Activism is part of a wise leaders purpose and vulnerability is essential

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This is episode 118. 

Part of the reason I got up this morning full of enthusiasm is because at heart I’m an activist who wants to see a better world. In my case my passion is eliminating injustice. I believe activism is part of a wise leaders purpose. I also believe that a willingness to be vulnerable is essential.

Of course any study of vulnerability would include reading Brene Brown’s wonderful book 'Daring Greatly. How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead’. I’ve read the book three times. I also highly recommend Brene’s ‘Call to Courage’ presentation on Netflix.

I love many of Brene’s insights. A favourite is her statement that abundance is not the opposite of scarcity rather enough is the opposite of scarcity. She says “I am enough, I’ve had enough, showing up, taking risks, and letting myself be seen is enough.”

I thought much about this as I wrote my chapter for the upcoming book with my colleagues in The Right Company.

How much do you see yourself as enough?

This doesn’t mean that we are not on a quest to be better. It does means we are satisfied with where we are now and we will to show us as we are.

When I believe I am enough I find my willingness to share is greater and my willingness to vulnerable inspires others to be vulnerable.

The more we are willing to be vulnerable the greater trust we inspire.

The folk at Edelman said after 20 years of research into trust:

"The 2020s promise to be a decade of activism. There’ll be more popular activism – i.e., community groups, public campaigns, and networks of people fighting for their environment and the planet, for their identities, safety on the streets, justice in the system and for opportunity and integrity at work. 

There’ll be a new wave of financial activism – i.e., company pension funds, college endowments, state-backed savings programs, charitable trusts will be harnessed to put pressure on business, government and the media. And there’ll be much more local activism – i.e., states and cities within countries will take it upon themselves to deliver for their citizens, where the national government is falling short.

This activism need not just be something done to the big four institutions of government, business, media, and NGOs. It can and should be done by them. And while none of the four institutions can afford to wait for the others to act, the more they do so in concert the better.

For government, activism is going to mean addressing the disruptors: technology, globalization, automation and data, information platforms and carbon emissions. It’s self-evident that the governments that can harness the accelerating changes of the 21st century in the interests of their citizens will be rewarded with trust. So far, it has been the governments of Asia, generally technocratic and interventionist that have been willing to do so.”

What are you activating for? Who with? How would you rate your willingness to be vulnerable?

Who will you become? What will you do next?

Become the wise leader you want to be?

Ian