Thread by @adammarx13

1/It seems highly appropriate that I'm listening to this episode on allyship & inclusion during the week of the #AllRaiseVCSummit. 🤔

Definitely going to be breaking down some of the key points that @jenniferbrown makes here. 🙌

cc @AllRaise

https://twitter.com/jenniferbrown/status/1194268791947104257

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 2/Key point one:

You're not an ally by slapping the badge on yourself and declaring "I am an ally" 🤔

"Inclusive leadership is measured by those around you who deem you to be an inclusive leader, and that's something that you earn." -- @jenniferbrown

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 3/Learning to be an inclusive leader may be broadly uncomfortable sometimes, precisely because you're growing. Inclusion should be something deep in your core, & it's that welcoming of said growth that is a metric for a good leader. 🚀via @jenniferbrown

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 4/Similarly, part of being an inclusive leader is recognizing that you may not always have the answers immediately; yet not letting this stop you.

What matters is the mission -- you'll experiment & find the right answers as they appear. Continue driving towards the north star.☝️

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 5/I love this concept of "cultural humility" & recognizing that we don't have all the answers. 🤔

Great leaders seek to understand & ask questions, particularly about areas where they have little or no personal experience.

Empathy & understanding will progress your mission. 🙌

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 6/So much in this ep, but part of what intrigues me a lot is @jenniferbrown's salient point re: how there's such a lack of knowledge. This is especially true at the top parts of most org structures, which look very homogenous.

We need to actively address this lack of knowledge.

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 7/Critical line of self-questioning re: leadership:

How do you handle the dichotomy of needing to be someone people trust and want to follow...but also admitting & owning & welcoming the fact that on this topic, you may not have first-hand experience?

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 8/Truth. 👇

There is no "done" when it comes to learning & growing. If you're not continually doing these things, you're not leading.

I'm intrigued by Jennifer's theory on ways to conceptualize leadership phases re: diversity:

1) Unaware ➡️ 2) Aware ➡️ 3) Active ➡️ 4) Advocate

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 9/I'm drawn to the idea of trying to expose oneself to as many different diverse circumstances & backgrounds as possible, and then learning from these.

We maximize this understanding by underscoring it in our personal networks. That then translates to the workplace I think.

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 10/One of the biggest mistakes that orgs make when trying to create a culture of belonging:

---> Any co's that still don't understand that diversity is good for business (I legit can't understand that anyone still thinks this but apparently they do...) 🤦‍♂️

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 11/*Critical point* 👇

A feeling of belonging is not quantifiable or dictated by certain metrics; it needs to come from a deeper place in organizations.

That deep feeling of belonging is predicated on feeling valued on such a level that you can let yourself innately relax. 🤔

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 12/Imo, this exactly where data leaves off & where we must lean heavily into empathy to get us to the next level.

The data may be telling one story, but the underlying feeling may be something different. Through empathy, we can broaden our understanding of the orgs we lead. ☝️🙌

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 13/Just a note of reality here:

People follow people when they sense that there is a genuine authenticity, especially re: a mission that you may be driving at.

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 14/Important question every leader should be asking themselves re: diversity:

Am I really on this journey or am I just pretending to be?

Spoiler: If the answer isn't that you're 100% committed, you have some serious soul-searching to do. ☝️

@jenniferbrown @AllRaise 15/One of the last things I'll pull out of this:

Jennifer is very correct in this; using my own voice for others from whatever levels of privilege I have is immensely cathartic & compelling. It actually gives me energy in the morning.

Empathy is a driving force. 🚀