Omar L. Harris's Blog, page 3

The 4th of July and the 4 P's

"I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us. The blessings in which you, this day, rejoice, are not enjoyed in common. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity and independence, bequeathed by your fathers, is shared by you, not by me. The sunlight that brought life and healing to you, has brought stripes and death to me. This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. You may rejoice, I must mourn." ~ Frederick Douglass: “WHAT, TO THE SLAVE, IS THE FOURTH OF JULY”

In this post, we will discuss a new framework for judging an entity's effectiveness using the US as an example of words versus actions and why not all of us experience the country the same way.

A Tale of 2 Independence Days

In many other countries around the world, independence celebrations are truly shared events that remind the populace of the solidarity and struggle to attain liberty and freedom. This, unfortunately, is not the case for African Americans in the USA. When the Revolutionary War for independence from Great Britain was being fought, most if not all blacks in this country were enslaved. Fun fact: Britain actually abolished slavery in 1772 and the fear of this ruling being enforced on the American colonies became a rallying cry to the predominantly southern slave-owners who feared that this decision would cause the emancipation of their slaves.

Meanwhile, the existence of Juneteenth was largely a national secret until Joe Biden made it a federal holiday in 2020. If there is a day of independence for those of African descent in this country, June 19th, 1865 is certainly it. Because of this recognition, we are seeing an important shift in how African Americans celebrate American independence versus other ethnic groups. Still, this evolution is indicative that what an entity espouses and how that is translated into action for the people on the front lines determines the relationship with this entity.

I have coined this framework as the 4 P's - Principles, Priorities, Processes, and Practices - as relevant on a national level as they are within any organization of any size. Principles are what we say we stand for, why we exist, and our core values. Priorities are what we choose to focus on within a given period of time (administration, year, month, week). Processes are how we translate our principles and priorities into actions. On a governmental level we call these laws. Practices are how people on the front line experience the three previous P's of principles, priorities, and processes.

Returning to our discussion of American Independence and the documentation of this occasion - the Declaration of Independence - let's use this framework to understand why not every ethnic group will and should experience this day through the same lens.

Core American Principles

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." ~ The Declaration of Independence

The first line of this important document states that all people are created equal - making fairness a central tenet of our independent nation. If this is a fundamental requirement of our independence, anything that works against equality should be considered as an enemy of the state, correct? Anyone living here reading this should expect equal treatment defined as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as rights, not merely privileges. So why do we see such backlash to efforts to enhance equality in this nation?

The next line to highlight is that those who govern do so with the consent of the governed - all of us, not some of us. The three branches of government represent all peoples of this nation, not two parties or specific interests or groups. Therefore, what the people desire should be prioritized in terms of the greatest good.

Finally, the founding fathers mention the need to alter and abolish aspects of government that don't serve the will of the people. This line has been twisted, interpreted, and leveraged during the January 6th attempted coup as justification for their actions - even though the government, regardless of which party is in charge, has instituted policies that disproportionately impact those with privilege. Recently, the Supreme Court abolished the legality of Affirmative Action in higher education which has significantly increased opportunity for women and minorities in this country. Should we consider abolishing or reformatting the Supreme Court due to this?

At our best, our core values have produced the Emancipation Proclamation, the US Immigration boom of the early 1900's, and increasing equality for women and minorities post Women's Suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, and Affirmative Action. At our worst, we have experienced Civil War; Jim Crow; McCarthyism; Japanese internment camps; the invention of nuclear warfare; assassinations of JFK, MLK, RFK, and Malcom X; the Vietnam, Gulf, and Iraq wars; and the rise of MAGA. The dividing line is quite clear - when equality is enhanced, we are aligned to our principles, and when it erodes, we are going against them.

Top US Priorities

Because of the way US elections function under a two-party system as well as the governmental apparatus influencing our direction as a nation, priorities are constantly shifting. Still, one straightforward way to understand what a nation is prioritizing is to identify areas where we are consistently allocating funds and resources. As linked back to our core principles, national priorities should manifest greater shared opportunities for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Over the past 50 years or so, America has prioritized the growth of business, the military industrial complex, national security, and healthcare. The impact of this prioritization has been a huge disconnect between the have's and have nots; constant war mongering; the invasion of citizen privacy; and a failure to ensure the most vulnerable populations have access to medical services. When we have prioritized areas that enhance equality such as social security, the introduction of civil rights, affirmative action, women's reproductive rights, marriage equality, disability equality, and environmental regeneration; our nation's productivity and strength redouble in response.

When priorities are fundamentally out of alignment with principles, an entity will begin to drift away from what makes it special and valuable, and become less about key stakeholders at the expense of the beliefs and values of the few.

The Processes of the Law

Our nation's principles and priorities are codified into laws at the federal, state, and local level. In keeping with the core principle of equality - laws that enhance equality such as marriage rights, in turn enhance how people experience the culture of the nation. Laws, such as three strikes that disproportionately target minority groups already under significant stress, meanwhile lead to the reinvention of slavery in the guise of corporate controlled prisons.

Federal U.S. laws that enhance or protect equality are numerous, and they touch on various aspects of American life, including education, employment, housing, and voting rights. The following are some key examples:

Civil Rights Act of 1964: This landmark legislation made discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin illegal in many contexts. It ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination, is still a critical tool for protecting equality. Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972: This law prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or other education program that receives federal money. This is a crucial protection for gender equality in education. Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968): This prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or disability. Voting Rights Act of 1965: This law aimed to overcome legal barriers at the state and local levels that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote under the 15th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA): The ADA prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA): This law protects certain applicants and employees 40 years of age and older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, or terms, conditions or privileges of employment. Equal Pay Act of 1963: This law mandates that men and women who perform jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and that are performed under similar working conditions within the same establishment, be provided equal pay. Civil Rights Act of 1991: This law, among other things, provides monetary damages in cases of intentional employment discrimination. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010: Section 1557 of this act prohibits discrimination on the ground of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in certain health programs or activities.

These are just a few examples of federal laws in the U.S. that enhance or protect equality. It's important to remember that these laws alone cannot ensure equality; they must be enforced and respected in all sectors of society.

Here are a few areas of U.S. federal policy that some argue may be eroding equality:

Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and SFAI v. University of North Carolina, 2023: A conservative Supreme Court majority rejected 40 years of a twice reaffirmed precedent as well as the likely intent of the framers of the 14th Amendment and of the Congress that enacted the Civil Rights Act. Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization , 2022: States can now set their own policies protecting or banning abortion without any federal standard protecting access to abortion. This has created a new focus on medication abortion as an option for expanding access to people facing barriers to abortion care. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 2010: While not a law per se, this Supreme Court ruling permitted corporations and unions to spend unlimited money in support of political candidates, leading to concerns about the influence of money in politics and the potential erosion of political equality. Shelby County v. Holder, 2013: This Supreme Court decision struck down Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which had required certain states with a history of racial discrimination in voting to obtain federal preclearance before changing their election laws. Some argue that this decision has eroded voting rights equality. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) of 1996 and the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996: Critics argue these laws can disproportionately affect immigrants and racial minorities, potentially undermining equality under the law. The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001: Critics argue this act erodes civil liberties and disproportionately targets minority groups, which could be seen as undermining equality. Certain drug policy laws: Critics argue that laws related to the "War on Drugs," such as mandatory minimum sentencing laws, have resulted in mass incarceration that disproportionately impacts racial minorities and low-income individuals. Tax policy: Some people argue that certain aspects of U.S. tax policy, such as provisions that disproportionately benefit the wealthy, contribute to wealth inequality.

It is crucial that we judge laws primarily on the basis of whether they are enhancing the declared rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness or whether they are inhibiting these pursuits for some or all Americans.

The Practical Experiences of Citizens

Savvy lawmakers in this country understand how to translate the American experience into momentum that can sway an electorate. When on the campaign trail, they seek to connect their messaging with a given group of people to demonstrate alignment with them as a potential champion of their needs and desires. Polling is utilized as a strategic tool to harness sentiment into votes. Still, not every group experiences American culture the same which can lead to flip-flopping, inconsistencies, and pandering from politicians.

African Americans have not experienced the same US culture as other ethnic groups. Due to fighting for a semblance of equality in rhetoric, treatment, and fact since Emancipation and Juneteenth, many of us have a more skeptical perspective on the words and deeds of our government. Getting our collective issues noticed often feels like spitting in the wind, until an election season where our votes are fundamental to seizing or sustaining political power.

Poor White Americans also are being progressively left behind by current national priorities which has led to a disillusionment with government and hopes to turn back the clock to more prosperous days for their communities and families. They are experiencing a version of America - high unemployment, drug infested communities, and lower access to education - that minorities understand quite well. They now look at African Americans and other ethnic groups as progressing farther faster, or as in the case of Mexican immigrants, active threats to their continued livelihood. Harnessing the collective despondence and anger of this group for political gain has become a lucrative strategy for the far right.

This widening divide between marginalized people is a clever tactic being leveraged to ensure that we don't share notes and realize that we are collectively being pitted against each other by the rising hegemony of American oligarchs, not engaged in true social conflict, with the goal of continued disenfranchisement as a tool of control.

Before the term "the one percent" became a popular slogan for protests, American founding father John Adams was already expressing concern about the influence of a group he referred to as "the few". This group included the rich, the wellborn, and the beautiful. Luke Mayville delves into this topic in his book ",John Adams and the Fear of American Oligarchy", where he provides an in-depth analysis of Adams's concerns about the potential effects of inequality on democracy and its ability to empower a select elite. Through a close examination of Adams's political writings, Mayville brings attention to Adams's apprehensions regarding the risks of an oligarchy in America and his unique perception of the political influence of wealth. This largely overlooked theory has significant implications for present-day discussions about inequality and its impact on politics.

When our collective national experience becomes one of division and acrimony versus unity and opportunity, all of us must examine how we arrived at this juncture and take agency together to see the forest for the trees and leverage our voices to return the nation to its core principles or lose our democracy for good.

This 4th of July should be less about why African Americans are increasingly disenchanted with this celebration and more about how all Americans can fight for true independence from a ruling class whose only concern is their continued prosperity at the expense of peace, fairness, harmony, liberty, and happiness. This dangerous group has interpreted life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness through the filter of greed, ego, hatred, and ultimately evil. The 4 P's framework can be successfully applied to ensure that what we say we are for is what the majority of us experience, regardless of race, economic status, political affiliation, religion, or social status.

Cheers to true Independence!

Get My New Book!!

It's no secret that the world is continuously changing. In fact, change is a constant that we can rely on. However, some changes can be perceived as more threatening than others, leading to a phenomenon psychologists call "metathesiophobia" - the fear of change.

While we typically talk about metathesiophobia in the context of personal and professional changes, it can also apply to societal shifts. For some time now, I've noticed a rising trend among some segments of white Americans who are expressing fear and anxiety over changing demographics, shifting politics, and evolving societal beliefs.

It's crucial to acknowledge that fear is a natural human reaction, especially when the change seems to be challenging the status quo. A surge in diversity can appear to threaten established norms and traditions. A shift in political dynamics can seem to shake the foundations of what some believe America stands for. The evolution of societal beliefs can unsettle our sense of "normal."

But fear is only one response to change. Let's remind ourselves that change is not inherently good or bad - it's simply different. And with different, comes growth, learning, and progression.

The increasing diversity in America is a testament to the rich tapestry of cultures, traditions, and histories that coalesce to form this great nation. This change doesn't diminish the significance of white Americans; rather, it expands our collective narrative, encompassing a broader range of experiences and perspectives.

Political shifts reflect our democracy's dynamic nature, inviting more voices to be heard, more ideas to be discussed, and more solutions to be devised. In such a climate, our collective political wisdom can only grow richer.

Evolving societal beliefs are indicative of a society that's learning, growing, and striving to be more inclusive and fair. Each new insight, understanding, or belief is a step towards becoming a more just society.

So, if you find yourself feeling metathesiophobia, remember - change is not the enemy. Instead, view it as an invitation to learn, to empathize, and to adapt. Our fears can indeed be turned into catalysts for growth if we allow ourselves to embrace the change.

Let's take this opportunity to weave a narrative that encompasses us all, to foster a democratic spirit that encourages active participation, and to build a society that is continually learning, evolving, and moving forward.

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Leadership Lessons from Avatar: The Way of Water (Plus a Free Gift)

Please note: this article contains spoilers.

How long is too long to wait? When does the statute of limitations run out on an idea? These seem to be bets director James Cameron was willing to make to realize his vision for the lucrative Avatar franchise. With a story big enough to contain four sequels but needing to wait for technology to catch up to his mental picture, he diligently developed a novel approach to filming motion capture under water. After spending over ten years and hundreds of millions of dollars to bring this new phase to life - will audiences reward him and his backers like they did when Avatar was the most innovative (and highest grossing) film ever?

When we last saw the Na'vi people and their new leader Jake Sully at the end of the first Avatar, they were reveling in a newfound peace earned by defeating the sky people and banishing them from Pandora. But peace was never in the plans of those defeated and they return with a vengeance.

The synopsis of the new film goes: More than a decade after the Na'vi repelled the human invasion of Pandora, Jake Sully lives as chief of the Omaticaya clan and raises a family with Neytiri, which includes his sons, Neteyam and Lo'ak; his biological daughter, Tuk; his adopted daughter; Kiri (born from Grace Augustine's inert Na'vi avatar); and a human boy named Spider, the son of Colonel Miles Quaritch who was born on Pandora and was unable to be transported to Earth in cryostasis due to his young age. To the Na'vi's dismay, humans return to Pandora to prepare it for colonization, as Earth is dying. They erect a new main operating base named "Bridgehead City". Among the new arrivals are "recombinants", Na'vi avatars with the memories of deceased RDA marines, with Quaritch's recombinant as their leader. To redirect this threat, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their home.

On one level, this film is about the lengths one needs to go to protect one's family. But this movie is also very much about managing and adapting to changing circumstances. As HG Wells once said:

Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.

With this thought in mind, allow me to present 5 key leadership lessons from this impactful movie.

