In New York, board service was typically reserved for those with decades of connections and influence. It wasn’t something commonly accessible to young or mid-career professionals. But Columbus has a different mindset, one that welcomes new voices and encourages civic involvement regardless of tenure or status.  

With the support of his company, Paul Werth, Mac enrolled in Onboarding Columbus (now Columbus 360), a program that welcomes new residents by showcasing the city’s vibrant culture, government, arts, sports, and diverse neighborhoods. It was there that Mac first connected with leaders at WOSU Public Media, which sparked his interest in board service. That introduction turned into a seat at the Friends Board table—his first experience serving a local nonprofit organization in a formal role.  

But his journey didn’t stop there. Through Onboarding Columbus, Mac also learned about the Signature Program, and soon after, he joined the Signature Program Class of 2018. The experience expanded both his understanding of Columbus and his capacity to make meaningful contributions. Through the program, Mac deepened his knowledge of the challenges and opportunities facing the city and connected with diverse leaders and causes — including the Reeb Center, where he recently reengaged to join the CEO’s Advisory Board. 

Leadership Columbus played a pivotal role in helping Mac plug into the community and provided him with the framework and confidence to serve meaningfully. It was a gateway to discovering how his passions and experience could make a positive impact. 

Since then, Mac has continued to serve Columbus nonprofits, including North Market Development Authority and Columbus Museum of Art, giving his time, talent and expertise through boards, committees and other volunteerism. His trajectory exemplifies the mission of Leadership Columbus: to develop, connect, and inspire diverse leaders to serve as catalysts in building a stronger community.  

Today, Mac is fully entrenched in Columbus life both professionally and personally. And as he continues to give back through service, he credits much of his civic foundation to those early introductions through Onboarding Columbus and the Signature Program.  

Through Leadership Columbus, Mac Joseph didn’t just find a new home — he found his place as a community trustee.  

It was during an informal brainstorming session at Land-Grant Brewing Company — where inspiration flowed alongside the beers — that Bukach had a bold idea: what if they threw a dog adoption party? 

At the time, Bukach had a connection with Jackie Kemble (SP ‘23), then head of events, philanthropy, and engagement at Land-Grant. He reached out to her to ask about using the empty lot next to the brewery for a large-scale community event benefiting Columbus Humane. The concept? A lively gathering of dogs, beer, and good vibes — eventually dubbed Pups ‘n’ Pints. 

Despite some initial skepticism from the team, the idea quickly gained traction. The group designed flyers, posted them around Franklinton, and created a Facebook event to spread the word. 

The result was beyond anyone’s expectations. Columbus Humane rolled in with their adoption mobile and merchandise, Land-Grant contributed their newly outfitted beer truck, and half of all beer sales were donated to the cause. Over 1,000 attendees — many with dogs in tow — poured into the event over just four hours. The weather was perfect, the energy was high, and the outcome delighted everyone involved. It ended up being Land-Grant’s highest single-day event revenue at the time. 

The impact of Pups ‘n’ Pints didn’t end there. Three lasting outcomes followed: 

1. A Legacy for Columbus Humane: The CIP group handed over the Pups ‘n’ Pints name to Columbus Humane, who continue to host similar events across Central Ohio to this day.
2. A Change in State Policy: The event served as a positive example in the eventual revision of Ohio law (Section 3717.14 of the Ohio Revised Code), allowing dogs on restaurant and bar patios — a change that dog lovers and businesses alike have embraced.
3. Expansion at Land-Grant: The event was also instrumental for Land-Grant, acting as a test run for expanding their outdoor space into the dynamic community hub it has become. 

From a wild idea over drinks to a celebrated event with lasting community impact, Pups ‘n’ Pints is a testament to the power of creativity, collaboration, and the occasional leap of faith. 

