10/13/2020

Our 3-Day Virtual Conference was powerful!

We dove deeply into what it means as Leaders to continually Show Up when change is rapid, we are in ongoing crisis leadership mode and what can we really do we do about diversity and inclusion. It‘s one thing to read passively about these topics, yet another to engage emotionally and meaningfully. Boy did we ever!

It turns out that that last component, diversity and inclusion is a much hotter potato than many of us anticipated.  There are a spectrum of emotions and reactions when race and diversity is the topic. A common lament that I hear is "We must DO more" and until it changes completely, there is no progress".  Contrast that with extreme opposition, including the current Federal Administration banning diversity and inclusion training that they have deemed "divisive" and "anti-American" because the training included topic points such as "unconscious bias", "white privilege" and "systemic racism". 

As Nurses when we palpitate for a pain point and our patient grimaces, we know we are on the right track Given the vast participation, vibrant discussion, and subsequent after conference reactions of some members it looks like we have certainly identified a pain point. 

Throughout our 3-Day Summit, Moe Carrick, always combining grace with provocative thought-leadership both demonstrated and encouraged us to start with ourselves. To truly evaluate the efficacy of our intentions and decisions. Yes, that may seem like a small step for some. It doesn‘t have the grandeur of sweeping reform. It doesn‘t pound fists or push a giant reset button. It is however achievable and foundational. It sends a reverberating expectation to all of those in our sphere of influence: As leaders of change, if we are not grounded and committed personally, all external system changes we are initiating and leading, of any magnitude, will likely fail. This is an area where we simply do not want to fail, there is too much on the line. So where does this leave us? 

We have awareness, we have desire, we have the knowledge and the ability. Our action is in our steadfast commitment which will ultimately bring about the change that is long warranted in our industry and culture.

You are the faces of courage, grace and grit.

-cw