093. Feminist Leadership in Action: A Conversation with Jayanta Bora

Summary:

 What does it really mean to lead through a feminist lens? In this episode of NGO Soul + Strategy, I sit down with Jayanta Bora, a seasoned People & Culture expert who has helped shape leadership practices across major NGOs. Drawing from his own matrilinear upbringing and decades of experience, Jayanta explores feminist leadership not as a gendered concept but as a deliberate, power-aware leadership practice rooted in justice and equity.

Jayanta's Bio:

• Over 30 years of experience in People & Culture, OD, OB, and HR in the nonprofit sector.
• Former Executive Director of Human Resources at Plan International.
• Visiting faculty at NMIMS Global Access School and Tezpur University.
• Leadership roles at Oxfam, ChildFund, and other global organizations.

We Discuss:

• What feminist leadership is—and what it is not.
• The origins of Jayanta’s interest in feminist leadership, rooted in a matrilinear culture.
• Why feminist leadership is not about gender, but about power analysis.
• The seven behavioral competencies of feminist leadership:
  1. Self-awareness and reflection
  2. Self-care and caring for others
  3. Inclusion and dismantling bias
  4. Accountable collaboration
  5. Sharing power and transparent decision making
  6. Respectful feedback and conflict resolution
  7. Courage and zero tolerance for discrimination
• The need for more longitudinal research on feminist leadership effectiveness.
• How feminist leadership differs from traditional or transformational leadership styles.

Quotes:
“If you practice feminist leadership, you have no need for DEI policies, since intersectionality of identities is baked in.”
“I am a male feminist.”

Resources:
Jayanta's LinkedIn profile

Let’s stay connected

You can also watch this episode on YouTube and subscribe to be the first to know when new episodes or other thought pieces are released.

Have a challenge or opportunity in your nonprofit or philanthropic organization that you'd like to explore? Feel free to reach out to Tosca directly at tosca(at)5oaksconsulting(dot)org.

And if you’d like more insights on nonprofit leadership, organizational change, and culture, you can follow Tosca on LinkedIn.