Habiba Bankston (SP ‘20) cares deeply about her community and its people. It’s a level of care that was amplified through her participation in Leadership Columbus’ renowned Signature Program. As a Class of 2020 participant, she learned a lot about overcoming adversity, as she, her classmates, and the rest of the world were learning how to live, work, learn, and connect amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Those circumstances really brought everything we were learning in the program full circle. It’s all about people coming together to connect, collaborate, and take on challenges. And that year, there were many,” she says.

A highlight of the evening was the induction of Laurie Stein Marsh into the Leadership Columbus Hall of Fame. Laurie’s nearly 30 years of unwavering dedication and service to the organization left a lasting impact not only on Leadership Columbus but on the countless individuals and communities she has touched throughout her career. Seeing Laurie surrounded by friends, peers, and alumni whose lives she impacted as she accepted this honor was a truly inspiring moment.

The Junto Hotel provided a stunning backdrop for the event, with its modern and welcoming ambiance setting the tone for an evening of camaraderie and celebration. Guests enjoyed delicious food, uplifting stories, and plenty of laughter as they reflected on the profound impact Leadership Columbus has had on the city over the years. It was an unforgettable evening that celebrated the past, honored the present, and inspired everyone for the future.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all the sponsors, supporters, and volunteers who made this milestone event possible. Your generosity and dedication ensured the evening was a resounding success, and we are deeply grateful for your commitment to Leadership Columbus and its mission to develop, connect, and inspire diverse leaders who serve as catalysts in building a strong and vibrant community.

Back in June I had the honor of giving a graduation speech for the Leadership Columbus Signature Program Class of 2023. Heart palpitations aside, it was an incredible moment to have with my colleagues and their loved ones, and LC leadership. One of my favorite moments was sharing a few words about a book that I had recently finished, “All About Love” by Bell Hooks (if you haven’t read this book yet, I highly recommend it!).

In a nutshell, the book examines and challenges our societal and personal grasp on love and how it shows up in our personal and communal relationships. Hooks, borrowing a phrase coined by psychoanalyst, philosopher, and psychologist Alice Miller, guides her readers through the concept of “the enlightened witness”—an individual who “offers hope, love,and guidance.”

There lay the crux of my speech. How could we be more intentional about this kind of magic with our interaction with others? How could we, freshly minted alums, transmute our unique experience in this leadership program in the ways we choose to engage and serve within our communities? I had a few ideas, but the possibilities felt as vast as a rock spinning out in space.

 Although the immediate glow of graduation has since waned with the chill of an impending fall, the idea of witnessing has still been churning in my mind. 

 Here are a few ruminations I’ve had since.

Being a witness is fundamental to leadership. If you’re reading this blog, I imagine that you are motivated to lead in some way. I think a common pitfall of leadership is focusing too hard on leadership. Being a witness takes the pressure off ourselves and our performance, instead emphasizing the need to build relationships with those we aim to serve. 

Being a witness challenges the way we show up for others and ourselves. In bearing witness we participate in something sacred, which is an exchange of presence. We agree to show up authentically and receive others in a way so that they can do the same. Vulnerability becomes our saving grace, with community working as the crucible in which we can refine how we approach connection with others.  

Opportunities to witness and be witnessed are all around us. I think opportunities come to us if we’re willing; from having overdue conversations with loved ones to sharing a skill or talent as a conduit to a community that you have not experienced before. The key is to be open to stepping out of your comfort zone, and be intentional in leveraging your knowledge, experience, relationships, and passions to transform circumstances around you.

Prepare for your heart to be broken. Bearing witness is ultimately about expansion. And expansion isn’t always comfortable. Like a natural disaster can wreak havoc on the physical trappings of a community, being a witness means aiding in the brave work of repair, helping to put the pieces together.

Prepare for your heart to be inspired. The blessing of being immersed in community as an intentional witness is the fortune of being there when. History is full of miraculous occurrences pointing to our resiliency in times of tragedy.

