Transformational Leadership in Action

by Romina Sapinoso, SC, Leadership Collaborative Associate Director

I was privileged to participate on Nuns On The Bus and Friends (NOTB) tour this year with other Catholic sisters and friends from faith-based social justice organizations. NOTB and Friends is a project of NETWORK, a Catholic lobby organization based in Washington D.C. started by Catholic sisters in the early 1970s to engage in political activism to promote social justice at the federal level. From September 29 to October 4, I rode the bus for the tour's first leg, starting with a kickoff rally in Philadelphia and making our way to Connecticut and New York.  

We had delegated roles at each event as we spoke about the freedoms we advocated for so that “everyone thrives, no exceptions!” This was our tagline everywhere we went, asking those who would listen to consider healthcare, immigration, the democratic process, climate justice, gun violence, and the economy as equally sacred issues worthy of every voter’s consideration. However, what I appreciated about this experience is that apart from being able to practice leadership through our roles at each event, we also witnessed transformational leadership in action in the organizations and communities that welcomed us along the way.

The leadership that we saw made manifest for me the concepts that we so often talk about at the Leadership Collaborative – the personal work we do within ourselves as leaders, a consciousness of the systems that influence the dynamics of power and relationships in communities and organizations, and the collective work that we engage in as we try to move forward together.  

Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards of Power Interfaith (pictured here with Romina) is a leader among leaders in his Black-led community in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He recognizes that although he and his family are primarily engaged with the work of education for justice, this issue intertwines with so much of his personal experience from his past and the current reality in his community.  He spoke about our work as an extension of our experiences, so we believe in what we do.  

It was powerful to hear him reflect on how, as a young boy, he was called out by the teacher for disrupting the class even though it was for rightly standing up to another kid for calling him the N-word. He recalls the negative impact this incident had on him and how children, when they experience something like this, show up less as themselves each day. He said each day was a chore despite his academic successes and honors.  

I’m sure many of us, especially those from minority and immigrant groups, connect with this experience. Sadly, having no opportunities for some of us to recognize what happened to us and a lack of self-awareness could cause us to miss out on the chance to overcome these kinds of self-loss and become the leaders we were created to be. Rev. Dr. Edwards further challenged all of us listening to him that day, just as he regularly challenges members of his community who do not readily embrace their leadership capacity and role. He asked, “What is keeping you from becoming powerful?” This question is steeped in opportunities to dig deep within us to find crucial answers on a personal and collective level. 

Click on the image below to watch of clip of Romina at the Nuns on the Bus & Friends Kick-Off Rally in Philadelphia: