“The work of anti-racism is the work of becoming a better human to other humans.” – Austin Channing Brown
What makes power dangerous is how it’s used. Daring and transformative leaders share power with, empower people to, and inspire people to develop power within. We all get things wrong when striving to be more just, more equitable, and more inclusive, and anti-racist. Have you built the capacity to care more about others than you care about your own ego? Will you chose to protect someone else over protecting your own ego? Part of what white supremacy steals is the ability to see, to feel, to hear, to hold in high esteem other people.
Leaders who work from a position of
Power Over: |
Leaders who work from a position of
Power With/To/Within: |
Believe that power is finite and use fear to protect and hoard power. | Believe that power becomes infinite and expands when shared with others. |
Leverage fear to divide, destabilize, and devalue decency – decency actually framed as a sign of weakness and “for suckers.” | Leverage connection and empathy to unite and stabilize. Value decency as a function of self-respect and respect for others. |
Give people experiencing fear and uncertainty a sense of false certitude and safety based on ideology and nostalgia over facts.
Being right is more important than getting it right. |
Offer people experiencing fear and uncertainty transparency and create learning cultures based on critical thinking and evidence-based data from multiple perspectives.
Getting it right is more important than being right. |
Give people someone to blame for their discomfort – preferably someone who looks/acts/sounds different than they do. | Normalize discomfort and move away from shame and blame and toward accountability and meaningful change. |
Maintain power over by demonstrating an ever-increasing capacity for cruelty, including shaming and bullying – especially toward vulnerable populations. | Frame leadership as a responsibility to be in service of others rather than served by others. |
Frame constructs like personal rights and freedom to polarize and being in service of others is seen as weak. | Frame rights and freedoms as privileges that are connected to responsibility to the larger community or organizational culture. |
Incite hatred and violence with persistent dehumanizing language and policies. | Center connection and humanity with empathy-driven agendas, policies and values. |
Consider…
- How often are you protecting your own ego?
- How will you be a leader who works from a position of power with, power to, and power within?
- In relationships – what are you giving?
- How are you pursuing racial justice in your own life?
- Are you learning how to let go of your own supremacy?
Podcast | Brené with Austin Channing Brown on I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
Book | I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness – Austin Channing Brown
Resource | Brené Brown Power and Leadership