In June 2018, Independent Sector and Stanford Social Innovation Review launched Civil Society for the 21st Century, an article series featuring some of today’s leading thinkers and practitioners exploring current issues in civil society.
The latest piece is by Vu Le, executive director of Rainier Valley Corps and founder of the popular nonprofit blog, Nonprofit AF.
Jerry Garcia once sang, “Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.” For Le, that strangest of places was on a light rail, commuting home from preschool with his kids.
A simple interaction with a fellow passenger suddenly revealed the answer to a big question he’d been struggling with for weeks: What is required for successful leadership in 21st-century civil society?
The answer – which is “paradoxical” by Le’s own admission – is as unexpected as its inspiration.
