Innovative Leadership Services has grown out of four decades of global research and experience. In the past three-year strategic phase, it has provided facilitation, training and writing consultancies to a number of international organizations. Some of the organizations served include the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs (UNDESA), the Wagner Graduate School of New York University, the East-West Center of the University of Hawaii, the State of the World Forum, the Jean Houston Foundation and the Fulbright Specialist Program.
Consultancies have included designing a global program on slum development; preparing official papers on governance capacity development, participatory methods, and civil society and leadership; designing and facilitating global events on governance (Vienna), climate change (Brazil) and transformative leadership (Tanzania); teaching graduate courses on innovative leadership for human development; designing a Masters curriculum on training and development (Nepal) and conducting training events on social artistry. Innovative Leadership Services has an outstanding network of associates and advisers and is led by an experienced Executive Director.
Founder/Executive Director: Robertson Work
Robertson Work is an international development practitioner with 40 years experience in 55 countries. He is currently an adjunct professor at the New York University Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and founder/director of Innovative Leadership Services. He is also a Fellow of the NYU Wagner Research Center for Leadership in Action and a Fulbright Specialist.
Previously he was UNDP's Principal Policy Adviser of Decentralized Governance for 16 years at UN headquarters in New York. While with UNDP he designed and coordinated the Local Initiative Facility for Urban Environment (LIFE) in 20 countries, the Decentralizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) through Innovative Leadership (DMIL) in five countries and the global Decentralized Governance Programme. He also designed and facilitated global workshops, retreats and conferences, coordinated a global Community of Practice on decentralized governance, advised countries on their decentralization policies, conducted global research and wrote global policy papers.
Prior to UNDP, Mr. Work served in Asia and the Caribbean for 21 years as country and regional director with the Institute of Cultural Affairs (ICA), an international nongovernmental organization with UN EcoSoc Consultative status. While with ICA, he conducted research, training and local community demonstration projects promoting human development in the USA, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Jamaica and Venezuela. In the Caribbean his strategic plannning clients included Citibank, Colgate Palmolive, the Anglican Diocese of Jamaica, American-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce and the Girl Guides of Jamaica.
His work around the world has consisted of the design and implementation of leadership, organizational and community development, rural and urban development, NGO and project management, policy formulation and advice and group facilitation. He has written widely on decentralization and local governance, urban and rural development, poverty eradication and environmental improvement, the role of civil society in governance and development, capacity development and participatory methods. He previously taught at the University of the West Indies, Antioch University Graduate School of Whole System Design, the ICA Global Academy and the Social Artistry School. Mr. Work is a global adviser for the HIV/AIDS in Africa Initiative of the International Consultants and Associates. He conducted his graduate studies at the University of Chicago (CTS) and undergraduate studies at Oklahoma State University.
He and his wife, Bonnie Myotai Treace, poet and Zen teacher, live on the Hudson River north of New York City; and their two sons and one grand child live in New York and North Carolina. In addition to his "work in the world", Rob enjoys travel, music, dance, meditation, study and being with family and friends.
Network of Associates
Consulting associates come from the networks of the United Nations, the Institute of Cultural Affairs, New York University, East-West Center, Jean Houston Foundation and Integral Institute among others. (For URLs see Services and Links page)
Network of Advisers
Advisers are currently within the networks of the United Nations, the Institute of Cultural Affairs, New York University, East-West Center, Jean Houston Foundation and Integral Institute among others.
(For URLs see Services and Links page)
