Good Morning Friends!
On May 25, 2020, I heard the news about George Floyd and the unthinkable and horrific way in which he was killed. Needless to say, I was shocked, but to be honest the magnitude of what had happened hadn’t yet registered.
The next day, I watched the video that had been taken in silence. I swallowed the lump in my throat and wiped the moisture from my eyes. And I watched the video again and again… unable to fathom what I witnessed.
Why was this incident so different? I had heard and read similar stories before (which illustrates the sheer prevalence of racial injustice in and of itself), but why was this one so different for me?
Personally, this was the first time I watched one human being take the life of another. I will never truly understand the pain, anguish, and fear that lives in the hearts of so many of my fellow Americans, but something has to change and change now.
We can no longer sit isolated in our own world and ignore what is happening around us.
Intentional leaders do not stay silent. Silence equals compliance. Intentional leaders are courageous and deliberative in speaking out about injustice and inequity. As you head into the week, consider the voice you have in all of this. How can you use your voice for good?
Silence Speaks
Silence delivers a message, perhaps more powerfully than words. Check out this article (click here) on 5 reasons you should speak up.
[Video] The Danger of Silence
“We spend so much time listening to the things people are saying that we rarely pay attention to the things they don’t.” – Poet and Teacher Clint Smith
This TED talk was delivered in 2014 but the message is perhaps no more applicable than it is today. Click here to watch.
Sound of Silence
“The Sound of Silence” is a song by the American music duo Simon & Garfunkel. The song was written by Paul Simon over several months in 1963-64. Art Garfunkel once summed up the song’s meaning as “the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly internationally but especially emotionally, so what you see around you are people unable to love each other.”
This is my favorite version of this song by the American heavy metal band Disturbed (click here). Click here for the original version.
Are You Standing Up?
“To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.” – Abraham Lincoln
I’ve always believed that intentional leaders stand up more than they sit down. Quick gut check: how have you been standing up lately?
Workshop Updates
Grab important workshop/conference updates below:
- July 29, 5-6 pm: Inspired Leadership Series, Gratitude, Registration to open soon!
- September 2: Inspired Leadership Series, save the date!
- RESCHEDULED, ON Leadership Conference: Due to meeting capacity limitations that are expected to be in place until the end of 2020, we will be rescheduling ON for the Spring of 2021. Stay tuned for more!
Warmest Regards,
