A Liberatory Approach to Measuring Network Impact

Last Year, Leadership Learning Community (LLC) embarked on a research initiative to explore metrics that illuminate the impact of liberatory network models. This effort is central to LLC’s mission to advance the understanding and practice of liberatory leadership—a theory and practice inviting us to lead from a place of love, wholeness, and interdependence, addressing structural racism, healing, justice, and systems transformation. Through 10 in-depth conversations with network weavers and equity-focused evaluators, we sought to answer two fundamental questions: what metrics are currently used to assess network impact and why, and what metrics should be used? 

As liberatory work invites us to operate outside systems that typically measure and validate through only one way of knowing, there are currently no uniform metrics for this field. Inspired by insights such as Shiree Teng and Sammy Nunez’s “Measuring Love in the Journey for Justice: A Brown Paper we recognize that knowing resides not only in rational thought (mind), but also in feelings (heart) and intuition (spirit). This blog provides a high-level synopsis of our learnings, highlighting how networks serve as powerful infrastructures for liberation by fostering shared power, deep relationships, and inclusive action. It concludes with recommendations for learning, questions designed to better assess the profound and multifaceted impact of networks in the future.

Networks are considered essential to the broader liberatory leadership movement. In our conversations, network leaders often described networks as the liberatory movement’s future and its bones. They serve as the very infrastructure for liberation, not merely as structures for collaboration. Networks are seen as a vital tool for achieving systems change that individuals and traditional organizations cannot accomplish on their own. By their very nature, networks move away from hierarchical models toward decentralized and shared leadership, fostering interdependence and relationships. This is done by embodying principles of interconnectedness and building deep trust, allowing members to “show up for one another on purpose.”

Beyond their structural benefits, networks also provide fertile ground for the core practices of a liberatory movement. Their nimbleness and adaptability make them “juicy places of practice and study and learning,” which is crucial for a movement focused on continuous evolution. Networks champion inclusive participation and prioritize qualitative metrics and collective storytelling to measure true impact, capturing the depth of engagement and personal transformation rather than just numbers. Of course, successful networks also encounter challenges and must be carefully nurtured to avoid traditional pitfalls while balancing fluidity with purpose.

Our exploration began with a shared understanding that traditional, quantitative metrics fail to capture the full story and true quality of networks. This over-reliance on numbers stems from their quantifiability and appeal to funders, yet it ultimately leads to a “loss of stories and richness.” The true power of a network lies not in its numbers, but in its less tangible elements.

To genuinely assess network impact, a shift towards qualitative, human-centered metrics is essential. Based on our research, these metrics fall into four core categories:

• Community Building & Shared Values: Success is measured by how community is intentionally built and maintained, how core values are put into practice, and the strength of mutual support among members.
• Quality of Relationships & Internal Dynamics: Metrics include the depth of personal connections, the presence of safe and healing spaces, and the ability to work through conflict productively. Success is also seen in clear leadership structures, adaptability to change, and a healthy balance between work and rest.
• Transformative Impact & Outcomes: Success goes beyond simple metrics to assess personal growth, long-term systemic change, and the ability to generate a collective story of impact. This also includes the network’s capacity for shared sense-making, inspiration, and creating “ripple effects” beyond its immediate activities.
• Inclusivity & Accessibility: A successful network actively works to dismantle barriers to entry, ensures diverse representation, and promotes a fair and accessible environment for all members.

Through our conversations with network leaders, we have developed the following set of learning questions. These questions are designed to help network leaders, members, evaluators, and funders better assess the qualitative aspects of the network participation and tell a more complete story of their network’s impact.

• How was community built and maintained? This includes understanding deliberate actions taken to keep the network healthy, strong, and moving.
• What are the network’s core values and guiding principles? How are they articulated and lived out, and how do they guide interactions and decisions?
• What are the concrete practices members are committed to that reflect these values?
• What prompted individuals to join the network? Was there a clear mechanism for them to do so?
• How are members supporting each other? How do they take responsibility for other members?
• How do members experience feeling seen, valued for their gifts, and belonging within the network?
• What is unique about this network space?
• What makes people prioritize their involvement in the network over other obligations, especially for those who have several other responsibilities outside of the network?

• What is the nature of relationships within the network? Are people developing personal relationships and/or collaborating on projects?
• Does the network offer safe and healing spaces for members to share struggles, find common ground, and feel “not alone in the struggle”?
• How does the network develop and work with conflict, and are differences celebrated?
• Are there adequate emotional, mental, and psychological support systems for people in the network?
• Does the network have infrastructure for conflict transformation, or is it left for individuals to manage?
• What is the network’s leadership structure, who is leading, and what shape does that take?
• How is leadership and decision-making shared among members, and for how long are leaders serving?
• How are network leaders demonstrating introspection and accountability, challenging their own thoughts around power without external pressure?
• How is the network actively dismantling traditional hierarchical power structures and creating conditions for power to be shared?
• Are all members, especially those historically excluded, invited into leadership and encouraged to lead from where they are?
• How does the network handle expansion and contraction, and what is the practical experience when members join or leave?
• How well does the network sustain itself beyond initial funding, encouraging members to take self-responsibility for its continuity?
• How does the network balance its active work with the need for rest to prevent burnout?

• What personal transformations have individuals experienced through their participation in the network?
• Is there something that you have learned through being part of this network that has shifted something for you?
• What information, knowledge, skills, or resources are members bringing back to their respective organizations or communities?
• What collective achievements or system-level changes have resulted from the network’s collaboration?
• What are the “ripple effects” or broader, often indirect, impacts?
• Are ideas generated by members truly turning into action and being led by those at the center of the issues?
• How does the network document its work and learnings, including challenges, to share insights and foster continuous improvement?
• Have resources that you wanted access to now become accessible to you?
• If the network is falling short, do you still want to be in this community or network? (This helps members reflect on their continued participation.)

• How is the network actively dismantling barriers to participation and ensuring diverse points of entry, especially for historically excluded communities?
• Is the network ensuring that all necessary people are present, and that network members are comprised of the whole system it’s working to change?
• Are information, knowledge, and opportunities made accessible and fair for all members?
• How open or private should the network be, and if it claims to be “open to all,” are new and diverse members truly joining and visible?
• Are the criteria for full participation in network offerings clear and equitable?
• Do you feel things are made accessible and fair within the network, particularly concerning how knowledge is shared or opportunities are handled
• Are there considerations around emotional safety, physical safety, and digital security within the network?

By asking these types of learning questions, networks and their evaluators can gain a richer, more nuanced understanding of their true impact and effectively communicate the profound, often intangible, value they create.

Conclusion

Assessing the success of networks requires a shift from purely quantitative metrics to incorporating more qualitative metrics. A high-quality liberatory network moves beyond simple numbers to embrace a deeper, more human-centered approach. Its core is built on deep relationships and trust, prioritizing intentional efforts to “tend to” the community to keep it healthy and strong. This is supported by a collaboratively defined vision and purpose, led by a decentralized, accountable, and self-aware leadership. This flexible structure, guided by clear boundaries and strategy, is deeply inclusive, ensuring those closest to the problem are at the center of the solutions. Rather than just counting engagement, the true measure of success lies in transformative impact and qualitative storytelling that capture personal growth, collective narratives, and a genuine sense of nourishment and possibility among its members.