Leadership in grassroots innovations: The role of social workers in community driven co-creation, narrative building, and inclusion

Abstract Grassroots innovations, emerging as a relatively new phenomenon in citizen-led movements, are distinguished by their focus on sustainable innovation and their bottom-up approach to addressing local challenges. Grassroots innovations prioritize learning and innovation, making them crucial agents of social and sustainable transformation. In eco-social approaches, social workers are committed to work with such communities. This research explores the role of leadership and meaning-making within grassroots innovations, particularly in the creation of transformative spaces that drive sustainable development. By conducting ethnographic case studies of two Dutch grassroots initiatives and employing grounded theory methodology, the study reveals the role of leadership and meaning-making processes. Initiators lead by facilitating a space for transformation, by enhancing community by co-creating neighbourhood-level sustainability, including different voices and the use of narratives in shaping identity and fostering a collective sense of purpose, ultimately offering a hopeful alternative to societal crises. This article aims to inform social work professionals about the leadership dynamics within grassroots innovations and suggest their important role in supporting these initiatives as part of eco-social work. Social professionals should refrain from intervening in the substantive direction of citizen initiatives but should ensure the safeguarding of the three key elements of the leadership process.