Being a witness calls us to stay present. That is, when and if we can. The space between “here” and “there” can be painfully vast. Recently I’ve been engaging in meditation, and one thing I love is the idea of not getting too far into the past or future. After all, community work is ultimately about the people and taking care of each other as we take care of everything else. There is no “us” without us.

Recently I learned that bearing witness can happen in the most unexpected ways.

A few weeks ago, I had a craving for my favorite Chinese restaurant. Once I ordered arguably more than I could reasonably consume in one sitting, I settled myself into one of the leather chairs in the waiting area as it began to rain.  Soon after an elderly lady bustled in and sat in the vacant chair next to me.

Besides Asian cuisine, I also have a weakness for small talk. I quickly noticed the grey swoops and swirls of an obviously freshly done “do” and complimented her hairstyle. We quickly chatted about African American hair rituals.

She chuckled. “Aww, I’ve been using the hot comb for 70 years.” Then she paused, her face turning serious.  “I hate to ask you this, but could you possibly take me home? Usually, I walk to my retirement home from here but I’m afraid of getting my hair wet.”

I nodded solemnly. One of the most tragic things to happen after spending hours at a beauty shop is to step outside, only to have your hair instantly yield to the terror of precipitation.

Even still, I was hesitant. She would be a stranger after all, in my car.  After a few moments of tossing over the idea, I realized that she was probably more vulnerable than I was—and I figured it would be better to take her home than have her try her luck with someone else.

The conversation flowed as we hit Broad St. She told me about where she was from, her children, her grandchildren. I told her about being a newish mom, how much I wanted to be a grandmother and have that legacy. “It will happen,” she replied.

“You know, I really enjoyed this,” I said as we pulled up to the entrance of her retirement home. “I’ve been missing my grandmother, so it’s been real nice to talk with you.”

 She softly put her hand on my arm. “Well, tell her that she raised an amazing granddaughter.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her that my grandmother had passed away seven years ago.  “I will,” I said with a small smile.

I watched her as she got out of the car, walked towards the entrance until she disappeared inside. As I peeled off, it was then that I began to cry.

Cried because of her fear of asking for help. Because we were experiencing a world that created that initial hesitance. Because it was only a few days after my grandmother’s birthday and for a moment it felt like she was in the car with me. Because of the deep wisdom that comes with connecting with the elderly community. Because trust really is a delicate, beautiful dance. Because of the warmth I would have missed if I had said no.

A part of me felt silly tearing up like that. It was just a car ride. But was it?

How can we be open to witnessing in new ways that expand our community consciousness? I challenge you to be open to the joys and growth that comes with “bearing witness”. May it grant you a continuous flow towards a beautiful truth—that we are all connected in the most mysterious ways. And let the knowledge set forth the most miraculous regeneration, over and over again.

This is the second year Leadership Columbus has offered the COLA P.O.W.E.R. Up! Alumni Award, which recognizes an alum who continues to demonstrate the characteristics of COLA Leadership in their communities beyond their program experience, as nominated by their peers or themselves.  As the Leadership Columbus Program Manager for Central Ohio Leadership Academy (COLA), I have had the pleasure of having multiple conversations with Shideh Javan (COLA ‘12) on what has blossomed in her leadership journey since her COLA experience over a decade ago. Her inspired passion for empowered authenticity in leadership is clear and I am thrilled to share her insights as this year’s COLA P.O.W.E.R. Up! Awardee.

Shideh has effusively shared that attending the COLA leadership intensive ahead of her senior year in high school encouraged her to “drop her mask” and let her heritage as a Persian-American shine. She credits this monumental personal milestone to the cultural pride modeled by some of her peers, COLA Culture, program lessons, and the community the cohort created during the 6-day intensive.  Prior to COLA, Shideh would minimize her cultural differences, “desperate to fit in with my white peers.”

Shideh: “I rarely let anyone know about my heritage and if asked, I would often say I was American, never letting anyone know my family was Middle-Eastern. After the events of 9/11, I was often bullied or humiliated at school because students knew my parents were Middle Eastern. As a coping mechanism, I attended most of elementary school, middle school and high school masking my heritage to what I now have come to realize was an identity crisis.”