Culture travels: At the beginning of the film, the Omaticaya clan is engaged in a war of attrition versus the humans of Bridgehead City - attacking their shipping routes and taking what they can to slow down their adversaries. Jake has trained his two oldest children, his sons, in his Marine ways, with varying degrees of success. He continually reinforces these core values throughout the rest of the film to provide a sense of stability despite rapidly changing circumstances. Leadership Lesson: Change is inevitable. The most successful leaders anticipate the shifting tides by manifesting a solid culture built on shared values and a core focus that provides a true north regardless of external conditions. Sacrifice for the greater good: Soon after arriving on Pandora to scorched earth - the marine Avatar clones led by Quaritch happen upon the Sully clan and take them hostage. Jake and Neytiri are able to rescue their kids but realize that they can't stay with their clan. They make the difficult decision to go into exile to save their tribe from greater atrocities while protecting what matters most - their family. Leadership Lesson: Leaders must always weigh the desires of the few versus the needs of the many. Servant leaders always prioritize the most vulnerable and most likely to be impacted by vulnerabilities and volatility. These sacrifices are worthwhile because they stabilize the operation and allow the organization to live to fight another day. Embrace the learning journey: The Sully's relocate to the islands of the Metkayina reef people. Having left behind all they know; the entire family must adapt to a new way of life containing new joys and dangers. They are ridiculed for being different - from their flimsy tails to their "demon blood" due to being half-breeds. Despite this, adopted daughter Kiri takes to this new experience like a fish to water (literally), while youngest son Lo'ak faces bullying by his new comrades. Abandoned by his peers, Lo'ak discovers a new friend in Payakan, an outcast tulkun - which is a whale-like creature the Metkayina consider their spiritual family. Leadership Lesson: The extreme discomfort that comes from a new experience is an opportunity for learning which leaders must embrace. While it is crucial to understand the priorities, processes, and practices of an unfamiliar environment it is also an opportunity to immediately contribute by questioning why things are being done the way they are. Asking why can transform the existing status quo but it is equally important to lean into the core what's and how's as well. Defend what you value most: Despite their desire to keep the peace and not bring pain to their new people - the Sully's have nowhere left to run. When the Metkayina people learn that the tulkun are under siege by the sky people (and that their children have once again been kidnapped by Quaritch, they join forces with the Sully's to protect their families and way of life. Leadership Lesson: When values and core beliefs go undefended, the culture of the organization breaks down. When we stand for nothing, we fall for anything, and this failure to stand up for what is right ultimately leads to our collective demise. Maximize your strengths. In the epic decisive battle between the Sully's and Quaritch, they sink the whaling vessel but almost perish themselves. After oldest son Neteyam is unfortunately killed saving his siblings, Kiri leans into her newfound abilities to call forth the power of deity eywa to save her mom and Tuk from drowning. Payakan (the tulkun outcast) also intercedes to save Jake and Lo'ak from a similar fate. Leadership Lesson: With so much volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity that comes from a new set of circumstances it can be easy to get lost. In these moments, the best leaders lean into what they know they can count on - their strengths. Just as culture travels, so do behavioral attributes that help us get things done, influence outcomes, build relationships, and/or think strategically.

Overall, Avatar: The Way of Water is a visual spectacle and technical achievement that is epic in scope and full of heart. And with an ending that ensures greater conflict between Quaritch (and the sky people) and the Sully's (and the Na'vi) while opening interesting possibilities for their collaboration, I'm here for Avatar 3-5! Thank you, James Cameron, for not abandoning your vision (4.5 out of 5 stars from me).

Thank you, readers, and followers, for your support in 2022. Here is a heartfelt thank you from me in the form of a free ebook on succeeding in the first 90 days of any new position at any level. Please feel free to download and share with your networks as well!p.s. When this ebook gets downloaded 500 times, I will set up a free webinar to walk you through it in greater detail!

Leadership Lessons from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Please note: this article contains spoilers.

Marvel's recent output in its phase IV post The Infinity Saga has been hit and miss. From Black Widow to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - the films and TV series dealing with the fallout from the Avenger's defeating Thanos and losing Iron Man and Captain America in the aftermath have had the challenging task of filling in loose ends, introducing new characters, and advancing the narrative, all while preparing the audience for The Multiverse Saga of phases 5 and 6. The stakes have been more personal and less exponential except for Loki and Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It is in this context that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever launches across multiplexes worldwide.

The synopsis of the film goes: Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.

Like its predecessor, this movie operates on many levels. Through the lens of leadership, Wakanda Forever might be about recovering from the loss of a charismatic and beloved leader. But this movie is also very much about defending your core values despite the allure of the ego. In the words of our dearly departed Chadwick Boseman:

You have to cherish things in a different way when you know the clock is ticking, you are under pressure.

With this thought in mind, allow me to present five leadership lessons gleaned from this exceptional film.

Traditions matter: At the beginning of the film Princess Shuri is unable to cure her brother - King T'challa of a mysterious illness which leads to his death. In the aftermath of his burial ceremony, one year later, Shuri and her mother Queen Ramonda go to perform a traditional ceremony of burning their funeral garments to end the mourning period. Shuri's scientific beliefs contrast with the long-standing beliefs of her people and she refuses to participate - breaking the chain of established traditions. Leadership Lesson: There is a saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast. The reason this is true is because culture is the foundation upon which leadership is built. What we value, our collective ceremonies and traditions, and our shared values and beliefs are what bond groups together and what enable achievement beyond the sum of the parts involved. Productive paranoia is necessary: During a convocation of the United Nations, French and American leaders implore Queen Ramonda to share Wakanda's precious vibranium with the rest of the world. At the same time, they are attacking Wakandan outposts in search of the powerful material. But the Wakandans are ready for this gambit and drag the marauders before the world in a show of preparation and continued strength despite the demise of their leader and protector. Leadership Lesson: It is incumbent on leaders to prepare for events that could severely disrupt ongoing operations. This type of preparation is known as productive paranoia and involves creating contingency and continuity plans as well as playing out known and even extreme scenarios. As the saying goes - stay ready so you don't have to get ready. Evaluate alliances carefully: After finding the vibranium detector and assaulting the ship and crew responsible for identifying their secret supply - the Talokanils led by Namor go to Wakanda to seek an alliance to leverage their combined might to subjugate the world. The terms of this allegiance include the killing of the scientist who developed the technology who turns out to be Riri Williams - a young black scientist attending MIT. Convening the ruling council of Wakanda, it is decided to go extract Riri and protect her from capture and death at the hands of Namor. Leadership Lesson: Collaboration can be powerful if two parties possess shared values. When values are not consistent, however, no promise of success can be sufficient to pursue the partnership. Effective leaders use their values to guide them in gray areas where the perceived benefits can override good sense. Maintain a fallback position: After Nakia rescues Shuri and Riri from the Talokan people - Namor promises Queen Ramonda that he will kill her. In the ensuing battle on Wakandan territory, the city center is flooded, and the Queen perishes while saving Riri's life. Now in charge, Princess Shuri relocates the rest of her people to the Jabari stronghold in the mountains and finally recreates a synthetic version of the heart shaped herb that manifests the power of the black panther. She also assesses Namor's strengths and produces a plan to defeat him. Leadership Lesson: Sometimes, no amount of forward thinking and planning can prepare for the actuality of certain events. Therefore, business continuity planning is essential for leaders at all levels. In chess this is known as winning from a position of perceived weakness, and the best leaders know how to get the most out of what is left to effectively rebuild and recover from losses. Eliminate the ego: All film long, Shuri's self-image is under assault. From her inability to save her brother and mother's lives, to getting captured by the Talokanils, to being forced to relocate her people, she is in an extremely vulnerable state that manifests in her summoning Killmonger on the ancestral plane once she consumes the synthetic heart shaped herb. Her slain cousin, the antagonist of the previous film wonders if she will be noble like T'Challa or if she will do what is necessary to protect Wakanda like himself. Upon awakening, she allows her rage to consume her and directs her people into war with Namor and the Talokanils. Having the opportunity to take her revenge after a brutal battle, she chooses peace instead and rejects her ego in favor of leadership. And not even knowing it, she sets the stage for a new generation of Wakandan leadership to step up. Leadership Lesson: Leaders must assess their why for seeking positions of authority and power. Is it to gain self-esteem or is it to serve and support others? Ego-driven leaders often leave a trail of toxicity in their wake. Ego-less leaders build enduring organizations that outlive them.

Overall, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has redeemed Marvel's phase 4 and with its deep themes of tribalism, imperialism, and its unique and thoughtful approach to grieving one of our generations most promising actors and leaders was extremely resonant and well done (5 out of 5 stars).

What other leadership lessons did you glean from the film? Let us know in the comments below. And please give the article a comment and share with your network if you enjoyed and got anything out of it.

Forget Active Listening. Try Invested Listening.

As we learn and grow and time passes, it is important to revisit well-established concepts and update them for the current moment. In today's always on environment of constant distraction leaders must focus more than ever on the fundamentals. This series aims to do just that, starting with active listening.

