Tough times for justice, equality, inclusion, and hope these days.
With the “anti-woke” attack on DEI, I was wondering how my friend Keith Edwards was doing these days.
His practice is one of “aspiring allyship” — how we can all come together to learn and grow, and work for our collective liberation from all forms of tyranny and discrimination.
Are businesses, cowering before the Trump/Musk onslaught, running away from diversity, equity and inclusion as fast as they can?
Turns out, no.
Because these factors are critical to any business that wants to thrive in these turbulent times.
As Keith points out, diversity isn't the opposite of meritocracy; it's the only way to get the right people into the right positions.
And unlike the performative wokeness that spasmed through society in the wake of George Floyd's murder and the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement in summer 2020, companies that are bringing Keith in now are serious about making their organizations better. No more eye-rolling CEOs and checked-out senior managers.
One of the ideas that Keith really hammers home is this: equity benefits everyone, not just marginalized groups.
The things that really make our lives worthwhile — freedom, dignity, love, joy — aren't in short supply.
In fact, the more of these that you have, the more that I can have as well.
Leadership around these issues requires soul-searching, humility, a willingness to change and grow, and mindful presence.
I shared my own struggles to become a useful ally with Keith, who shared some of his own “embarrassing moments,” and pointed out that we're all “wildly unfinished,” and as long as we're open, we can still act with integrity and power.
Here are the takeaways that AI thought worth recording:
- Hope is a practice, not an emotion.
- Joy is a renewable resource that can be cultivated.
- Equity involves recognizing and removing unfair barriers.
- Allyship is about action, not identity.
- Being effective is more important than being right.
- Corporate language around DEI is shifting, but the work continues.
- The murder of George Floyd highlighted systemic issues in society.
- We are all works in progress and can change our perspectives.
- Helping marginalized groups ultimately benefits everyone.
- It's essential to recognize that joy and freedom are abundant resources. When we act for the collective, we are also benefiting ourselves.
- Mindfulness helps leaders stay grounded and centered.
- Slowing down can be a powerful leadership tool.
- Recognizing reactivity is the first step to choosing responses.
- Unlearning harmful beliefs is a gift to oneself.
- Aspiring allyship requires self-reflection and humility.
- Feedback should be seen as a gift for personal growth.
- Our liberation is interconnected with others' liberation.
- Performative actions can lead to genuine change over time.
- Creating accessible pathways for equity is essential.
Links
KeithEdwards.com
Keith's newsletter
Keith's YouTube channel
Aspiring Allyship program
“Riding Shotgun Down the Avalanche,” by Shawn Colvin
“The Big Payback” episode of Atlanta
The Book of Joy, by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
The Lawn Sign Commitment study
The Serviceberry, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Cloud Cult
Tokyo Vice
Dr Howie Jacobson
This podcast is a labor of love and a way to give back to the world that has given me so much. That's why there aren't any sponsors (except me :).
My day job is helping leaders and their teams master their mindsets to remove all obstacles to heart-centered high performance.
Here are three gigs that I do:
1. Trigger-Free Leadership: Executive and Senior Leadership Mentoring and Facilitation
I work with high performing executive teams in organizations — and executive teams that need to become high performing. My focus is mindset mastery, because it’s our mindsets that either support high performance or get in the way.
At this level, everyone’s got the skills and experience to excel and contribute at the highest level. What holds people back is mindset stuff: specifically the triggers that get them out of creative engagement and into fight-or-flight defensiveness.
My practice is all about teaching people to respond differently to those triggers by updating old maps — essentially removing the glitches that the triggers grab onto.
2. Executive Coaching: Quick Wins for High Performance
I work with individual executives and leaders, one on one. The program is called Quick Wins for High Performance, and what we do is, we work strategically on one or two areas that are holding you back and keeping you from performing at your best.
We reverse engineer the presenting problems — too much work and not enough time, underperforming employees and teams, maddening organizational inefficiencies, etc — and identify and rewire the suboptimal mindsets that are behind those problems.