She notes that at COLA, her peers were “…proud, enthusiastic, and excited to share about their cultures throughout the week.” Shideh elaborates by saying, “I was completely transformed. COLA allowed me to show up as I am and not be afraid to let my authenticity shine. I joined COLA as a shy high school senior and over the course of the week, grew into a proud Persian- American woman/student.”

Shideh continued to demonstrate COLA Leadership throughout college at Capital University where she was a student leader in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. She supported students through a program called “Smooth Transition” which worked to acclimate students of color to the campus way of life, through resource support and group involvement. She inspired greater participation with Smooth Transition among peers through the message of bringing one’s full self to college and beyond, which she learned at COLA. The “R” in the COLA P.O.W.E.R. acronym stands for being “Real and Ready,” and this principle informed her leadership.

After college, Javan joined Cardinal Health as a Marketing Manager supporting Women’s Health and has continued to live her COLA-inspired values through the creation and leadership of a business resource group called New Perspectives. “New Perspectives is a multi-functional, cross collaborative group that was started after the murder of George Floyd.”

Shideh continues: “New Perspectives was developed as a result of my COLA learnings because I understood that if I couldn’t bring my full self into school, how could I bring my full self to work?” She realized that surely others must face the same struggle. “The purpose of New Perspectives is to dedicate time to traditionally taboo workplace topics in a space that is private, confidential, and allows for voices to be amplified regardless of your position in the organization. The impact we’ve made on our colleagues has led to various roadshows across our organization; most recently, in Colorado for an HR conference on how employees are bringing their full authenticity to the workplace.”

When asked how she would ultimately describe her COLA experience, Shideh says: “It was a way for me to discover my authenticity and cultivate a pathway to becoming more myself. In this lesson of becoming the most genuine version of myself, I also inadvertently learned the impact I would make on others as a result of my own fears, confusion, and vulnerability around my heritage. COLA allowed me a space to become whole and gave me the tools and confidence to support others in feeling whole too.”

Community-building, collaboration, and overall leadership function better when people feel they can express themselves authentically, develop greater confidence regarding personal strengths, and are empowered to make an impact on issues that matter to them, while cultivating awareness to meet one another where they are. As this is Leadership Columbus’ second year delivering COLA, I am heartened by the fact that the integrity of COLA Culture has been preserved and continues with each iteration of the program. Stories like Shideh Javan’s are sparked and nurtured in the COLA environment.

The updates we receive from alumni regarding what they go on to create for themselves and their communities long after COLA Week ends are exciting and impressive. The information also serves as profound evidence of their own unique, effective and inspirational leadership, which they are encouraged to continue exploring.

COLA and other Leadership Columbus alumni are welcome to connect with Shideh via social media on Instagram @shidehjavan, and LinkedIn.

Central Ohio Leadership Academy is a 6-day leadership intensive for rising high school juniors and seniors in Central Ohio. This year’s cohort represented 24 public, private, and charter schools across the region. Enrollment for the 2024 cohort begins in early January. If you would like to learn more about the COLA Program, or would like to schedule a presentation for young leaders, please reach out to me at laddanshoar@columbus.org.

1. Positional Power vs Social Influence

I don’t know if I’m starting with this one because it’s so important or because when it is absent, it bugs me so much! Nonetheless…

Leaders who use positional power might sound like this: “Because I said so”, “Don’t question me”, or “I know best”. And even if you’ve not heard leaders say these things, chances are, you’ve seen these stances in their behavior.

Leaders who rely on positional power may unknowingly create a negative impact that appears as a lack of humility and confidence at the same time. Even if not intentional, this type of leader shows a lack of confidence by relying solely on their position to get things done.  Like all of us, they may be unsure of their abilities, however, they have not learned a more effective means of dealing with that internal environment. The end result? They might reject others’ ideas in favor of their own but not because their ideas are well-vetted or quality but because they have a belief that their ideas are inherently better due to their position.