Effective communication is a core leadership concept. From compelling storytelling to interacting and collaborating with others, there are several key skillsets to master - not the least of which is listening. Reviewing the literature on this topic, we can see that the consensus has landed on the concept of active listening which ,means: "the practice of preparing to listen, observing what verbal and non-verbal messages are being sent, and then providing appropriate feedback for the sake of showing attentiveness to the message being presented. This form of listening conveys a mutual understanding between speaker and listener."

From this definition we can unpack the following needed skills:

Preparation: Having appropriate time and space for the conversation and considering any resources to enhance understanding such as visual aids, etc. Observation: The ability to read and react to what is being said both verbally and non-verbally. Replay: Demonstrating understanding by repeating the salient points communicated. Feedback: Providing your thoughts related to what's been said.

Active listening sounds like this - "Hi Lena, I'm looking forward to this dialogue with you. My calendar is cleared, and I'm prepared to give you my total focus and attention. I can hear from your tone of voice and see from your body language that talking about this is important to you. What I've heard so far is that you feel...I agree with many of the points you've made..."

As you can see, this form of listening is surely superior to listening to respond or merely pretending to listen, but it doesn't go far enough. When we communicate, we also need acknowledgement, alignment, and validation. We need to know that our listeners are more than active, they are fully engaged in what we have to say. Which is why it's time to embrace another form of listening - invested listening.

Invested listening is listening with the intent to agree, validate, align, collaborate, and support. It elevates the core skills of active listening and aims them at a goal to help and bolster the communicator.

Invested listening therefore requires these skills:

Intention: Going beyond preparation and articulating that you intend to remain supportive regardless of what is communicated. Validation: Affirming that the thoughts being articulated not only make sense but are fully valid. Agreement: Actively seeking areas of commonality and agreement to reinforce throughout the dialogue. Collaboration: Enhancing communication by leveraging your strengths, skills, and knowledge in support of their needs. Support: Being specific about how you will act in service of the communicators needs moving forward from the conversation.

Invested listening sounds like this - "Hi Lena, you have my full attention but more than that my full and unwavering assistance. What I'm hearing from you is X,Y,Z and these points make total sense - thank you for sharing. Not only do I agree with the following points (replay them), but I can empathize with why you are bringing them up. Based on that, I believe that a potential way for us to collaborate on this would be...(what do you think)? And you can count on me for my continued support in the following ways moving forward..."

When you leverage invested listening as a leader your people will leave the interaction with the knowledge that you not only understood them, but validated them, and added your support. Taking action from conversation is the hallmark of invested listening. And it is this action that transforms listening into a key aspect of your leadership toolbox.

Death of a Jeen-Yuhs: The Desolation of Kanye West

Arthur Miller's seminal play Death of a Salesman addresses loss of identity and a man's inability to accept change within himself and society. We are watching this happen in real time with the troubling and dangerous radicalization of the artist formerly known as Kanye West. Over the past month, West has centered a fashion show on white supremacist rhetoric by wearing a White Lives Matter sweatshirt, unleashed a series of anti-Semitic tweets, Instagram posts, and conducted a myriad of disjointed often rambling and incoherent interviews positing his empathy for straight white men, doubling down on hateful rhetoric, and positioning himself as a future presidential candidate (again). This article will attempt to reconcile the various iterations of a man who no longer represents anything but his own ego, insecurity, and pain.

Through the Wire

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. After having grinded his way from his mother's home, relocated to Newark, NJ, and infiltrated Rocafella Records as a principle hit maker for their most valuable artist - JAY Z, he should have been on the fast track to super stardom as an artist in his own right. Falling asleep at the wheel and ,crashing into another vehicle after a late-night recording session for his debut album, The College Dropout, nearly ended his dreams of super stardom before they ever got started. His jaw was shattered in three places and had to be wired shut. And it is from this most humbling of scenarios that the legend of Kanye West begins.

He famously decided to write and record a song, "Through the Wire", literally rapping with his jaw wired shut. And this song, plus the accompanying visuals became a viral sensation that lifted him from relative obscurity to well-deserved notoriety. Having toiled behind the scenes as "just" a producer, finally he was being seen for the limitless talent he believed himself to be. He had transformed his pain into art and using this conduit was able to elevate both himself and his talent into the mainstream consciousness. But it wouldn't be the only time.

Just as his sympatico amigo Donald J. Trump has spun a decades long-tale of being smarter than all his contemporaries and the most talented businessperson walking the earth - so has Kanye West continued to leverage his pain into a prophesy of being the next anointed creative genius crafted in the same mold as Walt Disney and Steve Jobs. It's unsurprising in this light to understand why Kanye's original signature brand of production centered on sped up (chipmunk sounding) soul samples. He has continued to recycle old hits as new, as he first sought to invent himself and then reinvent himself after painful incidents. For someone claiming to be the ultimate "free-thinker", his rhetoric over the years has been dramatically devoid of innovation - with a few notable exceptions.

Touching the Sky

In terms of musical output and cultural impact, Mr. West's dramatic rise, precipitous fall, and subsequent rebirth during the 2000's was an amalgamation of the fables of Icarus and the mystical Phoenix. His star quickly rose on the back of a trilogy of albums (The College Dropout, Late Registration, and Graduation) which conquered the zeitgeist while he continued to produce hit songs for the top stars in pop, R&B, and hip-hop. After his mother, Donda West passed away in 2007 due to complications from cosmetic surgery, Kanye once again recycled pain into art with the melancholy 808's and Heartbreak. From being a perpetual bug in the bonnet of industry awards planners and making other broad-based public declarations - no one had to debate in which esteem Mr. West held himself - and most of his legion of fans agreed.

Never one to shy away from freedom of speech, two such events during the touch the sky years are now emblazoned into the public's psyche - the first his blunt declaration in 2005 that, "George Bush doesn't care about black people" in reference to the terrible tragedy of Hurricane Katrina and the second his drunken hijacking of the MTV Music Awards with his infamous and cruel “I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time!” indicating that Taylor Swift had been wrongly awarded the Best Female Video award over Beyonce's Single Ladies. These outbursts were seen as emblematic of an individual whose self-regard and apparent narcissism would be his downfall - capped off with Barack Obama famously calling him a jackass.

He still had people in his corner trying to save him from himself, though. A roster of fellow superstars joined him for his Good Friday's mixtape and his magnum opus album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy in 2010. His "big brother" JAY Z took the allegiance a step further and recorded a collaborative album, Watch the Throne with him in 2011. Still, a series of choices linked to his need for greater notoriety than being one of the most famous and beloved musical artists on earth would take him face to face with his self-proclaimed superpower - bipolar disorder and the related emotional fallout.

I am a God

"No one man should have so much power," Kanye West raps on the song Power from MBDTF. This statement has proven prophetic as leading to the eventual desolation of the person who wrote and rapped the line. Having survived the Taylor Swift debacle and conducted one of the most lucrative world tours in music history with Watch the Throne - he had superseded the previous dizzying heights of his early-stage career. And once he cemented his newfound fame by marrying into the Kardashian empire, an era of unchecked ego, hubris, and mental illness commenced.

Having dominated music for over a decade, he was ready to indulge his other artistic endeavors - principally fashion. He felt that his hard-won experience from conquering the music industry would inform his takeover of apparel as well. But this was far from the case. The powers that controlled this (new-to-him) industry were not just going to open their coffers and write him a blank check as a cultural curator.

Having to fight for respect once again in a new domain damaged Mr. West's delicate ego and put him on tilt. His outbursts (rants) made famous during his tours and awards shows became fodder for Youtube and even the evening news. He humbled himself and interned with Fendi in Italy with Virgil Abloh to demonstrate how serious he was about this new passion. Sensing that the industry gatekeepers had no intention of letting him in - Kanye did what Kanye does best - be a disruptor willing to say anything to anyone until he got his way.

