Advanced Leadership Pathways: Raymond Jetson's MetroMorphosis and the Effort to Transform Baton Rouge

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter, Tessa Natanay Hamilton and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone

Format:Print
| Language:English

Abstract

Teaching Note for Case 315-057. Building on his successes as a politician and preacher in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rev. Raymond Jetson sought to empower Baton Rouge citizens to innovate solutions for their community challenges. After stepping down as the head of the Louisiana Family Recovery Corps, Jetson became interested in the Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI) at Harvard University. When his ALI cohort expressed interest in visiting his hometown of Baton Rouge, Jetson arranged an innovation summit that allowed his cohort members to engage in discussions with Baton Rouge citizens about the challenges facing the community and develop innovative solutions to address them. These conversations led to the establishment of an initiative called Better Baton Rouge, which later became part of a nonprofit organization called MetroMorphosis. This case provides an overview of Jetson's personal and professional experiences, how the surrounding environment shaped these experiences, and how Jetson's convening power transformed a community. This case may be used for courses related to change management, social enterprise, leadership, and entrepreneurship.