direct where it goes, and instead, metaphorically, blow gently on the seed head and step aside.
As long as they determine the direction of the passing-on-of-power, the degenerative power structures will simply grow taller as the next generation is not given the space to reshape its relationship with power to be appropriate for current times.
But that is a big ask. It is hard to give up power without having a say as to where is goes – so what might be needed? In order to spread the seeds of power, those currently in power can help to prepare the soil for the seeds, by
shifting how they lead
who they invite to the current tables of power
creating new spaces for power constellations to emerge without them
Let’s look at each of those in turn.
Wise leaders focus not only on their own qualities as a leader, but on creating the conditions for others to flourish and lead. In a recent paper, we put forward the shifts that wise leaders will make to navigate in this time of uncertainty and time for building resilience and the conditions for a truly regenerative future. The shifts include encouraging shared leadership, displaying humility, compassion and deep listening, paying attention to lived knowledge as well as learned knowledge in decision making, creating spaces for imagination and practising of asking better questions.
Current leaders tend to determine who has a seat at the table; at Katapult Future Fest 2024, I took part in a wonderful demonstration of this over a discussion about power. Some seats were given in advance, others were open for anyone in the audience to take, and everyone could give up their seats when they felt it was time. Inspired by the quote “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair” – we discussed how those currently not in positions of power can take those seats; how it is incumbent on those who already have seats at the tables of power to advocate for others, raise questions that they cannot to share their seats when possible, and importantly make the space around the table a safe place for all to speak their truth. I suggested that perhaps we need to do away with the tables. Practically and metaphorically speaking, they instil a sense of distance between people and represent a certain behaviour, one built by power of the past, which may not be helpful for building the future. Instead having meetings whilst standing, walking and being outside may be conducive to different conversations and outcomes. One wonderful thing about the Seat at the Table session at KFF24, apart from great discussion, was that so many young women took their seats at the table with a confidence that was striking. It fills me with joy as this would not have been the case for my generation when we were in our 20s, most of us waited, quietly, hoping that if we worked hard and were useful, someone would invite us in. For most, that didn’t happen.
Katapult Future Fest is also an example of how new spaces can be created for power to dissolve and new futures be constructed, the lack of hierarchy and intentional framing to allow the mixing of all ages, geographies and interests in an informal and warm environment sees an acceleration of great ideas, connections and collaborations.
New power spaces and structures are emerging elsewhere, I am lucky enough to be part of some of these. The Hurry Up Group (HUG) – a WhatsApp based community set up during COP26 in Glasgow to accelerate societal and environmental change, through sharing of knowledge and various networks to drive innovation on all levels and to make sustainable impact. The driving force behind it is Carine De Meyere and HUG now counts a few hundred members who provide each other with a diverse support network from all over the world, both virtually and in person, sharing expertise and the important invitations to take “seats at the table”, to speak at events, contribute to initiatives, benefit from funding opportunities. This new dispersed support network allows for the emergence of new leaders and has the potential for rupturing the old structures and moving new forms of leadership onto the main stage.
Another initiative is the aptly named Project Dandelion, a women led global campaign for climate justice, encouraging women to speak up, take action, courageously and relentlessly with hope and stubbornness for a climate safe and just future. This campaign was started by a group, including someone who has held traditional power, Mary Robinson ex-prime minister of Ireland, as well as global leaders such as Hafsat Abiola. The dandelion symbol was for its resilience and presence across continents, that every part of it can be eaten and its roots are regenerative of soil – and importantly – the seeds spread widely in the wind. The campaign is going from strength to strength and more and more of us wear our Dandelion pins with pride and commitment.
Gatherings like Katapult Future Fest, and virtual networks like Hurry Up Group and Project Dandelion, created with intention to provide space and support, designed for diversity of thought and essentially for action are critical. These aim to provide space to demonstrate new forms of showing up with connection, wise leadership and will be the pathways to new, regenerative power structures for all.
Katapult Future Fest is only the starting point of people recognising this need for a shift in power relations; and provides a wonderful learning exercise in new ways of being, leading and imagining a stronger future. There is a lot of unlearning to be done by us all, as we continue to contribute to the current status quo every day. To unlearn how we show up, who we listen to, our relation to power and leadership. To look beyond the powerful, the individuals, and re-examine how the degenerative systems of power have been constructed by our current mental and physical models. And it will require new governance structures, incentives and first and foremost new, wiser leadership from us all.
Written by: Louise Kjellerup Roper, CEO Volans, Co-founder Bankers for NetZero