He sought the answers to creating in his own image and demanded the keys to this new kingdom all the while suffering from continued bouts of depression, self-doubt, and bipolar episodes. One of which led to him going on TMZ and declaring that "slavery was a choice". Soon after, he was hospitalized for a psychiatric emergency.

Eventually though, his efforts would manifest brand Yeezy and high-profile collaborations (and dissolutions) with Nike, gap, and Adidas. While he was establishing his unique fashion persona, the music did not stop, even though the accolades certainly did. Yeezus and The Life of Pablo underwhelmed mostly due to the sharpened edge of the artist's narcissism and ubiquity due to his ultra-famous coupling. And his greatest creations during this period - his four children have had to suffer from their father's extended absences, sojourns, and creative distractions.

His ego pain of having to continuously fight to maintain and augment his name and fame during this period has manifested in the beginnings of his radicalization by Trump and the alt-right. At some point, Mr. West figured that if the people who should be listening to him were tuning out - he would turn to an audience dying to hear platitudes from someone of his stature and race. In a single stroke he donned a red Make America Great Again hat and erased two decades of good will, excuse making, and fan ship in the process.

I Miss the Old Kanye

In Death of Salesman, Willy Lomack - the central figure - is not an invincible father or a loyal husband or even a super successful salesman like he desires everyone to believe. He is egocentric. He does not properly value his family. And he cannot acknowledge the fact that he is only marginally successful. Hence, Willy fantasizes about lost opportunities for wealth, fame, and notoriety until his eventual suicide.

Kanye West's pursuit of notoriety, fame, and status cost him his reputation as a bold brash, intelligent, innovative individual who loves his people and is a positive beacon for others to follow. It cost him his wife. It cost him agency with his children. Ultimately, it may cost him what he prizes most - his legacy as one of the greatest creatives of his generation.

His music, once the thing fans could depend on about him, has morphed into a hodgepodge of mixed messages mingling talk of Jesus Love with murdering his exe's new suitors. His 4-album run from Ye to Donda 2 has overpromised and underwhelmed. He has signed lucrative deals but been unable to deliver. And he has issued rhetoric siding with white supremacist doctrine and anti-Semitism. It's time we face the fact that Kanye West - the musical prodigy and all-time entertainer, no longer exists.

Much like his mentor, Donald J. Trump, the sooner we stop caring about what he says and (in the case of West alone) hoping he will turn the corner back to his former self, the sooner we can appropriately deal with this latest incarnation of Kanye, Yeezus, Ye, Yeezy - and call him by the only labels that matter - billionaire and bigot.

Dahmer: A gruesome tale of systemic racism and white privilege

America is currently revisiting its fascination with one of the sickest modern serial killers of all time - and it's important to remember what this story is really all about - continued profiting off the systemic and calculated dismemberment and desecration of black and brown bodies - and the willful ignorance of those with the power to effect change.

The Birth of the Monster

Jeffrey Lionel Dahmer was born a child of the 1960's - the age of free love and civil strife. His mother Joyce (depicted as a depressed and attention-deprived hypochondriac) was being treated according to the Arthur Sackler manual of chemical imbalance and overprescribed a variety of Equanil, laxatives, and sleeping pills to fix her "condition". Meanwhile, his father Lionel (an agitated, unhappy man) was in and out of his life during his prepubescent and adolescent years. This left young Jeffrey abandoned and isolated with his own troubled thoughts for much of his young life.

Much has been made of his youthful fascination with dead animals as a child and his father's role in teaching him how to dismember, dissect, and later dispose of these doomed animals with chemicals. Was this the birth of the monster who would later confess to doing the same to a litany of (mostly black and brown) gay men (in addition to drugging, necrophilia, cannibalization, and corporal preservation)? Did he subconsciously associate black and brown people with animals and treat them accordingly, or was his preferred prey merely a preference or just a coincidence?

A social outcast who realized early on that he was gay, he started getting into trouble with authority figures as a troubled youth. An alcoholic by age 14, he defied disciplinary measures. And in a pattern that would repeat over and again, he would be given a mild reprimand and set free. After his parent's divorce coincided with his high school graduation, both his mother and father abandoned him to his own devices at their family home and the young man took to selling his blood to get enough money to keep him in alcohol. Around this time his fantasies of immobilizing and controlling partners for his own sexual gratification merged with his fascination for dissection.

It was in this state - as a suddenly abandoned, continuously inebriated, repressed, and sexually frustrated 18-year-old; that he committed his first murder - that of hitchhiker Steven Hix - one of only two white victims in his oeuvre. But most of the hallmarks of his compulsions were already present in this first victim - leading one to imagine that he had already put a lot of thought and consideration into his craft.

The Age of Willful Ignorance

Dahmer would go on to be expelled from college, discharged from the army, fired from a litany of jobs, arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct, and moved from place to place as he tried to control his compulsions and live a normal (albeit alcohol soaked) life. After being forced to move in with his grandmother, things only got worse. He stole a mannequin from a department store planning to use it for sexual gratification (but his grandmother found and discarded it), and he was arrested for indecent exposure at a county fair.

Still, he continued finding employment and getting chance after chance to turn his life around. Instead, he delved into Milwaukee's gay bars and bathhouses to explore his sexuality. Frustrated with his partners' animation during intimate moments, he procured a seemingly endless supply of powerful sedatives by lying to doctors about a sleeping condition and realizing that he needed to see these men as sex objects and not people, began drugging them before indulging in his compulsions. He was kicked out of the bathhouses shortly thereafter, when one of his sexual subjects overdosed. But he just turned to using hotels for his needs.

It was in this moment - where he was not yet killing his sexual conquests, that he entertained digging up a corpse and bringing it home, and subsequently was charged for lewd and lascivious behavior for exposing himself before a pair of 12-year-old boys. But the charge was later changed to disorderly conduct for which he received one year of probation, with additional instructions to undergo counseling.

Drunk and disorderly conduct, indecent exposure, illegal drug procurement used in drugging men, lewd and lascivious behavior in front of minors. Judges, business proprietors, doctors, teachers, military officials, and police had all crossed paths with Dahmer by this point. And all of them ignored an emerging pattern that would soon once again turn deadly.

The Big Red Flags

Dahmer's alcoholism and general sloppiness led to more than a few mishaps on his journey to full serial killer mode. His second murder victim (Steven Tuomi) was someone he confessed to having no recollection of killing due to being black-out drunk. He later brought a man to his grandmother's home from a club, but his grandmother woke up, so he took the man to County General Hospital instead of killing him. His grandmother eventually kicked him out for drinking, bringing strange men home, and an unending stench he attributed to his taxidermy hobby. Three days after moving into an apartment, he was arrested for drugging and sexually fondling a 13-year-old boy whom he had lured to his home on the pretext of posing nude for photographs.

Dahmer pleaded guilty to the charges of second-degree sexual assault and of enticing a child for immoral purposes. Between the guilty plea and being sentenced to five years' probation and one year in the House of Correction, he murdered his 5th victim (Anthony Sears) while temporarily living back at his grandmother's house. The details of his sentencing allowed him to keep his job and he later received early parole. He had to register as a sex offender upon discharge from the work camp.

But being on probation and registered as a sex offender did nothing to slow Dahmer down. Six corpses and a few years later, the damning incident of 14-year-old Lao teenager Konerak Sinthasomphone occurred (the brother of one of Dahmer's earlier victims), who was zombified by Dahmer and managed to escape naked, only to be escorted back into the monster's lair by two police officers. This is after a litany of complaints by neighbors to the landlord about the ungodly smell and sounds of torture and trauma emanating from Dahmer's apartment. He would kill Sinthasomphone and 4 more men before finally being captured, tried, sentenced, and finally imprisoned.

