Leading Through Tragedy
This post was originally published on LinkedIn.
In my work with leaders—from first-time managers to c-level executives—I’ve learned that feeling ill-equipped to have real conversations about topics like tragedy, injustice, racism, prejudice, and discrimination is nearly universal. Today’s leaders and organizations have the power to challenge and dismantle a broken system that sows disservice and inequity to so many. We just have to be brave enough to show up as allies—now and always.
Robert Joss at Stanford Graduate School of Business teaches a powerful course about leadership. When I was lucky enough to listen to him speak, I was struck by one of his points: leadership is most critical in times of tragedy or crisis. Or, how he put it and I’ve paraphrased, “leaders can choose to attend the wedding, but they have to attend the funeral.”
Global organizations and their employees, leaders, and teams have confronted challenge after challenge in the last year alone. Some are completely novel and beyond what many of us could have predicted. Others, perhaps the most sinister challenges, have been lurking in the shadows of our memories and outside of the public eye for far too long, and are only now getting the attention they need. Today we’re witnessing Asian Americans being physically attacked—or worse—in our cities and neighborhoods, and even in broad daylight. Any sense of safety that the AAPI community might have had was destroyed as quickly as eight lives were taken in Atlanta. This must end.
I’m trying the following strategies to stand with the AAPI community and condemn anti-Asian violence, and I invite anyone who reads this to do the same:
Be humble. Our Asian colleagues, employees, clients, family, friends, and neighbors aren’t expecting us to have all the answers or to be perfect right now; they are expecting us to be allies, to protect and celebrate them like we protect and celebrate ourselves, and to create safe spaces for them to process their emotions and seek support. Leaders who admit what they don’t know, when they’ve been wrong, where they fall short, and what they’re trying to learn gain the trust and respect of those who follow them.
Be brave. Eradicating deep-seated biases is not easy. We all have been, are being, and will be given opportunities to fight racism, inequity, and hate time and again. I admit I have previously avoided addressing problems that I should have confronted in the moment because of my own privilege and my own discomfort. American psychologist Abraham Maslow taught us that physical safety is a fundamental human need, without which we cannot achieve self-actualization and thrive. I believe that another human’s safety is more important than my comfort. Leaders who are brave enough to speak out against hate and educate themselves and others, especially when uncomfortable, can help rebuild a sense of safety where it is desperately needed. If you’re not sure where or how to start, Michelle Kim shares some powerful suggestions for how to bravely denounce hate, interrupt racism and generalizations, amplify examples of Black and Asian solidarity, and invest in your community.
Be consistent. People of color are understandably tired of witnessing a sharp spike in white attention and care in times of tragedy, only to have the energy quickly diminish when the media spotlight shifts to a new headline. The tragedies we are witnessing today have been present for years and were created by a system and society that needs serious attention. Leaders who continue to show up as allies for their employees and advocate for change after the headline shifts and a new tragedy emerges will earn even greater trust and respect from their teams. Leverage anti-Asian violence resources in your approach moving forward.
Be human. Now is not a time for carefully scripted talking points or politically correct strategic communications plans. Now is a time for leaders to show up as themselves—as humans, connecting with other humans. In a world that is still healing from a global pandemic, our organizations are often the only source of social support and connection for many. Leaders who really see the humans on their teams, personally check in with each of them, and make it OK to not be OK show that their employees are valued for more than their day jobs.
In their book Unleashed, Frances Frei and Anne Morriss introduce a model called the inclusion dial and encourage leaders to assess where their teams currently fall on the dial. Do they feel safe, welcomed, celebrated, or cherished? Today and every day, we can ask ourselves the same question about those around us. We can choose to prioritize the safety of those in need above our own comfort. We can choose to be part of the solution. I hope that more leaders will show up in our times of crisis and help create a world that truly cherishes everyone.
To contribute to the solution, consider donating to the following organizations:
To amplify AAPI voices for your own and others’ growth, consider following these leaders:
Stop Asian hate.
Special thanks to the Dropbox Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team for their consistent, expert guidance and leadership; to the Asians@ ERG for curating a list of high-impact organizations to support; and to many close friends and colleagues who contributed to this piece.
