We are on a collective journey
“The easiest ways to relinquish your power are to either think you have none or to believe it's contingent upon someone else giving it to you”. Shabazz Rah-Khem, Ph.D.
Our purpose is rooted in inspiring communities through hope, vision, work and our collective humanity. We want to lay the groundwork to build authentic communities that intentionally address gaps in how we engage, interact, treat, think about, and behave towards one another. These gaps are often steeped in undercurrents of race/bias/bigotry/prejudice/ignorance, institutional and structural discrimination, demonstrated through exclusionary practices. We must be intentional in practices that endeavor to develop trust, embody humility, and cocreation toward a genuine community—not just as individuals, but as communities.
Some key points necessary for us to develop authentic Community:
1. An enduring community requires trust.
2. Trust requires courage, strength and vulnerability.
3. We must leave behind egos based on dominant cultural standards.
4. Recognize our shared interests, missions, common ground, and passion for positive change.
5. Speak to one another, and not to narratives.
We have to be critical of our mental models:
1. Work starts within, before we can truly practice change it starts with critiquing our own actions, deeds, and works.
2. We must model/live the behavior, treatment, and change we want to experience in the world
3. Are our Core Values and Beliefs aligned with our behaviors and practices?
4. Open, thoughtful and caring communication is not always easy.
5. Encourage responsible truth-sharing while acknowledging it can be uncomfortable.
Authenticity, Transparency, and Vulnerability
We have to be courageous to engage one another thoughtfully, with respect, leveraging a trust-centered commitment. We will not be perfect. Relationships are built with constant investment from a place of sincerity, and transparency. Each of us must model the power of purpose, putting in the work to grow as leaders. This is not about the hierarchical structure of how an organization is designed. A position, a role, and/or titles are not leadership.
Leadership comes from a place of purpose-driven commitment to invest in people, cultivating potential, skills, and abilities through a collective mission that serves the community so we can thrive and flourish. We need people who are leaders that are willing to demonstrate their humanity, which in some instances will be very vulnerable moments coupled with thoughtful transparency when appropriate.
Perfection Holds People Back from Showing Up
People fear showing up because we might be found lacking in some way, because we do not have it all together. Whether it is not knowing all the details, intricacies of a process, understanding all the concepts or terms, or feeling as though we have not studied something enough or been trained on this or that. No one is superhuman. We all make mistakes, and if we are applying ourselves and giving sincerely, that is our best at that moment. That is showing up, leading from within, without arrogance, entitlement, leveling, or ranking against others. We mustn't wait for some false notion of perfection or to know every aspect of things before we can contribute to a space of positive change.
Showing Up
Community requires time and work. It is no different than working out, training, preparing, and conditioning oneself for a marathon, a test, or accomplishing a goal. Leadership and community are not sprints. We must be determined and invest in the right training regimen from where we are starting. Because guess what? We are not all starting from the same mental, physical, emotional, and experiential place. So, our expectations must be aligned with where we are. But we must be honest within our hearts, even if not openly acknowledging it with a group or someone else. At the very least, we need to be honest with ourselves. And yet, for some, it may appear they are ahead or just beginning. That is okay... we are all on a journey together.
It is Risky
Community requires risk. Have you always known everything going into a new situation? More than likely, if we are being honest, no. Getting together, openly sharing ideas, concerns, answering questions, and sharing perspectives about how we think, would act, and what we expect opens us all up to risks. We must be brave. Bravery is stepping into that uncertainty and navigating the maze. Nothing of real value is gained by playing it 100% safe, guarded, and from a distance. Love, respect, trust, purpose and service are all risky. But the potential return on stepping into these risks has unmeasurable rewards in growth and development, gained from investing in one another. That is the power of community. With time, communication becomes more meaningful, trust deepens, and it opens the door to collective strength, empowerment, and authenticity.
Do not avoid the messy stuff
These are the points and situations that tend to give us immediate pause when they arise. In those moments, our initial response might be, "Oh, I'm not going to touch that one." And yes, there is a time and place for everything. The struggle is real, and so are the responsibilities and the decisions that accompany it. Yet, struggle, when approached from the right place in our hearts, can deepen a sense of community much faster than fair-weather situations. The key is that when those demanding situations present themselves, we come together as a community to address them, not allowing them to fester and get out of control until the harm outweighs any sense of initial discomfort or the perceived advantage of avoidance.
Power of Purpose
Approaching leadership from a guiding principle of positive societal impact, centering on the "power of purpose." It is a shared or collective pursuit, connected to a mission and cause bigger than any one individual, and in many cases, bigger than any one community. Our goal is to leverage our collective community to invest in one another in ways that add value and create a positive impact, so we have the strength to shine as brightly as we can to advance that higher purpose. It may seem nuanced in wording, yet we are embarking upon a distinct shift toward impact beyond individual contributions.
Head Advocate, Change & Innovation