Reflections from the Inside-Out: Stories of Growth from the FLIP Reunion
25-27 March, POF launched the Facilitative Leadership Inside-Out Program (FLIP) in Juba. The program is a pilot initiative that draws together individuals active in their sectors to explore, experience, and emerge into an understanding of ‘facilitative leadership’. The program is a one-year experience that will comprise in-person and online training, as well as peer action learning groups. After the in-person meeting, on 6 June 2025 the group came back together online to reconnect.
Three months after the in-person FLIP (Facilitative Leadership Inside-Out) training, participants from across South Sudan and beyond reunited in an online session—bringing with them stories, reflections, and the quiet conviction that something within had shifted. It wasn’t just a training they had attended; it was a gradually shifting mindset they were continuing to live out.
The session opened with a simple invitation: “Share one thing you remember from FLIP.” What followed was a cascade of insights—personal, practical, and deeply human. For many, the concept of the three levels of listening—thinking, feeling, and willing—stood out as a foundational tool. “It helped me not just hear words, but connect with intention,” one participant shared. This shift in listening has allowed individuals to better support colleagues, navigate community tensions, and even de-escalate moments of personal frustration.
Another widely remembered takeaway was the “map of the world” concept—how each person’s decisions and behaviours are shaped by their unique lived experience. One participant recalled how previously he would judge people quickly, assuming they were repeating patterns from the past. “But now I try to understand what they need, not just where they’re coming from,” he said. That shift—from reactive assumptions to curious inquiry—is quietly transforming how FLIP alumni engage their teams and communities.
Several participants spoke candidly about how these tools are showing up in their daily lives. One shared how they used the FLIP mindset to manage a difficult conflict in a peacebuilding team. Another recounted a moment of recognising their own triggers and pausing before reacting—“It saved a relationship I might have damaged,” they admitted.
Perhaps most striking were the small but powerful changes being made within organisations. Leaders spoke of introducing reflection time into weekly meetings, adjusting how they give feedback, or simply checking in with more presence. “I’ve learned that facilitating isn’t about having the answers—it’s about making space,” one said.
The reunion also offered space for humour and reconnection. Laughter rippled through the virtual room as people recalled their time together in person—shared meals, role plays gone sideways, and those intense “aha” moments that broke old patterns. But under the lightness was something more grounded: a shared understanding that leadership, when done from the inside out, is both brave and deeply relational.
Looking ahead, the group was reminded that this was just the middle of the journey. More opportunities to deepen the practice are coming soon, including peer coaching, new tools, and another in-person convening. But even before that, many are already living the shift: “FLIP didn’t just change how I lead. It’s changed how I see people.”
This blog was written with the support of AI, from the transcript of the meeting.
