Equitable Leadership Lessons from CityChanger Fabian Dattner
Cracking the nut of what it truly takes to save our cityscapes requires a major shift in leadership—one that has been long overdue. Enter Fabian Dattner, a dynamic social entrepreneur paving the way for a new brand of leadership that's all about inclusivity, execution, and innovation. We sat down with her to chat about empowering more women to take the helm and creating a brighter, greener future for us all.
The discrepancy between talk and action is staggering—not just in the context of our climate crisis, but also throughout various organizations, where those at the top often don't grasp the day-to-day grind faced by project warriors on the front lines.
As a seasoned leadership consultant to hundreds of companies through her firm Dattner Group, Fabian's seen it all. She believes the root of the issue lies in a lack of understanding of what it takes in terms of leadership behavior to fully optimize the solutions we're striving to secure.
Why Leadership Crumbles
Bigger is not always better—or at least not necessarily better-led. Cracks usually appear in leadership structures around the 300+ mark, where leaders get so caught up in mapping out broad objectives that they lose sight of the nitty-gritty below-the-surface challenges.
This phenomenon extends beyond the corporate world. Broken structures can also develop within grassroots movements, once the original firebrand's vision snowballs into a colossal organization. While this growth can bring additional resources, it also ushers in rigid structures and cultural norms that stifle innovation, creativity, and the quick experimentation necessary for staying relevant.
"As that happens, you start to get passive cultures versus innovative cultures," Fabian proposes, cautioning us all to guard against entrenchment and continue fostering an environment of agentic forward-thinkers.
"Innovation is a natural human predisposition when we're trying to do something we don't have an answer for." Breaking away from established frameworks, embracing change, and giving people the freedom to learn from their mistakes are essential for nurturing a culture of innovation.
"By nature, innovation is breaking the rules."
Addressing Stagnant Leadership
Effective leadership involves more than just dictating. Rather, it's about coaching, encouraging, and inspiring people to reach their greatest potential. Good leaders have the ability to bring out the best in their team members, helping them feel valued, listened to, and empowered to tackle high-level objectives.
Fabian's mission is to restore this mode of leadership in large-scale urban transformations by providing coaching for leadership teams and implementing processes designed to facilitate big change. She encourages leaders to get real, listen to the people within their organization, and recognize where schisms may arise and why some team members feel disconnected from overarching objectives.
Communication is key in bridging this disconnect. When people feel heard, represented, and included in decision-making processes, they are less likely to feel their contributions are overshadowed by those at the top. This ultimately strengthens operational integrity and prevents the emergence of divisions, misaligned values, and petty squabbles.
Leadership Language for the Win
In a world clamoring for bold, decisive action on climate change, leaders who stubbornly refuse to act will soon face the boot. Those who are willing to heed the call and listen will be those who ultimately succeed. Fabian notes that women leaders, in particular, are exceptionally well-positioned for success thanks to their collaborative, inclusive, and legacy-focused mindset.
"Empirical evidence indicates that women are more likely to exhibit collaborative, inclusive, legacy-minded behaviors than men," Fabian acknowledges. She also points out that many women leaders instinctively adopt a more compassionate and unifying rhetoric, strengthening working relationships and fostering collaboration.
While there's been progress, leadership roles remain heavily male-dominated. "If existing powers don't relinquish their grip on power easily, we might not see parity for women worldwide for another 137 years," Fabian laments. In an effort to combat this disparity, Fabian launched a nonprofit initiative aimed at equipping and empowering women leaders.
Journey to the Frozen Frontier
Fabian's transformative leadership initiative found a surprising cradle in the icy waters of Antarctica. In a dream, she conceived a vision of transporting 100 women with STEM backgrounds to the White Continent each year aboard an expedition ship—all in the name of fostering an innovative group of women leaders who would harness their collective power to positively impact their homelands.
This vision was realized through Homeward Bound, a 12-month leadership development program culminating in a voyage to Antarctica. By nurturing a supportive environment of shared vulnerability and exploratory self-reflection, participants are free to dismantle restrictive cultural norms and rebuild a dynamic, responsive brand of collaborative leadership designed to drive equitable change. In addition to strengthening individual leadership skills, the program helps women establish a powerful global network to boost the visibility of women leaders everywhere.
The Homeward Bound program emphasizes the critical importance of engaging in difficult conversations, which Fabian admits we as a society are "appallingly" poor at navigating. The program offers participants the tools and support necessary to tackle these challenging dialogues head-on and defuse potential conflict.
"The hallmark of a difficult conversation is when the stakes are high, the stakes are far reaching, and we don't agree," Fabian explains. In such scenarios, our inability to constructively address discord can further entrench divides and undermine our collective progress.
Fabian's work continues to push the boundaries of what it means to be a transformative leader. Her tireless dedication to fostering an equitable, sustainable, and innovative brand of leadership serves as an inspiration for all those striving to create a brighter future for our cities and, ultimately, our planet.
- To save our cityscapes, a shift in leadership is necessary, one that embraces inclusivity, execution, and innovation, as pioneered by Fabian Dattner.
- Leadership inaction is disconcerting, whether it's in addressing climate change or dealing with day-to-day challenges within organizations.
- Large organizations can often struggle with leadership due to broad objectives overshadowing nitty-gritty challenges, and this issue isn't limited to the corporate world.
- Innovation and breaking away from established frameworks are essential for nurturing a culture of innovators who can stay relevant.
- Effective leadership involves more than simply dictating; it's about coaching, encouraging, and inspiring people to reach their potential.
- To tackle high-level objectives, leaders should communicate effectively, listen to their team members, and ensure that everyone feels included and valued.
- Leadership development programs like Homeward Bound, focused on women with STEM backgrounds, offer opportunities to build a supportive network of leaders committed to fostering equitable change in their homelands.
