Even if the Global Goals are part of a holistic approach towards a systemic response to crises, we need to identify which of them are the truly “leaders ”.

A difficult task as there are strongly connected: from poverty to decent work and economic growth, sustainable cities and communities to innovation, reducing inequalities to peace, justice and strong institutions, climate action to responsible consumption and production, etc.

These link among the Goals exposure the need for a leading goal to make it happen: SDG17 Partnerships. Is it so that the idea of connecting individuals and institutions is not only in terms of a specific goal but also of mainstreaming the work among the own goals harmonically, with a results-driven strategy and capacity to move towards holistic results.

We are used to work through networks but not within a philosophy of partnerships in which holistic and multi subject approaches force the organizations to reshape their own working codes internal and externally.

Now, are leaders enough prepared?. Many experts have created an idea of isolated compartments in which, green, humanitarian aid, cities, environment or peace are different subjects and limited parts, however, from the same “building”. Is for this reason that SDG 17 becomes the clue for achieving the rest of the goals, not just as one goal in itself. Although it represents a great pillar is it also, a great challenge.

Indeed, partnerships: political-citizens, private-public, leaders-society, habits-rules, innovation-traditional codes, NGO´s-consultants, etc. are all relationships that need to be addressed from a different focus.

Current working codes challenge the capacity for making successful and innovative partnerships. In addition, the own institutions are not prepared to build bridges openly and flexible but to “work towards SDG´s individually considered”. This new stage of the world demands not just work for it, but innovate, change and create new rules for new relations and new mechanisms of working. Is it not just about working but also of how we do it and how we feel towards transforming structures and people´s attitude.

Working without emotional bias and sense of competition and closed groups its a truly challenge that demands a different attitude and structures; current bureaucratic organizations doesn’t allow for working openly for partnerships but to make specific alliances on a delimited space, timing and subject.

 Partnerships are not only about institutional and bureaucratic relationships but innovative links including institutions-individuals and management of social media. In the end an open mind its key and comes from wise leaders.

A careful selection of people its extremely important to be able to get to professional relations widely open and with a sense of working interconnected within a diverse range of actors. “Polluted” traditions are a truly challenge as well as the own biased professionals that see on their position a place for competition and not of interaction.

Individualism is one of that biases that on institutional terms should be replaced by joint action and a new leadership. That is definitely a matter of a serious change of organizational culture.

We are moving faster towards a high technology system, however without human resources with capacity to work accordingly to that “high speed” of innovative connections.

SDG 17 it s much more than one more of the goals but marks a new era of building structures within flexibility and resilience.

Institutions must be open to connect and share without sense of competiveness or bureaucratic rules, moving beyond the own selfish will for making your institution/business/goals successful. Is precisely a new wave of institutional relations that will make Global Goals succeed faster and effectively.

Re-educating leaders -institutions- towards the fulfillment of Global Goals by building values around interconnection, openness and flexibility.

Just innovative partnerships……

* Connections, Marsha Glickman