A Call For Courageous Leadership
Like many of you, the events of the last week at the U.S. Capitol have left us shaken, sickened and heartbroken. As MP6 Consulting is based in the Washington DC area, this occurred in our community, where we call home. We regularly take leadership cohorts to the U.S. Capitol to demonstrate that leadership, while often flawed and imperfect, strives for a bigger purpose than us, for enacting our highest values, for serving others, and for striving for brave, inclusive, and courageous leadership. Yet we watched as pain and hate manifested in ways that deeply affected us, that left us scared and heartbroken. Any education in emotional intelligence, understanding how offloading pain and hurt can happen, and tenets of courage, inclusion and belonging does not match the terror of watching the extreme ends of those tenets (or lack thereof) being activated in your backyard. We condemn these- and all- bigoted and hate-based rhetoric and actions.
Courageous leaders are never silent about hard things. This time requires courage, bravery, consistency, heart, and transparency in talking with staff. It’s understanding how to process our own emotions and response to traumatic events, and how we lead others. What do you need? What does your staff need? It’s OK if you need to take a breath or to reach out to a qualified helping professional. It’s OK if you are scared or unsure. It’s OK to not know the answers. It’s OK to just listen to your staff, or to refer them to helping resources such as employee assistance programs.
It’s hard to know what feels like the right next step. We’re still figuring it out too. As this last year has shown us, there is no guidebook for these times. What we do know – which we always do – is that there is power in community. We know this through our evolutionary biology, and we know this through our work with leaders and organizations. Please know we are in community with you and offer any support, referrals or resources you may need. Let’s lean on each other to support each other, to demand accountability, to learn from each other, and to double down on our efforts to create inclusive, truthful, and courageous spaces.
