Our Mission, Approach, and Values

WAAL exists to support nontraditional leaders and nontraditional leadership through community, reflection, and action.

We aim to help create a more fair and just society by empowering nontraditional leaders to advocate for themselves and their communities through nonhierarchical leadership.

We provide space for people from all backgrounds to come together to learn and practice both traditional and innovative approaches to leadership while developing their unique abilities and a critical consciousness that redefines leadership, including what it is and who is a leader. 

Non-traditional Leadership: We recognize that many failures of leadership result from traditional ideas about leadership. Yet we embrace the fundamental role of leaders in creating a better world, believe that everyone has leadership potential, and seek to develop new models of leadership that unite individual and collective interests. 

Non-hierarchical leadership: We reject hierarchical models of leadership, instead imagining leadership as a circle, with each of us at the center of overlapping spheres of influence that can shrink or expand based on our effectiveness as leaders and others' interest in our efforts.

Consensus decision making: We make group decisions collaboratively, with a focus on consent and shared responsibility. Read more about consensus decision making here. 

Diversity and Inclusivity: We embrace diversity and inclusivity, recognizing that leadership can and should come from every background, perspective, and experience.

Empowerment: We aim to empower members to discover, develop, and amplify their leadership interests and abilities. 

Openness, Authenticity, and Self Reflection: We encourage the exchange of ideas and experiences among members. Introspection, vulnerability, and open communication are a means for continuous improvement and growth.

Empathy and Sympathy: We aim to practice deep understanding and compassion toward others’ experiences and challenges, whether or not we share them.

Continuous Learning, Growth, and Practice: We believe leadership is a lifelong journey and support members in gaining new leadership skills and knowledge. We offer a space for members to refine and improve their leadership skills.

Service-Oriented Action: We promote mutually-beneficial service that leads to individual and community growth as a key component of leadership. Action provides the meaning and purpose of our lives. What we do is, to a large extent, who we are. 

Community and Connectedness: We aim to build meaningful relationships across differences, recognizing that collective learning and group support strengthens leadership. We also recognize that our own needs are inherently connected to those of other people and of the world we live. Therefore, we should love ourselves and love our neighbors and neighborhoods as ourselves. 

Innovation: We explore creative and non-traditional approaches to leadership and problem-solving, including new philosophies, practices, and technologies.