Reframing Capacity for Impact by India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS)
About the Session
This Curiosity Talk, hosted by Wisdom Circle and delivered by India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS), will focus on what it truly means to build capacity within the social sector. Rather than viewing capacity as a set of technical competencies or compliance checklists, the session will reframe it as a deeply human, dynamic, and long-term process, anchored in leadership, culture, and clarity of purpose.
Through stories, provocations, and insights drawn from ILSS’s work with nonprofits and philanthropic institutions, this talk will explore how social sector organizations can evolve to meet complex challenges by investing in people, systems, and values. It will also shine a light on the hidden levers of organizational resilience, including curiosity, reflection, and collaborative leadership.
Key Takeaways
Attendees of the Curiosity Talk can expect to walk away with the following insights and reflections:
A refreshed lens on capacity building as a living, human-centered, and iterative process
Practical strategies for cultivating leadership across all levels of an organization, especially in mission-driven and resource-constrained contexts
Real-world examples of how NGOs and funders have strengthened internal systems through ILSS’s programs
Actionable ideas for embedding culture and purpose into people practices, enabling long-term institutional resilience
A deeper sense of personal reflection, helping attendees link their leadership values to broader systemic change
Exposure to ILSS’s approach to designing programs that integrate empathy, structure, and systems thinking for social impact
About the Speaker
Adil Shah leads Outreach and Admissions for Capacity Building Programs at India Leaders for Social Sector (ILSS). He brings over 18 years of experience across institution building, leadership development, and strategic partnerships, having held senior roles at Ashoka University, Vedica Scholars Programme for Women, and the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM).
At ILSS, Adil has been instrumental in supporting over 750 social sector leaders on their capacity-building journeys. Through immersive programs, learning spaces, and advisory interventions, he has helped NGOs and funders build stronger people systems, nurture adaptive leadership, and lead with clarity and compassion.
His approach combines systems thinking, facilitative pedagogy, and deep empathy—creating learning experiences that are reflective, grounded, and action-oriented. As a trained coach and educator, Adil is passionate about building institutions that are not only effective but also human-centered and future-ready.