When It Rains
Endurance isn't assured. Leadership longevity in the social impact/innovation sector is more the exception than rule. It would be interesting to better understand what has kept several long-term colleagues in their roles over more than two decades. The challenges remain fresh for me; the fundamental problem of how we can pursue this work better is still insufficiently solved. I anticipate the current national unraveling to test my and many of my colleagues' resolve in the coming years. For the moment, I remain committed and try to practice as much of the following as I can.
- Stay True: Every challenge is not my calling. Working in a way that aligns with my nature and capacities is essential rather than trying to be wired in a way I am not.
- Pause: I don't bring my phone to the gym. I do yoga three times a week. Short, well-being focused breaks from front line thinking and doing is essential to maintaining balance.
- Stay Connected: I would have burned out years ago without my valued network of social and professional relationships. These people help me process what's happening, my response to it and, in so doing, stay in tune with myself.
- Believe: This is happening. Social impact/innovation requires taking a hard look at what is and isn't. Disbelief can be powerful, albeit false, security blanket used to avoid the cognitive dissonance of truly seeing what is occurring in a place where I believed it was highly unlikely to occur.
This is the final installment in this short series. Previous posts:
The Crucible (Part 1)
Jump or Dive (Part 2)
