L
eading is tough. Many leaders should not be in their roles and were selected for the wrong reasons. Many people still get hired as “new bosses” in a biased setup process. This is wrong but not tragic. Now look at what happens when a black man is pulled over for speeding on the highway, or stopped and roughed over in the street for no apparent reason.
Can you imagine a life where each day due to inherent bias by police, you are targeted for a “pullover” and threatened with a violent process of harassment? This has been happening to black men for far too long. White people will never know the anxiety and the fear this brings to the black men of America ( and Canada). It just must stop. We must establish a new process to remove this bias from our policing system. We must create a new process so the community can embrace a new faith in fairness in our policing systems.
There are leaders at every level in an organization, by title or by action, some break free of convention to move an organization from point zero to point one. Some thrive in this space, live off the thrill of being the champion of new ideas. In contrast, some prefer to sit back and execute on the ideas of a leader. These are the everyday champions who make the world tick.
Both are needed, both are valued.
However, when it comes to standing up for the most basic human right of equality, we all have an obligation to lead. This means sticking our neck out even if it is uncomfortable, adding vocal and observable support, and being an ally in the moments no one will ever notice.
Much the same as the rest of the world, we at Predictive Success are watching the incredible activism and practices in democracy in the United States. We stand alongside the individuals protesting the death of George Floyd, and more broadly, protesting centuries of racism, inequality, and human suffering. We stand alongside the journalists putting their safety at risk to document this momentous step in history. We stand alongside cultural and community leaders using their power and influence to lead.
As a team, we all pledge to be leaders, to believe in human kindness, and to stand up even when it is uncomfortable. It is no longer enough to pledge to be an ally in our minds, we must make our stance against racism observable by others.
This is the moment when we all lead. This is the start of when we must remove bias from organizations.
Let’s start with our policing organizations. America needs this. So does Canada.
