Podcast Episode 19 is out: Blair Glencorse from Accountability Labs

Podcast

By Lukas on 16 Aug 2023

Blair Glencorse is the Founder and Executive Director of Accountability Lab, a global NGO focussing on empowering citizens to make changes they know are necessary in their communities. A global expert in citizen engagement and anti-corruption, Blair has a unique approach to improving governance and accountability across the world. Whether it’s ‘naming and faming’ honest and trustworthy government officials through X Factor style ‘Integrity Icon’, or publishing the annual strategy in a rap song. He discusses:

‘Positive deviance’ – what it is and why it’s been important to him since childhood
The problem with the way we set up incentives in our society
The ‘Integrity Icon’ project and how it made honest government officials famous – starting in Nepal
His experience at the World Bank and how the idea for Accountability Lab came from his work with people in Nepal
How most frontline issues, be it lack of education or clean water, stem from a lack of accountability in leadership
The mission of Accountability Lab today and his role
Why they chose to publish their strategy in hip-hop form (listen to a clip!) and the problem with most corporate strategy documents
Their engagement with musicians, artists and technologists to amplify their ideas through culture
How accountability will be good for business in the future
His approach to ‘radical transparency’
The balance between collaboration and competition across multiple sectors, especially when it comes to anti-corruption and climate issues
The emergence of ‘Chief Integrity Officers’ and the importance of balancing ethics with compliance to avoid corporate scandals
His advice for a new Chief Integrity Officer and how to embed ethics throughout a culture
The organisations whose example we should try and follow
A success story from ‘Integrity Icon’, increasing female representation in regional government in Pakistan
His approach to leadership as a collective effort within a flat structure
Defining organisational values and how to embed values-led decision making