Leaders who rely on social influence are not threatened by others’ ideas or input. They see this input as a sign of trust – something that is hard to come by these days. They understand their limitations, meaning, they know they have only one lived experience – their own. And because they have a singular lived experience, they understand the value of different experiences. They know the entire organization rises when the best idea is implemented, which a lot of the time, may not be their own.

A key issue with positional power leaders is that they view the world as “power-over”. According to Marshall Goldsmith who wrote What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, this is called “Winning too much: The need to win at all costs and in all situations – when it matters, when it doesn’t, and when it’s totally beside the point.” These leaders have an ‘ends justify the means’ mentality, leaving out the human cost from their equation. Often, they put pressure on themselves to always have the answers.

Social influence leaders see problems as something we can solve together. Envision two people sitting next to each other and the problem they are trying to solve is ‘out there’. The problem is not the person, but rather a specific circumstance and they together are going to work to fix it. These types of leaders create more leaders. Positional power leaders create more work for everyone. Why? Because so many of their decisions are ill-informed and everyone else is left to pick up the pieces.

2. Principles vs Personalities

When making decisions, we must ensure our actions and responses are influenced as little as possible by the personalities involved and more influenced by our principles and values. This is easy to do when we feel neutral emotionally, but more challenging when there is tension and disagreement. And yet, it is in those difficult times our commitment to our principles of leadership is the most important. So, when you feel reactive to someone’s personality or the way they have shown up to an interaction, ask yourself, “Who and how do I want to be right now?” and then act accordingly. Even if the other person is being completely unreasonable, you can still choose to lead with your values and principles because it’s who you want to be.

3. Conclusions vs Facts

The Conscious Leadership Group maintains that almost all workplace drama comes not from the facts of a situation but rather, from the conclusions we make about those facts.

Fact: The sales team didn’t meet their goal.
Conclusion: The sales team is unproductive and lazy.

If you deal with the facts, you are more equipped to make sound decisions that have the least chance of doing harm to others. Additionally, you are already in solution-finding mode. You create movement. Focusing on your conclusions has you in drama mode. Instead of dealing with the issue at hand, you are dealing with your own conclusions about the issue at hand. It’s a time waster. So, while your brain main jump to a conclusion right away, you don’t have to accept that conclusion as fact. You can remain curious and find out more facts to help you make choices aligned with your principles. Please note: it is vitally important t process your conclusions and the emotions that arise as a result… notably before you respond.

4. Formative vs Punitive

In my early years in leadership, I really thought the only way to deal with a lack of performance or unmet expectations was to punish people. The punishment took the form of things like:

• Performance improvement plans (often coded for ‘You’re in trouble’)
• Loss of privileges
• Passive-aggressive treatment
• Reduced access to advancement and/or training
• Fewer opportunities for new work challenges

None of these approaches worked; at least, not long-term. And what’s more important is, most of them do not honor the dignity of others.

As an educator, I was trained to understand that children respond remarkably well to formative actions versus punitive reactions. Once I stepped into leadership at the young age of twenty-eight, I think I lost sight of that truth. But once I realized adults in the workplace are still growing and developing their skills, a lightbulb moment occurred.

If the above list falls into the punitive category, what are some formative responses leaders can adopt if they are focused on development versus punishment?

• Developmentally appropriate goal setting
• Frequent, high-quality, proactive conversations on progress
• Specificity in expectations with examples, templates, and resources
• The understanding that growth isn’t linear, and everyone will mess up and need re-coaching around certain tasks and responsibilities

In many ways, it is the leader’s primary responsibility to create a safe environment for learning and growing. If your folks are afraid to mess up because of punitive reactions, growth cannot take place and you will continue to be frustrated with their performance. In fact, some research supports the idea that fear is the least effective motivator. What’s the most effective? Love.

I know love as a motivator might seem strange but hang in there with me.

