POWER OF BLUE ECOLOGY AS A GUIDING PHILOSOPHY: “My focus on building networks by investing in relationships and community is rooted in values that closely align with those of many indigenous communities. It is about getting the flywheel going. And that is why I am collaborating with British Columbia’s Michael Blackstock,” stated Jane Wei-Skillern, network leadership thought leader
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED IN PART BELOW).
The edition published on November 18, 2025 featured four thought leaders – Michael Blackstock in British Columbia; Jane Wei-Skillern and Zbigniew Grabowski in the United States; and Serpil Oppermann in Turkey. Reflections by the latter three within this story illustrate how the pioneering Blue Ecology work of Michael Blackstock in bridging the gap between Western and Indigenous perspectives resonates with each of them.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Seed change through the power of relationships and networks – conversations with four thought leaders
“The story behind the story has three parts, with each featuring a different thought leader. Read together, the three parts paint a picture of what could be. Michael Blackstock and my conversations with the trio yielded some gems about their hopes and aspirations. In the part that follows, we feature Dr. Jane Wei-Skillern,” stated Kim Stephens.
THOUGHT LEADER ONE: Jane Wei-Skillern has a vision for seeding a culture change through the power of relationships and networks
In addition to the Center for Social Sector Leadership at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Jane Wei-Skillern has served on the faculty at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Harvard Business School, and London Business School. She has studied, taught courses and published extensively on nonprofit networks for more than two decades.
“In the early 2000s, when I was on the faculty at the Harvard Business School, I began my research into the concept of a networked approach that is more focused on network-building and trust-based relationships, and less about building an organization to get to your mission impact,” explains Jane Wei-Skillern.
WHAT A DESIRED FUTURE LOOKS LIKE: A culture fueled by the power of relationships to get to mission impact
“My hope is that we can spearhead a larger initiative which is a culture change in the conservation space to value the power of relationships and networks. This is on top of innovation in technology which is essential.”
“But if you have everybody working in silos, competing with each other for their solution to be the end all be all, we will get nowhere. This is the sensibility we are trying to promote.”
WHAT A DESIRED FUTURE LOOKS LIKE: Work is easier, more effective and more fun because people collaborate
“It is all about storytelling. Keeping things simple; not getting caught up in academic theory or jargon. Making things simple and accessible is what is going to resonate, not making it something really complicated or theoretical or something you need consultants to help you with.”
“The more we can help people understand they have the power to do what we are talking about, right now, in whatever role they are in…and the more they open their minds to it, and the more they practice and exercise those muscles…their work will become easier. It will become more effective. And it will become more fun. Shining a light on that path is what we can help to do.”
“But these seemingly soft skills are undervalued and overlooked even though they are probably the most critical component of all leadership.”
HOW TO CREATE A DESIRED FUTURE: Go beyond an article or a podcast to excite, inspire and energize people to action
“By way of background, I love nature, I care about conservation issues. After talking about what we have seen, a couple of us decided we should try do something that focusses on the conservation space and the opportunity for overlaying the relational approach on top of the innovation in technology that people get really excited about.”
People learn from and are inspired by stories
“Our original idea was to write a series of articles. That is when I realized the podcast would be a good way of telling those stories. I want to feature the network catalysts and their stories more fully because I think that is what convinces people of the power of the relational approach.”
“That led to a bigger idea which is to get more network thinking into the conservation field as a whole rather than just a one-off podcast or article. The big idea is, let’s try and seed a culture change and shift in climate conservation work that really values relationships and network approach.”
HOW TO CREATE A DESIRED FUTURE: If you can dream it, you can achieve the outcome through a tireless work ethic
“The hope is that we could build excitement, initially around an article and podcast, then potentially a book, retreats, and leadership training. If we could get support, I know so many amazing people…we could pull together retreat-type workshops THAT COULD HELP GET THE FLYWHEEL GOING.”
“We would get people on the same page, seeing and experiencing what we are talking about firsthand. And then they could go out in their roles and build that sense of community. And also have each other as a community of support.”
“That is my dream. That we can get the momentum so that we can eventually get to a larger scale culture change that has exponential growth. We plant these seeds and others go do what they are excited to do with these tools and with this approach in mind. That is what I am dreaming about. A podcast is one piece of that.”
“I am not interested in just doing an article or a podcast for the sake of those outputs. My interest is large scale change. And I want to find partners who want to do that in a significant way. That is what I am working towards. And that is why I invited Michael Blackstock (to play a role) because of his deep expertise in the Indigenous field.”
Go further, faster
“We need stories like that (for Michael) to be heard so that other people can see, oh that’s what I need to be doing. And whatever it is that I am doing, even if I have some expertise in technology or in some particular innovation, if I add this additional lens onto to my work, it is going to go so much further, so much faster.”
HOW TO CREATE A DESIRED FUTURE: People need to get along to turn problems into solutions in a changing world
“That is what I am trying to help people with, because I know it works for the nature of the work that we are talking about. If it is social change, environmental change, these go beyond the tools of your typical management consultant because we are not talking about problems at the institutional or firm level. We are talking about a macro level, system level, complex change.”
“And as long as it involves people, you need them to have strong relationships with trust. People need to get along in order to solve the problem and remove the roadblocks and overcome the challenges that are inevitably going to arise.”
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Seed change through the power of relationships and networks.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/11/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Jane-Wei-Skillern_power-of-a-relational-foundation_2025.pdf