How can you frighten a man whose hunger is not only in his cramped stomach but in the wretched bellies of his children? You can’t scare him ~ he has known a fear beyond every other. ~John Steinbeck There are millions of amazing people who are doing amazing things ~ quietly putting in hard work to improve lives, making a real difference to our world.

And still more amazing is that these heroes are anonymous and humble grassroots warriors. They are driven solely by passion, not by hope or promise of fame or recognition. Their courage and optimism are an inspiration for their generation. These are the people making progress possible.

It is their selfless spirit that imparts purity to the mission and helps translate development policies into real action. They are using their talents to fight poverty, hunger and disease and provide opportunities for the next generation. The world is a better place because of what they do. What shines through is their resilience, integrity, and the depths of their empathy.

Behind the gleaming images of successful development, revolutions are the untold saga of these development agents. Most development staff work punishingly long hours and operate in highly stressful work conditions. There is much innovation and even heroism amongst these people that is known only to project beneficiaries and other staff.

We should applaud and honour such ordinary people, who have nobody to back them, yet are working doggedly to keep projects rolling. The real development story is an aggregate of these initiatives, few of them documented and the vast majority of them unknown. The honour and recognition that society owes to them cannot be embodied in awards, promotions and citations.

Though our focus is most often on issues such as chronic poverty, empowerment of women and the disenfranchised, and a sustainable solution to economic instability, the lessons of all such successful policies and programmes point to something we should never forget: The committed staff and their families whose sacrifices have enabled and continue to make the world a far better and just place.

These tiny revolutions may not command great attention; but in merit, they may equal or exceed the greater and more conspicuous actions of those with more freedom and power. The test is what people do. Social change flows from individual actions. Many revolutionary concepts have sprung from smaller beginnings.

A lot of progress can come from smaller advances: Thousands of lesser improvements that together build upon one another can together represent an enormous advance for society. Small investments, diligently done, have the potential to spark big improvements. The soundest way forward is through innumerable small steps.

During these small steps, we should wait for windows of opportunity to push big changes through. The first rule of learning is to do it in small chunks and through occasional big pushes. Brief bursts are better than one long blast. Slower and smaller steps also help build up people’s adaptability to change. We should look for small innovations, not just blockbusters.

By changing what they do, people move societies in new directions. Big, simple solutions are tempting but full of risks. Small gains well consolidated as part of a sequence can mean more than big gains which are unstable and short-lived. Accumulated over time they snowball into giant achievements.

By changing what they do, people move societies in new directions and then bring about change. An incremental approach creates space to experiment and learn from missteps, which minimises risk and any negative impact on the communities involved. A common deficiency plaguing the development sector is a lack of visionary and inspiring leadership.

With most officers considering posting in backward areas as a punishment, the attitude is that there is nothing to lose by not performing. Ironically, while we should post the best officers in undeveloped regions to accelerate the process of development, what we have is a cadre of uninterested officers biding their time. Their tenure is marked by absences, using all recourses available for remaining with their families.

Those with connections at the headquarters manage to get frequent deputations to better-off centres. Thus, what is needed is to transform these so-called punishment postings into prized postings. This can be done by offering attractive perks and assuring more sought-after postings after the officers have served well in such areas for a minimum period.

It can be difficult to attract people who have specialised skills and, therefore, command a higher salary, in more traditional segments of the business. There is also a problem with retention. Organizations usually invest a lot in helping staff develop skills they need, but once they have those skills, they may have an opportunity to earn more in traditional segments.

When they leave, the investment is lost. When it comes to compensation, one or more issues often get mixed up. There is the talk of money buying talent but not commitment; the development sector needing a high level of commitment, and so on. This may be true, but one must not forget many competent, committed and concerned people would not venture into this sector if it did not secure their future financially. Compensation does not automatically solve the problem.

It may take care of financial security, but development roles require an appropriate mindset. The most powerful factor is attitude and a proper frame of purpose. These can’t be taught in classrooms. They have to be instilled through role models. The organisations have to build a pipeline of well-trained and committed talent. Nowadays, most aspiring managers study at the elbow of a seasoned manager.

We don’t need intimidating academics, but we certainly need robust practitioners. Development managers must have a clear set of credos and value statements ~ along with that exemplify both organisational values and development orientation. There is no doubt that morale is higher when people have a strong sense of organisational purpose, which creates a greater sense of belonging.

The challenge for organisations is not reducible to compensation systems; it needs missions that resonate with their staff. Development workers have their vision and imagination of social change. This imagination is anchored in their values, and these ideas inform their actions.

When an intervention design is handed to them, they interpret it from their world view, implement it in the context they are surrounded by, and calibrate their actions based on their understanding of the ground situation. their understanding and leadership are critical for sustainable change on the ground. Development workers constantly engage with local realities and real-world situations.

And yet we seldom ask ourselves, what is their vision of change? What agency do they exercise? What values inform their work? What processes do they use? What kind of leadership do they embody? What relationships do they build? What capabilities do they need to build to do better? An organisation must be able to create an environment that enables risk-taking, provides opportunities for capacity enhancement and spaces for reflection and learning for development workers.

It must recognise and respect that its people are the ones working to bring about change on the ground. We have to ensure that the development workers capacity and the agency are strengthened to enable context-specific responses ~ it is a must for lasting and equitable development. This is possible only when the design of organisation systems and processes are anchored in values of dignity and respect for everyone in the organisation and spaces are provided for learning and adaptation on the ground.

The vocabulary needs to change ~ from development worker to development leader in letter and spirit. We understand the processes and constraints within which the lower bureaucracy works. Senior bureaucrats are smart enough to build up defences, in their decisions and may leave a paper trail to provide clues to their motives. Junior officials are not intelligent enough to understand the implications of their decisions. Inadequate understanding of the long-term implications of their decisions also imposes severe handicaps. They are also under direct fire from the people around them.

The system gives no protection to the sincere and honest among them. Bureaucrats often tell us that if they cleared the file immediately, they might face vigilance inquiry as it will be perceived that they had acted in undue haste or had a vested interest. A soon to retire bureaucrat may prefer to pass the buck; by delaying its clearance until it becomes someone else’s responsibility.

There is much innovation and even heroism and sacrifice by the staff of development agencies known only to project beneficiaries and other staff, which is not only left anonymous but also undocumented. We should applaud and honour ordinary men and women, who have nobody to back them, yet are working doggedly to keep projects rolling. The real development story is an aggregate of initiatives in thousands of clusters led by extraordinary people, few of them known.

Working as a development worker on the ground requires an understanding of the local context. Development workers need to be empowered to adapt interventions meaningfully to the needs of the people they serve. The development worker is an actor whose understanding and leadership is critical for sustainable change on the ground. Nobody can fathom the immense mental and physical suffering they and their families undergo.

I doubt whether outsiders like us, protected by position, passport, privileges and police, can be justified in goading others to risk their livelihoods, their families well-being, or their own lives. To take risks for oneself is one thing. But to encourage others to do so is quite the other. As Adlai Stevenson commented so pithily: It is easier to fight for principles than to live up to them.

Development work is dirty; you have to soil your hands, and you have to cope with tough elements at the lower dregs of society. If you care about your mission, and your community, then it hurts when colleagues let you down, your social enterprise stumbles, or other hurdles materialize.

Business schools don’t teach you how to fight goons; risk mitigation can’t hold water in the face of the mad frenzy of public assaults; technological gadgets can’t speak the language needed to navigate this dense thicket of unruly groups.