According to an article by Natasha Bonnevalle on THNK.org, to love is human, and “we don’t leave our humanness at home.” All of who we are walks into the workplace and that love can be nurtured or harmed just the same as it can at home. Natasha says these three things can help us bring more love into our leadership:

• Make a genuine effort to understand each other
• Accept that we are all flawed (including you!)
• Have courageous conversations

At the end of her article, she links one of my favorite thought pieces on love in leadership: Research shows that people who work in a culture where they feel free to express affection, tenderness, care, and compassion for one another were more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the organization, and accountable for their performance.

I’ll take that kind of environment at work all day long!

Back in early May, my 50% LGBTQ+ staff came to me and said, “We’ve discussed this and decided we don’t want the emotional labor of creating the June/Pride Month blog post and so we’ve nominated you to write it.”

My reaction? An enthusiastic, “Ok!”

Fast forward to late May. I had nothing but a blank screen in Microsoft Word. Day after day, I moved the self-imposed deadline from Tuesday, then to Thursday, then to…I don’t know…next week sometime. I never lost sight of this task I agreed to, but I was certainly procrastinating its completion. And now with the deadline looming, my chosen (albeit shifting) target became more definite. We post around the middle of the month, and I needed time to write, edit, and send to the staff for final review.

I was running out of time.

One thing I’ve learned about procrastination is that I usually dawdle because I am avoiding discomfort. Deal with the discomfort and the put-it-off-til-tomorrow magically evaporates.

So, what was making me so uncomfy?

My exploration starts as it usually does with questions. Why am I uncomfortable? What am I afraid of? What am I avoiding and why? The answers came slowly but surely and I realized I was holding onto a need to ‘get it right’ combined with a fear of doing harm and saying something ill-informed.

I believe leaders have a great responsibility to first do no harm, kind of like doctors. There’s a greater weight in our words and actions when we are in positions of power and influence. Because of this weight, leaders can do a lot more harm even if unintentionally. So, I put a lot of pressure on myself to not create more harm, especially towards a community who is experiencing so much harm from people in power. The fearmongering, legislation, and intentional disinformation largely perpetrated by those who have the power, knowledge, and ability to use their positions to bring healing and yet have chosen another path.

However, in my effort to do no harm I realized I was frozen with fear and the subtle yet powerful need to achieve perfection (something I work on constantly). My procrastination was good ole fashioned fear of getting it wrong.

Specifically, my concern was how to know when I should speak up and advocate and when I should be quiet, so as not to stifle or speak over historically marginalized voices.  I went to the staff at a recent staff meeting and told them how I was feeling and before I could even fully explain, they exclaimed, “That’s the blog post!” And here we are.

For me, the solution lies in one of my values: growth and development. I’ve identified why I was putting this off and now I’m motivated to write. But how can I further my unlearning around needing to be right? I need to learn the difference between advocate and savior and because I know that learning happens as a process, I needed to understand how anyone (including myself) can develop in this space. How can we move from a lack of awareness to advocacy?

There are really four stages and I’d like to identify and define them, and then give short examples of how to move to the next stage.

Stage 1: Unaware

When you are unaware you have little to no knowledge or interest in learning about the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, you are indifferent or even resistant to learning. This leads to easily believing misconceptions about privilege, equity, and inclusion. Typically, when you are unaware, your unconscious biases are hidden from view because you believe one’s perspectives should be private. You take little to no risk at this stage. Please know, your lack of interest and level of resistance does show but in ways you may not be aware of yet. And most importantly, this apathy creates harm.

To move to the next stage, it’s important to intentionally challenge your long-held beliefs. This self-confrontation helps bring your unconscious commitments and biases to the surface so you can evaluate them. As you become more open to learning, empathy forms as your eyes are opened to the harm that has and continues to occur towards the LGBTQ+ community. You begin to see where your actions don’t align with your intentions. Intentions are nice but they are only useful if they inform and align with your actions.