The Power of Privilege

After ingesting the story of Jeffrey Dahmer's horrific activities, one cannot help but to also reconcile with the conditions that allowed this predator to thrive. He preyed on a marginalized community in plain sight in defiance of the authorities. He was tagged by law enforcement several times and set loose repeatedly to wreak his unique brand of havoc. He was allowed to explain himself out of trouble in situations where a black or brown person would never have received the benefit of the doubt.

We cannot separate Dahmer's whiteness or maleness from this reckoning. Just as we cannot separate the white maleness of the police officers, teachers, judges, and doctors, who enabled him over the years. Much like when Jason Bateman of American Psycho attempts to confess to his lawyer about his murderous ways only to be dismissed, so did these biased authority figures grossly underestimate Dahmer's potential for harm even with a demonstrated pattern of chaos in his wake.

And once in prison for sixteen consecutive life sentences, his fame only grew. Not only did he indiscriminately murder but he also created an industry of morbidly fascinated fans desperate to get any piece they could of the monster. And who suffers repeatedly? The families of the victims. They don't participate in profit mongering, nor do they have any say over how their loved ones are centered or depicted. This latest Dahmer documentary is just the latest in a long line of toxic cash grabs based on our morbid fascination with mythologizing serial killers.

It's good to see that there is at least as much backlash as there is avid support for the show in this instance. But it's cheap information to the still and forever grieving, who are forever haunted by a living representation of the horrors of systemic racism we can never escape. Dahmer has never just been about a lone disturbed maniac. It is a powerful reminder that until we see privilege and systemic racism for what it is - a perpetually toxic force that strips dignity from marginalized people, just like Dahmer stripped his victims of their lives and flesh - our collective calls for justice and opportunity will never be answered.

Assignee, Successor, or Steward - What's Your Role and How to Succeed?

With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in the news of late, it got me thinking about a key question that all new leaders must face. In addition to accurately assessing the business situation, new leaders also must figure out whether their role is to be assignees, stewards, or successors. Choosing incorrectly has significant impact in terms of how performance will be evaluated. This article will help new leaders identify which of these roles to lean into and how to achieve success depending on the role selected.

What is leadership succession?

Succession occurs when a prospective candidate is chosen and especially groomed for a role of increasing authority usually by the leader who is vacating the role. Successors enjoy in-depth knowledge about the business dynamics and usually have a leg up when it comes to understanding what's working well and what's not, as well as the acute and chronic issues that need to be addressed. Successors have the opportunity, therefore, to push innovation and performance further, faster, but also have high pressure to deliver on transformation initiatives.

The passing of the crown in a monarchy is a fitting example of leadership succession. King Charles III was groomed for decades to assume the throne. He knows the ins and outs of the role as well as the issues and opportunities that he will be tasked with addressing. Therefore, he can move swiftly and confidently in structuring his new regime and has a true advantage when it comes to advancing the reputation and prestige of the royal family.

The learning curve for successors is flattened which is why the growth expectation is usually much steeper. Successors also usually enjoy greater autonomy sooner, and as such can put their stamp on their new team and business in a more meaningful way. But beware, many companies call all new management hires - successors - whether they have prepared these incoming leaders for the success part of the work or not. We can call this false succession process "assignment" - as in being plucked from one area and dropped into unfamiliar territory with orders to lead.

What is leadership assignment?

Most times, companies don't especially groom and prepare new leaders for success. Instead, they opt for the far more perilous process of assigning individuals to leadership roles. To be assigned means being assessed via some sort of performance criteria and deemed to have the mandatory minimum capabilities to succeed in a higher leadership capacity. Assignees must prove their worth all while learning their business situation, people, and processes. These roles tend to be sink or swim opportunities where success can lead to great reward, but failure can end careers.

Assignment is attractive for companies operating in traditional management hierarchies. This is because they actively want to weed out leaders who cannot meet muster so that the future leadership hierarchy is clarified. Due to this desire, assignees are usually given less autonomy but significant pressure to perform. Without coaching or incremental support from the organization, many assignees are consigned to mediocrity or outright failure due to the lack of a firm foundation.

I was assigned to most of my leadership positions in my career. From being tasked with leading a regional Classic Brands marketing division in the Middle East to being selected as a General Manager in Indonesia and Brazil, I went into these roles with the odds of success stacked against me. What always makes a difference for leadership assignees is the quality of support they receive from their direct line managers. I was fortunate in most cases to have exceptional support which is why I was able to ultimately succeed. Where I experienced the most failure - it is no surprise that I also received the least consistency and continuity of management support.

What is leadership stewardship?

Leadership stewards are successors or assignees with a specific mandate not to change the status quo. Leaders are selected based on their measured approach, steadfastness, and political savvy. As the primary requirement for success for stewards is the degree to which they don't mess with success, they often experience the least pressure to continuously adapt and change with the times. Their role is business continuity, plain and simple.

Stewardship is often a requirement for slower moving businesses or more risk averse environments. Surprisingly, though, it also occurs frequently in the start-up space when founders are replaced by "steady hands" tasked with managing growth and enhancing rigor and structure. It's kind of an oxymoron when fast moving, rapidly growing businesses are headed by leaders who are averse to change - but it has happened repeatedly, such as when Steve Jobs was replaced in the late 1980's or when the leadership at Uber was sacked in 2015.

This is a highly circumstantial leadership post, most successful when companies need a cooling-off period. Leaders who accept the role of steward understand that maintaining reputation and minimizing business disruption are the primary goals. Multi-directional communication, discipline, and management rigor are the principal capabilities required for success. Interestingly, successors can often morph into stewards over time if left in a role for extended periods. They come in the door hot but entropy and organizational appetite for continuous change and adaptation falls out of favor, replaced by the need for greater stability.

How to know which role you are in and how to succeed?

Unfortunately, many companies are unclear about what they want and therefore utilize the wrong process for the wrong business situations, which forces the new leader to figure out their role on their own and then make the necessary adaptations. As such, here are some quick tips leaders can utilize to assess which role is required and how to proceed from there to make the most of your tenure.

Succession equals speed: When a leader comes into a role with a mandate to rapidly address the business situation, whether they were groomed for the role or not - they are in the position of successor. As such, the key relationship is with the predecessor. Engaging them and extracting as much knowledge as soon as possible is crucial to avoid missteps. If the prior leader is not accessible or lacks engagement, then it is incumbent on the successor to negotiate more time to gain greater business understanding prior to taking decisive action that could have dire future consequences. Assignment equals development: Leaders who enter a role with some but not all the capabilities needed for success need to understand that their development is the crucial step. Regardless of the business situation or expectation, they must take their time to deepen their toolbox and confidence. Empirical creativity is the crucial process here - not rushing to scale initiatives without straightforward evidence that the solution has a high probability of success. Their goal is to demonstrate continued improvement over the length of their assignment and not fall into the trap of overreacting to external pressures. They also must not be afraid to ask for help. Stewardship equals stability: Leaders who have never experienced the succession or assignment roles make for terrible stewards. They lack the experience that comes from developing on the job and moving fast and breaking things. This leads to insecurity, passiveness, and indecision in a business that requires resilience, assertiveness, and confidence. It takes a lot of gravitas to stand strong amid unending change. Stewards need to be known quantities who are unconcerned about their next position or upward mobility - they love what they do, do it well, and possess the hallmark of consistency which increases stability.

As previously mentioned, when leaders are mismatched for the business situation they are in or for the expectations placed on them, the result is often disastrous. Using these simple definitions can help leaders accurately assess their role and request the relevant support to thrive.

Are Your LGBTQ+ Employees "Proud" Enough of Your Culture?

How do prospective employees know that your enterprise truly accepts, embraces, serves, promotes, and protects ALL identities? How can you prove it?

