Research has discovered that current methods of leadership for conservation campaigns are ineffective.
Conducted by Dr Simon Black of the University’s School of Anthropology and Conservation in partnership with the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, the research calls for leaders of conservation campaigns to follow a ‘Systems Thinking Approach’. This involves merging different elements of leadership practice and thinking to achieve a better focus on the needs of species and ecosystems, the expectations of local communities and the work of conservation teams.
The paper is available in the Open Journal of Leadership here.
Topics from the paper were raised at a Zoological Society of London’s open Science and Conservation Event, ‘Who’s going to save the world? Building the next generation of conservation leaders’. The event featured a panel of experts, including Dr Black, who addressed current leadership development to enable biodiversity recovery in the face of challenges presented by the 21st century.
A new Conservation Project Management course which includes a module addressing conservation leadership will be available at Kent from October 2014.
For more information contact Simon Black.