Stories that transform.
Scroll for news, stories, and tools to shift your thinking, your business, and the systems we swim in.
1% for Community
Often, whether individually or from a business perspective, we hear the language of “giving back” and it has not sat well with me for some time, because I think it first implies “taking from”. Perhaps this is particularly on my mind because I just finished reading The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer, but I’m increasingly interested in what would change if we thought first of our abundance and how to share it with the community (or communities) with which we’re interdependent. This is about how a business can ground itself in community responsibility and consider what investing in community can look like.
Oh, SH*T! Maybe It's ME!
CW: white lady unpacking a little reflection about whiteness, negative self talk
On May 24, I spent 2.5 hours in community Grappling with the Legacy of Whiteness alongside I’d guess about 30 other community members that included leaders and teams from both the nonprofit and private sectors, as well as a few entrepreneurs. The session itself was set up beautifully by facilitators Gail Barker and Louise Pitre, who held a container for community dialogue that allowed folks to build intentional relationship, stretch the limits of their comfort zones, and learn and grow together. I’m grateful for their energy and the contributions of everyone who showed up, and the rest of what I have to say is about my own reflections both during the dialogue and after the fact.
Heart- and Human-Centred Leadership in Conflict
Some reflections on a piece that I had created for a course I took in early 2021 on Managing Difficult Relationships Within and Across Community Dynamics. This was a course I deeply appreciated, because it helped me to consider healthy ways to observe conflict and navigate through it, and because it helped me to look at conflict at both a systems and a human level.
What Can I DO?!
Reminders to myself about how to show up in solidarity for justice and collective liberation.
The Art of Intentional Leadership
Wisdom 2.0 is a conference that’s all about living with mindfulness and wisdom in the digital age, and it’s a rare breed of conference that feeds the mind, body and soul. It may seem counterintuitive to have a conference where business, technology and mindfulness meet, but technology can just as easily connect us around the globe as it can disconnect us from the life in front of us.
People > Process
Processes and scripts might be a good starting place when we’re stuck, keep us accountable, and give us mental space to be creative. There is no substitute for building real, human connections. In other words, the key to knowing the rules is knowing when it’s important to break them, or break free from them, to make a difference.
Don't! But... We Need to Talk
In my work life, I see all sorts of tips about how to work well with others, how to communicate effectively, how to manage my time (and help others manage theirs), and so on. Most of those tips are phrased as “don’ts” - but how do we navigate actually needing to connect with others to move something forward?
Breathe...You're Not Breathing!
A reflection on a classic quote from my boss at the time, Christine Patten, that reminds me to get grounded back in my body so I can take stock of the present moment.
Let’s work together