In The Best Place to Work, author Ron Friedman states that "it's rare for organizations to give much thought to whether their employees are proud of their workplace, yet the implications are profound." He goes on to list the benefits of a truly "proud" workforce such as:

Greater employee loyalty Lower turnover Better word of mouth to friends and acquaintances Enhanced organizational reputation

Organizational pride is crucial under normal circumstances. Now imagine its' importance in attracting and retaining those from marginalized backgrounds.

Intersectional diversity and inclusion are not only sourcing, developing, and promoting greater gender and ethnic diversity, but also ensuring that intersectional identities are considered just as valuable as the "easy" numbers. Skin color, gender, disability, and sexual orientation all combine and impact intersectional individuals as a potential discrimination multiplier.

This is why both the "D" and the "I" matter as discrete pieces of work and should not be blended or confused as the same effort.

Employees who belong to multiple underrepresented categories experience oppression and lack of opportunity in a myriad of ways. From the HBR, "employees who identify in ways that do not conform to the norms used to define and categorize them at work are more likely to feel marginalized, and even threatened." For people of intersectional identities, self-identifying to help companies identify their specific brand of diversity is complex. This is why the movement to declare and own one's unique pronouns is not "woke" - it's profound and game-changing. From the moment an individual openly declares their "otherness" - they open themselves up to potential ridicule, shame, misunderstanding, judgement, and discrimination. But widespread pronoun use can also be a crucial sign-post to an organization's inclusiveness.

To what degree does your company:

Accept and embrace all identities Amplify voices and seek multiple perspectives Support different styles of living and being

How can you prove it?

In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement - many Blacks who had to traverse the country carried around a Green Book (aka The Negro Motorist Green Book) which provided them with advice on safe places to eat and sleep. This was an essential travel document that saved lives in a dangerous time for Blacks. What the authors of the Green Book understood was that 1) they could and would not live in fear and stay confined to their locales and 2) they would map out the safe places and build institutional knowledge that kept more of their people safe as they ventured out to where were the greatest opportunities.

Other than corporate websites and personal connections, there is no such resource for prospective intersectional employees to know which companies are go/no go in this era of performative allyship. Your employees are now the best "green book" to attract more intersectionality to your enterprises. But they will only do so if the company truly walks the talk. If your company doesn't do the J.E.D.I. work, then a room for rent sign post is not going to trick anyone into taking a chance on your company.

Friedman defines pride as, "the pleasurable feeling that we get when we reflect upon achieving a socially desirable outcome, one that elevates our standing within our group." Based on this definition, to be proud is quite a leap from being marginalized, repressed, or excluded. And therefore, to foster pride, an organization must take pains to truly uplift, highlight, and value different identities. Friedman found that there are four primary building blocks of organizational pride:

A grand narrative: This is from:to storytelling on a vast scale where the (hopefully) inspiring tale of where the company has been and where it is going is crystallized and cascaded to all. Group distinctiveness: This is what separates being a part of this organization from everyone else. It's the elevator speech your employees will talk about at dinner parties and while on vacation. A commitment to the greater good: When an organization does well and does good - this permeates positively the feeling of doing the work. The conviction that every member counts: This is why servant leadership principles are once again in vogue in businesses around the world. In the servant leadership style - it is the employee base who are the true value creators of an organization and are celebrated as such.

This #pridemonth - if your organization isn't intentionally building the blocks of pride for employees, it's time to get to work!

"There will be a day sometime in the near future when this guide will not have to be published. That is when we as a race will have equal opportunities and privileges in the United States. It will be a great day for us to suspend this publication for then we can go wherever we please, and without embarrassment.” ~ The Negro Motorist Green Book

4 Arguments for J.E.D.I. Action (justice, equity, diversity, inclusion)

One of the biggest issues behind the lack of progress against accelerated corporate commitments to #diversity #equity and #inclusion initiatives made in the past 2 years has been the sustained will to truly do the necessary work to truly deliver needed change. The simple fact is that most companies are only invested in DEI as some sort of offshoot of their corporate social responsibility efforts versus a needed change initiative that will deliver the capabilities to drive performance. As the previous burning platforms from 2020 transform into ash and decay and day to day business pressures pull focus away from less acute issues - executives have excused themselves for taking their eye off the ball.

Unfortunately, if external issues are the change drivers, then there will never be enough inertia to commit to long-term long-lasting transformation. Executives need more reasons to keep their skin in this game. Initially, they wanted a business rationale for DEI - McKinsey, Deloitte, BlackRock, Harvard Business Review, and more commissioned the requisite analyses and proved the business case. Why didn't data points like the fact that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are delivering significantly higher returns than laggards move the needle?

Why are smart business people ignoring such relevant facts? Is it ignorance? The beliefs and biases of the leaders in question? Or even pure negligence? Or it could be a lack of compelling arguments for change that go beyond a business case and paint the complete picture of the necessity for J.E.D.I. action - eradicating injustices, eliminating inequities, expanding diversity, and enhancing inclusion.

After mining the best research on the topic, it is clear there are 4 primary arguments that need to be made in order for executives to truly invest in DEI to the degree that is required: moral, peer-pressure, innovation, and risk mitigation.

The Moral Argument (aka - changing because it's the right thing to do): This is what many people counted on during and after the summer of social justice protests in 2020. Companies began backing social movements and making major external financial commitments but found it easier to write checks, hire DEI leads, and conduct unconscious bias training than do the actual work of cleaning up their principles, processes, priorities, and practices. Still, the moral argument presents several compelling reasons for change:

Workforce composition and participation is at its most diverse in history. Yet senior management positions are overwhelmingly held by white cisgender males. Employees deserve to see representation at all levels of the organization. This creates the environment of psychological safety and support needed to fully engage these different types of employees.

The Peer Pressure Argument (aka - changing because everyone else is doing it): The companies that have proven the business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion are leapfrogging those who have sat on the fence. Investor pressure has therefore come into play - forcing the hand of those companies for whom morality is not a business imperative. Organizations like ,Just Capital and ,PolicyLink are now holding companies accountable for progress against these initiatives and capital providers, institutional investors, and regulators are starting to pay attention. Because competition drives business decisions, the peer-pressure argument is a powerful card to play when convincing executives to shift priorities due to the potential consequences of inaction:

Competitors are more attractive to a more diverse group of talents. Companies that don’t follow the trend will fall behind in terms of public perception and reputation. But companies found guilty of merely “performative” DEI are the most negatively affected. Starting slow and building momentum (without big public statements) is the way to enter this space a la Good to Great versus merely following.

The Innovation Argument (aka - changing because it will enhance our competitiveness): This is the competitive advantage front running companies have already embraced and what everyone else now needs to address. And don't mistake innovation for technology (although many tech companies are making progress in this space such as Intel, SalesForce, and Alphabet). Now is the time to embrace virtual and hybrid working as the opportunities they truly are to impact employee make-up, well-being, engagement, and productivity. Every day that a company stubbornly holds on to past management paradigms is a day that company is losing the ability to manifest future performance because:

Diverse organizations have been proven to be more successful than non-diverse ones. Capitalizing on diversity requires efforts to enhance gender and ethnic representation. Teams able to maximize diversity of collective strengths are far more profitable and sustainable. Diverse teams increase understanding of a variety of markets and psychographics leading to potential competitive advantages

The Risk-Mitigation Argument (aka changing because there is significant reputational and financial risk to not doing so): Business executives are measured broadly across three axes - financial performance, proactive risk and reputation management, and business continuity preparations. Despite these relatively clear metrics - many in the C-suite have merely watched peer companies and companies in related industries take major stumbles due to ethical, discriminatory, and/or values violations that have cost them market capitalization, stock performance, credit rating, and license to operate and not taken appropriate action to ensure they are not next. With this in mind, even if the other arguments presented above are not captivating enough - the one where the very job security of those in charge is at stake should open eyes and ears to the need to move forward on DEI systematically. For good or bad, today's CEOs are a bad tweet away from ruin - and as such need to take proactive measures to ensure their houses are in order because:

Innovation risk leads to potential business stagnation and lack of competitiveness. Inaction against injustices can lead to financial risks (lawsuits, fines, etc). Unaddressed inequities leads to higher potential employee attrition rates. Reputational risk can lead to significant issues across stakeholders.

