Collaborative Leadership

2024 has been a year of transition for Plainsong Farm. At the end of February our Founder and former Executive Director - Nurya Love Parish - transitioned into an exciting new role for the Episcopal Diocese. With her transition came a change in leadership at the Farm. The three current staff members (Katharine, Emily, and Mike) worked with the Plainsong Board and put in place a collaborative leadership structure where all three staff members assumed the role of co-Director. The change was a bold move away from our past structure and one that didn’t come without a lot of questions and concerns. The obvious concerns were the team’s ability to make timely and decisive decisions. It’s often challenging for one individual to make major decisions for an organization. How would it work if there are now three people giving input into how those decisions are made? Additionally, there were a lot of questions around the roles and responsibilities of each co-Director. Is everybody involved in everything? How does accountability work? If I call the Farm and ask for the Director, who will I get to talk to? 

There are obviously a lot of complexities baked into what we’re calling a “shared leadership model” or “collaborative leadership”, and we didn’t expect to have all the answers or even the right questions to ask. This is why the co-Directors have been working with a consulting group (Fun Development) over the course of the season to create a model with systems and processes that would make a collaborative leadership structure successful for Plainsong. Throughout the process we have learned a lot about each other and the dynamics of our team.  We are by no means a perfect example of collaborative leadership but we feel the model best fits the needs that the organization faces day-to-day and week-to-week. Additionally, Plainsong’s mission and values speak deeply to the themes of connection, belonging, and creativity. The work we do welcomes others into it but is really done best when it requires others to be a part of it. Caring for one’s place, whether that's a farm, a home, a church, a school, a town or city, is an act that should be done with others and is done best when everyone participates. It’s not merely that many hands make light work, although that is very helpful when the carrot beds get overrun with weeds. Rather, the work of a community, and its responsibility to care for its place, requires accountability and generosity from all its citizens. At Plainsong we attempt everyday to live into the value of connection by cultivating a place where people are needed and belong - a place where people use their bodies to tend the land, nourish their neighbors, and ground themselves in hope and life-giving rhythms. 

Moreover, we see our Shared Leadership Model as a way to build resilience into our organization. Akin to nature, diversity is a sign of resilience and long-term planning. We hope and plan for Plainsong to be here for the long-term, serving our neighbors and cultivating connections between people, places, and God. The fun part is that collaboration doesn’t start and end in Plainsong’s Leadership Team. Collaboration is a daily activity between Plainsong and our community. We’re only as strong as our partnerships and relationships to the individuals, families, organizations, and ecosystems around us. We’re honored and privileged to be working toward a world of hope and healing with so many wonderful people. And so thankful for the overwhelming support we receive each and every day. Thank you for your support of Plainsong and know that this is a place where you are needed and belong.

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