[email protected]
Over the last 30 years John Kania has been a practitioner, researcher, writer, teacher, and speaker on how organizations and people can achieve change together. For 17 years, he ran FSG, a nonprofit consulting firm and think tank working globally across issues and sectors to support social and environmental changemakers. From 2018 to 2020, he served as an Executive-in-Residence at national venture philanthropy New Profit, co-leading the launch of a systems change practice.
As his career evolved, Kania has explored with increasing depth what it takes to achieve change collectively. In 2011, he co-authored the article “Collective Impact,” which remains Stanford Social Innovation Review’s most-read article ever. The theory and practice of collective impact has spread across the globe, honed and enhanced by thousands of practitioners and initiatives.
One of Kania’s key interests is the nature of effective leadership in complex social change. He has had the good fortune to learn from and practice with two of the most insightful leadership teachers of our time, Ron Heifetz and Peter Senge. He collaborated with both to publish notable articles: “Leading Boldly” with Ron, and “The Dawn of System Leadership” with Peter.
Most recently Kania’s practice, research and writing have focused on systems change, helping clarify for practitioners how to “shift the conditions that hold a problem in place.” Kania’s much-referenced article, “The Water of Systems Change,” (which includes the “Six Conditions of Systems Change” framework) is being used around the world today to bring clarity to systems change and to help people achieve collective potential.
Prior to his work in the social sector, Kania was a business strategy consultant at CDI and Mercer Management Consulting, with a focus on identifying shifting profit opportunities for companies. He began his career at global ad agency, Leo Burnett, where he first learned the power of narrative to inspire change.
Kania’s spiritual practice has for many years been an important dimension of his approach to social change. Recently, Kania has been a student at the Living School within the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque studying the spiritual wisdom traditions with teachers Richard Rohr, Barbara Holmes, Cynthia Bourgeault, Brian McLaren and James Finley. He has a daily meditation practice.
Kania holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA from Dartmouth College. He is an adjunct professor at Northeastern University in the Graduate Program for Social Innovation.
Related Speakers View all
Rob Acker
CEO of Salesforce.org
|
|
Kim Cameron
Professor of Management & Organizations at the Unive...
|
|
Harish Shah
The Singapore Futurist
|
|
Val McLeod
Inspirational Influencer, Empowerment Speaker & Author
|
|
Saj-Nicole Joni
Business Strategist & Advisor
|
|
Nitin Nohria
Dean of Harvard Business School
|
|
Tom Morris
American Philosopher; Corporate Advisor; Best-Sellin...
|
|
Roger Martin
Management Thinker, Author, Strategist & Advisor
|
|
Peter Diamandis
Founder & Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundatio...
|
|
Daniel Burrus
Technology Futurist, Business Strategist & Hall of F...
|
|
David Allen
Bestselling Author & Founder of The David Allen Company
|
|
Peter F. Gallagher
Change Leadership C-level Coach; Global Thought Lead...
|
|
Alex Johnson
Entrepreneur, Lecturer & Philanthropist
|
|
Bradley R Staats
Professor at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School &...
|
|
Christopher Davis
International Director of Corporate Social Responsib...
|
|
Laura Gassner Otting
Best-Selling Author, Entrepreneur, and Executive Coa...
|
|
Arun Sundararajan
Professor, Stern School of Business; Author; Robert ...
|
|
Dalila Wilson-Scott
Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer...
|
|
Cynthia Germanotta
Co-Founder of the Born This Way Foundation with Daug...
|
|
Dr. Scilla Elworthy
Founder of the Oxford Research Group
|