Confession:  This was a post I started to write 4.5 months ago, and I am just now finishing, as we welcome our beloved Executive Director D’Lynn Jacobs back from parental leave.

The initial ask was to write a post about who I am as a leader so the Open Horizon family would know a bit more about who was stepping into the Acting ED role. Perhaps the absence of the post modeled who I am more than a post then would – I am a leader who hates talking about myself or being in the spotlight!

What I do love to talk about though, is leadership that is focused on embodying values and creating environments that are liberatory and joyous while achieving the mission.  So the single most important question I could ask D’Lynn prior to her leave did not have to do with a laundry list of to-dos but rather – What were the most important values that we needed to model as an organization while she was away? Organizational culture and values are the most important drivers to get right for me, because this is what grounds our integrity and fuels mutual trust and connection. Her answer was one that has guided my brilliant colleagues, Cristina and Erin, and me these last 4.5 months. Love and Abundance.

D’Lynn shared she viewed love and abundance as two ends of a rainbow.  On one side, there is love – it anchors our intentions, guides and fuels our hope, and is expansive and generative.  On the other side is abundance.  D’Lynn reminded me that abundance must be made real through action.

So as I look back at the last 4.5 months I have been able to reflect on the question: what has love and abundance looked like Open Horizon style?

Love, Open Horizon style, comes alive by centering our partner leaders, listening deeply to their needs, respecting their wisdom and trusting they know what is best for their communities.

Love has been removing “administrivia”, a term I use to refer to layers of bureaucracy that often add administrative burdens on lean, resourced stretched people, and muddies any perception of trust or the belief that communities know their needs best.

Love has been reminding our partner leaders and communities that rest is essential, and that even in the midst of so many needs, “tireless” need not be a badge of honor, but a signal to slow down, and turn attention to the care of self and team and look to additional supports in the communities as no one does this alone.

Love values boundaries, not the absence of them.

Love takes power differentials into account and gives space for our partner leaders to say how a behavior or action should be re-examined.

Love is not the absence of discomfort, but rather the presence and tenacity to work through discomfort or uncomfortable truths to create a more equitable outcome.

And love is also unbridled joy, ease and rest, particularly for communities at the margins.  As I write these examples numerous partners and communities come to mind.

And then there’s abundance. What does abundance look like from an Open Horizon perspective?

Abundance looks like tending to a scarcity mindset, and importantly delivering on our promises that make abundance a reality. Timely funding, closing loops, asking about what an organization’s dream is and then walking alongside to see how to make that possible, whether via Open Horizon or our collective network has been how we model abundance.

Abundance has taken the form of gathering people in community, offering opportunities to skill-up and team up in solidarity.

Abundance has looked like having partner leaders achieve something that “felt like a dream”.

Abundance has looked like quite literally expanding a student’s horizon via an opportunity to travel abroad, to learn another culture, to speak another language.

Abundance has looked like accounting for our time in terms that are not solely born of to-dos, but also to-bes.

Abundance has looked like supporting our leaders with learning and coaching opportunities, particularly when their organizational budgets could not sustain them.

So while this post is a bit late, I write it now with the perspective of our team continuing to bring those values alive and the many lessons learned.  I’m grateful for the patience and grace partner leaders and colleagues have given me in the interim, as surely there are more things to finish on the to-do list.  And most of all, I’m thankful for the love and abundance all our partners pour into their communities.

Lastly, we are so happy to welcome D’Lynn back and Thunder into the Open Horizon family. We hope parental leave has also been full of love and abundance.

Written by Tina, Open Horizon Acting Executive Director/ Director of Transformational Leadership