Stage 2: Aware

Once you move to the second stage which is awareness, you have some knowledge and a growing concern about the LGBTQ+ community. You are making a concerted effort to educate yourself and are willing to learn from different perspectives than in your previous in state. You step out of your echo chamber and seek new information. This keeps your perspective private, but your empathy and concern are growing.

To continue developing, you need to deepen your contact with folks in the LGBTQ+ community and take action to support greater equity for them in your spheres of influence. This also means you’ll need to deepen your understanding of how your biases have impacted others.

Stage 3: Active

In the Active stage, knowledge is growing, and you are learning about ways to further address inequities in the LGBTQ+ community in contextualized ways.  You’ll begin to figure out how to act in ways that don’t do harm but uplift. You will make mistakes at this stage because now your perspective is made more public through your actions. There is some personal risk here as you speak out. There may be those in your circle who are still unaware and are critical of you. This is not a reason to stop or to be afraid but rather work to accept as a part of becoming an advocate.

As you move towards advocacy, you will need to proactively mitigate biases and question your privilege. You’ll see how that privilege allowed you to hold certain beliefs before. You may experience guilt – please know, feeling guilty at this stage is normal, however, expressing that guilt to historically marginalized folks is not helpful.  Your guilt is a good sign that your empathy is growing, and I would encourage you to work towards transforming that guilt to compassion which is more of an active response. Also, in many ways, focusing on your guilt is centering your own experience and one of the primary goals of being more equitable and inclusive is centering the experiences of others. A journal is your friend in these instances.  Additionally, find other allies who share your concerns for the inequities in the LGBTQ+ community and continue to explore actions that are in alignment with your intentions.

Stage 4: Advocate

The key differentiator here is you have extensive knowledge and practice consistent activism about matters within the LGBTQ+ community. You’ve committed to and learned techniques to address inequities in your spheres of influence. You will begin to find ways to expand that influence in broader ways. For some that may be policymaking, community activism, or even philanthropy.

If you identify as being an advocate now, this doesn’t mean your work is done. You must continually challenge your own biases and assumptions about others. You will actively find ways to amplify LGBTQ+ voices and adjust your actions intentionally to align with your values around inclusion.

Here are some specific actions you can take as an advocate:

1. Challenge Indifference

• Acknowledge the efforts, skills, and abilities of LGBTQ+ folks on your teams.
• Invite others into the learning process so they too can become an advocate. (Ask me about our DEI minute in staff meetings!)

2. Provide Visibility

• Ensure LGBTQ+ folks have opportunities to present, influence, and lead at your organization/on your teams.
• Listen to their feedback and suggestions for a more equitable workplace and allow others to see their input being implemented.

3. Create Safe(r) Spaces

• Don’t assume someone’s gender identity or sexual orientation. This can happen easily in conversations when we use gender conforming terms.
• Make the use of pronouns the standard and use them yourself. Also, understand that one’s use of pronouns may evolve and change over time.
• Immediately deal with harassment and bullying. Zero tolerance.

So back to my discomfort. Once I started to apply these concepts to my uneasiness, I evaluated my progress in these stages. First, progress isn’t linear, and it is often repeated. What I mean is, I believe when we work on these things, we may be an advocate around specific topics and yet require more growth in others. Like all learning, we repeat these steps again and again as new information is uncovered. As we go deep within and challenge our unconscious biases, another process is set in motion to uncover, discover, and discard.

For the most part, I am currently vacillating between Active and Advocate on most inclusion issues I’ve uncovered in myself. But there are still so many more and I am committed to doing the work. I share this to encourage others to make that commitment too. Our friends, family, and neighbors are being treated unjustly by those in power and they need our solidarity and personal commitments to inclusion work.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post! I’ve adapted the information on the stages of development from Blanchard’s program, Courageous Inclusion. I’ll be conducting a free “Taste of Courageous Inclusion” virtually on August 15. If you want to sign up, you can do so here!