In this episode, Theresa Shearer, CEO of Enable, talks about what it means to be a good leader in NGOs and disability organisations. She explains how working together with people from different areas helps make a bigger impact and about the importance of a supportive workplace culture.
Theresa shares her personal leadership journey and the story behind Enable’s successful personal assistance (PA) model. She explains how organisations need to adjust their approach depending on the culture and country.
Theresa and Milan also talk about the key role of self-advocates in shaping what NGOs do. Lastly, they identify challenges for women in leadership roles, and how stories can help change laws and policies.
Theresa Shearer
Theresa Shearer is the CEO of Enable, our member in Scotland. Theresa was Vice-President of Inclusion Europe, until December 2024. Theresa is a vice-president of EASPD. You can follow Theresa’s work on LinkedIn.
Theresa has received many recognitions for her work, including:
- Fellow and Council Member of Scotland’s National Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- Honorary Doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University;
- Strathclyde Executive Leadership Award from the University of Strathclyde.
In May 2024, Enable hosted the 20th Europe in Action conference. It was also a celebration of Enable’s 70th anniversary.
What Theresa talks about:
01:40 Introduction
03:12 Leading NGOs and disability organisation
12:58 The personal assistance model: how it started
17:15 Growing the impact of NGOs
25:29 Self-advocacy in organisations
43:23 Women in leadership
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Listen to related connversations:
- Peter Torres Fremlin: disability, policy, and global insights.
- Leadership and advocacy in disability rights – Conversation with Connie Laurin-Bowie
- “Breaking Barriers” programme with Leanne Williams from Enable Scotland and Melanie Hill of Scottish Power
All Inclusion Europe Radio episodes.