The work is all about updating your mental maps so your actions and responses are always appropriate, proportionate, and strategic.
3. High Stakes Conversations for Fast Growing Small Business Teams
I help small business teams have high stakes conversations with skill, humor, and grace. When people feel safe, they can do their best, most creative, most collaborative work.
So that's what I do. If you'd like any of those results, drop me a line and tell me about yourself.
You CAN Change Other People!
Well, that's what Peter Bregman and I claim in our provocative book of that title.
What we really mean is, you can bring out the best in the people around you. If you think you're powerless to help people change, it's because you've been going about it the wrong way.
Discover our straightforward, replicable process here: You Can Change Other People.
Music
The Plant Yourself Podcast theme music, “Dance of Peace (Sabali Don),” is generously provided by Will Ridenour, a kora player from North Carolina who has trained with top Senegalese musicians.
It can be found on his first CD, titled Will Ridenour.
You can learn about Will, listen to more tracks, and buy music on his website, WillRidenour.com.
Gratitudes
Thanks to Plant Yourself podcast patrons – Kim Harrison – Lynn McLellan – Brittany Porter – Dominic Marro – Barbara Whitney – Tammy Black – Amy Good – Amanda Hatherly – Mary Jane Wheeler – Ellen Kennelly – Melissa Cobb – Rachel Behrens – Tina Scharf – Tina Ahern – Jen Vilkinofsky – David Byczek – Michele X – Elspeth Feldman – Leah Stolar – Allan Kristensen – Colleen Peck – Michele Landry – Jozina – Sara Durkacs – Kelly Cameron – Janet Selby – Claire Adams – Tom Fronczak – Jeannette Benham – Gila Lacerte – David Donohue – Blair Seibert – Doron Avizov – Gio and Carolyn Argentati – Jodi Friesner – Mischa Rosen – Michael Worobiec – AvIvA Lael – Alicia Lemus – Val Linnemann – Nick Harper – Bandana Chawla – Molly Levine – The Inscrutable Harry R – Susan Laverty the Panda Vegan – Craig Covic – Adam Scharf – Karen Bury – Heather Morgan – Nigel Davies – Marian Blum – Teresa Kopel – Julian Watkins – Brid O'Connell – Shannon Herschman – Linda Ayotte – Holm Hedegaard – Isa Tousignant – Connie Haneline – Erin Greer – Alicia Davis – Heather O'Connor – Carollynne Jensen – Sheri Orlekoski of Plant Powered for Health – Karen Smith – Scott Mirani – Karen and Joe Crabtree – Kirby Burton – Theresa Carrell – Kevin Macaulay – Elizabeth Rothschild – Ann Jesse – Sheryl Dwyer – Jenny Hazelton – Peter W Evans – Dennis Bird – Darby Kelly – Lori Fanney – Linnea Lundquist – Emily Iaconelli – Levi Wallach – Rosamonde McAtee – Dan Pokorney – Stephen Leinin – Patty DeMartino – Mike and Donna Kartz – Deanne Bishop – Bilberry Elf – Marjorie Lewis – Tricia Adams – Nancy Sheldon – Lindsey Bashore – Gunn Marit Hagen – Tracey Gulledge – Lara Hedin – Meg from Mamasezz – Stacey Stokes – Ben Savage – Michael K – David Hughes -Coni Rodgers – Claire England – Sally Robertson – Parham Ganchi – Amy Dailey – Brian Tourville – Mark Jeffrey Johnson – Josie Dempsey – Caryn Schmitt – Pamela Hayden – Emily Perryman – Allison Corbett – Richard Stone – Lauren Vaught of Edible Musings – Erin Hastey – Sean Owens – Sagar Naik – Erika Piedra – Danielle Roberts – Michael Leuchten – Sarah Johnson – Katharine Floyd – Meryl Fury – for your generous support of the podcast.
Disclosure
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