Whenever corporate leaders implement strategies with the wrong intentions, expect lukewarm traction. This is the case with DEI and why to be a DEI practitioner these days feels like pushing a boulder up a hill with an anchor tied around your waist. Importantly, this is not an issue of more training. Training is an important step but only once the deeper internal work has been accomplished, To unleash the power of these arguments, it's best to combine them into a single compelling reason to believe:

The leading companies (peer pressure) have embraced DEI as a compelling business success strategy (innovation). The data demonstrates that these leading companies (peer pressure) have a double-digit financial advantage (peer pressure/innovation/risk mitigation) over lagging companies, and they are achieving this by driving greater gender and ethnic diversity (moral/innovation) which are both required for a successful DEI approach. Leaning into DEI however requires thinking of this more as consistent with ESG, Compliance, and Ethics (risk mitigation) efforts than merely an HR led initiative or merely good PR (moral). Fully pursuing DEI will not only keep us in step with the times (moral) but will also make us a stronger employer and competitor and more attractive to investors and current and future customers.

What are your thoughts on the four arguments and their combination? Let's discuss in the comments - and remember - if you need support for your DEI initiatives, look no further than ,your friendly neighborhood J.E.D.I. Leader!

Omar L. Harris is a former pharmaceutical General Manager (GSK, Allergan), Intent Consulting founder, motivational speaker, and bestselling author, with over 20 years’ experience building high performance organizations on 4 continents. Having managed multibillion dollar brands and led extensive organizations while working in the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and the US, he innovated blueprints for J.E.D.I. Leadership (leading with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion) and servant leadership and 20 Team Performance Acceleration Principles (TPAPs) that can be applied by leaders at all levels of professional experience.

Leadership Lessons from Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness

Please note: this article contains spoilers.Marvel comes full circle with this latest film by enlisting director Sam Raimi (famous for the first Spider Man trilogy starring Tobey McGuire) to return to his super hero roots. Doctor Strange has been ubiquitous in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since debuting back in 2016, but this latest adventure opens up literally endless possibilities for both Strange and Marvel's multiverse. Having just erased the world's memory of Spider Man, Dr. Stephen Strange is back for a solo outing with long-lasting implications. Despite teasing that this chapter would be a direct link to the consequences of spell casting at the end of Spider Man: No Way Home, this entry goes in an entirely unexpected direction. The synopsis of the film goes: In Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary."On one level, this film is about the consequences of pursuing one's chosen path. But this movie is also very much about the tenuous relationship between vocation and contentment. As someone wise once said,

"Happiness and suffering exist only in the mind."

With this thought in mind, allow me to present 5 key leadership lessons from this eventful movie:

Trust is essential: At the start of the movie, America Chavez (a new character who can jump between realities in the multiverse) is on the run from a multiverse monster and together with an alternate reality Doctor Strange are trying to recover a book that will allow them to defeat the beast. Strange instead turns on her and attempts to absorb her powers in order to keep them from the wrong hands. He ends up dead and America escapes to our reality where she continues to be pursued by another monster in this reality. This betrayal leads to America questioning our realities' Strange when she meets him after he vanquishes the monster with the help of Wong. She doesn't believe she can trust him and spends the majority of the movie resisting his help even though he does nothing but try to support her. Eventually he shows her how much he trusts her and empowers her to be the hero she has needed all along. Leadership Lesson: Trust is the currency of relationships and as such must be preserved at all cost. If you find yourself having difficulty convincing others, examine your degree of credibility, reliability, and professional intimacy and offset this by your own self-interest. The most effective leaders maximize the numerator in this trust equation and reduce their ego in order to facilitate more effective relationships with others. Be a part of the solution: Strange enlists the help of Wanda Maximoff aka The Scarlet Witch to try to understand who or what is pursuing America. In the film's first twist, it turns out that Wanda is actually the main antagonist. As Wanda can only see one solution to her problem of reuniting with her children in another reality, she decides she will stop at nothing to achieve her goal. She never considers asking America for her help, which shows how far gone she is at this point due to her interactions with the Dark Hold. Strange misses a major opportunity at this point to work with Wanda to find another way to achieve her goal and thus the events of the film ensue - beginning with the destruction of Kamar-Taj, continuing to the murder of another universe's Illuminati, and eventually trying to kill America. Leadership Lesson: Many times, leaders are asked to sacrifice things they value for the so-called greater good. The most effective leaders are able to turn zero-sum situations into trade-offs and paradoxical solutions. They do this by explaining what will be lost by sacrificing versus what could be gained by an and vs or approach to decision-making. Tunnel vision corrupts: Wanda only sees one way to reunite with her children. And she is blind to the consequences of this course of action (killing at least two people - America and the alternate reality version of herself). Because of her tunnel vision she goes from a hero to a terrible villain capable of tremendous destruction. Instead of seeking counsel or support, she doubles and triples down on her goal and almost destroys everything she once upheld to get what she wants. In the end, she has to bury herself as she finally realizes she is the only one who can stop herself. Leadership Lesson: The pressure to perform coupled with an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous external environment can make a leader take short cuts in terms of problem solving and decision making. Remember, that your credibility is based on your ability to take a step back from the heat of situations and create the space and time to make the best possible selection of available options. Especially when it seems that there are no good options - this is where a leader's value is truly demonstrated. There are always choices - your job is to work hard to bring them to light. Self-awareness is not optional: Another recurring theme in the movie is that Strange is a slave to his basic nature. Because he needs to be in control, he is willing to make unnecessary sacrifices (like taking America's power for himself) if he believes it is in service of some greater good. This is why the Illuminati call him the greatest threat to the multiverse - his combination of power and cold rationality could lead to Thanos' level of arrogance and destructive goal-setting. Leadership Lesson: It has been proven that the more self-aware is a leader and her/his team the more successful. Data suggests that the most damaging situations occur when teams are comprised of significant over-raters (i.e., individuals who think they are contributing more than their team members think they are). Just being surrounded by teammates with low self-awareness (or a bunch of over-raters) cuts the chances of team success in half. That's why it behooves leaders to be life-long learners and the most open and receptive to feedback in order to raise their awareness of any potential blind spots, hidden strengths, and other abilities or proclivities that only experience can highlight. Practice strategic selfishness: Early in the movie when Strange attends his ex-fiancé (Christine's) wedding, she asks him if he's happy - mentioning that his biggest issue is that as a surgeon he had to be the one holding the knife and as a hero he has to be the one to save the day - he doesn't trust anyone else as much as he trusts himself. This theme turns up time and again through the movie as Strange tries to balance heroics with ultimate self-interest. An interaction with an alternate reality version of Christine shows him that he might not have to fully sacrifice his own needs to be of service to others. Leadership Lesson: The most effective people focus on what they control and have the mindset, habits, and tracking to make sure they receive the right inputs to maximize their positive impact on others. They are invested in the five types of love - self, interest, purpose, team, and financial and ensure their cups remain as full as possible so they can show up as the best version of themselves.

Overall, Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness takes the MCU into an entirely different direction with literally endless possibilities across a multiverse of realities. I'm excited to see Strange's continued growth and arc and look forward to the next installment in this trilogy. It was epic to see the Illuminati and other shocks (like Zombie Strange) - I thoroughly enjoyed it (4.5 out of 5 stars from me). What other leadership lessons did you glean from the film? Let us know in the comments below. And please give the article a thumbs up and share with your network if you enjoyed and got anything out of it.