When Nisha Anand brought up the topic of “radical inclusivity,” my first thought was “oh I’m inclusive…this won’t speak to me.” Little did I know that I would have to check myself over and over during the next three days, and I’d walk out realizing that I still have a lot of work to do to be truly and radically inclusive, especially as it relates to “those people” that I tend to brush off and judge because their views seem to collide so harshly with my values. Nisha also reminded me that intellectual safety, which happens when we’re only surrounded by people who think and act just like us, is dangerous and hinders our growth as individuals and as leaders.
So this year, our theme is authentic leadership, and we might say “I’m authentic. I’m real. I don’t need to learn to be myself…” and that may be true for you. For me though, even though I’m willing to don bright wigs and sing 90s tunes in front of a crowd, I still doubt myself when I’m speaking up about something I’m passionate about and someone rolls their eyes (again). I hesitate sometimes to have those hard conversations because I worry about what the other person will think. I don’t feel I fit in sometimes with a certain “type” of community service leaders and I worry a funder will cut my funding if I tell them what I really think about their processes. I also felt a bit of imposter syndrome when Christine put the red shawl on my shoulders the last day of BRI.
I invite you to get curious over the next year and think about where you have room to grow as a more authentic leader or change-maker. Share what being an authentic leader means to you, when you are challenged and vulnerable as a leader, and what our sector needs from us right now. Reach out to me at presbri@blueridgeleaders.org if you want to share or connect.
—Julie
Julie Smithwick
BRI President 2023-2024
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