In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., we’d like you to consider a change of language that can have a profound effect on you and on others.
Language is the fundamental way in which we come to understand and relate to the world around us. When you change your language, you influence your ability to relate to others and to build powerful connections.
This week, we encourage you to play with your language. Every time you start to think in and “US vs THEM” mentality, remind yourself that you can be better, together.
As Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us,
“We can all get more together, than we can apart.
And this is the way we gain power.
Power is the ability to achieve purpose,
power is the ability to effect change,
and we need power.”
With everything that’s coming at us daily, it can be difficult to pause long enough to really understand what life is like for others—to have empathy for their experience—especially when their experience is vastly different from our own.
We forget that it’s the differences that can make us better, together.
The strongest families, businesses, and communities,
get things done when they stand together
for a common vision, with the belief that
everyone has something to offer – all of us.
As a leader in your life, you have the opportunity to demonstrate a respect for differences, a curiosity for others’ experiences, and an invitation to influence each other.
Consider applying our definition of leadership your world:
Leadership is your willingness to influence others
and (just as importantly)
your willingness to be influenced by others,
regardless of role or title.
By living into this idea of reciprocal influence, you’ll be inviting the people in your life to stand together with you, to create rather than destroy.
To be a powerful leader in today’s world means that we each must avoid treating people like “other,” and instead, stand together. Consider how you might influence your world and allow your world to influence you, in order to create greater success, together.
Be well!
