|
Dear Carolyn,
Don't say anything...don't say anything. Keep your mouth shut. Don’t rock the boat. It’s not worth it. This too shall pass.
Here in Canada, patriotism feels like it’s at an all-time high, and winning the 4 Nations Hockey certainly helped. Even so, I worry that not enough people are talking right now. I can’t help but think that some courageous conversations need to be had, now more than ever.
At Better Your Best, we promote and encourage Courageous Conversations as a key differentiator to success in organizations. Our Leading Self-leadership course finishes with exactly this module. Over the year, month by month, we help leaders develop the self-awareness they need to lean into difficult conversations and meet the moment. These are palm-sweating conversations that leave the status quo forever changed because a leader has dared to say what needs to be said.
So keep reading. I’m going to make a courageous statement. But first, a little context.
My grade 12 history teacher was Mr. Bennett; he remains one of my all-time favourite teachers. He sparked in me a deep interest in 20th-century history that remains to this day. He was a brilliant teacher who started each class with incredible stories about battles, tactics, and policies.
He taught us that for the past 100+ years, Canada and the US have gone to war together, as allies. We have fought together around the globe for democracy, freedom, and the right to self-determination.
My great uncle, Second Lieutenant Ian Stewart Farquharson, died in Belgium fighting for democracy, fighting against fascism in WWII. The last place my grandmother saw my great-uncle was at the train station when she had to say goodbye to her best friend. A true Scot, that was the only story she ever shared with us about her brother; she would also always say, “I don’t say goodbye”, and avoided seeing people off at the airport. The cost of these wars we’ve fought is personal for so many.
How many soldiers have died in battle defending democracy, freedom, and self-determination? How many of your family members? How many friends?
Eighty years later, Trump's rhetoric about annexing countries, 51st states and ignoring the historical facts makes me want to scream. I can’t help but wonder, Where's the outrage from the US military and the US Vets? How can they allow their commander-in-chief to desecrate so the valor of the tens of thousands of men and women who have given their lives in the name of freedom?
It’s time for all of us to meet this moment.
I recently watched a great movie called “Lee Miller” about a female WWII photographer. She’s asked in the movie “Why did no one do anything when Hitler started gaining more power?” She answers it “happened so slowly, yet kind of overnight. We woke up one morning, and Hitler was the most powerful man in Europe.”
I am not the only one worried that the same thing is happening again. The current American president’s apparent mission is an autocracy built of money, power, and pride. We can only hope that it is not powerful enough of a mission to mobilize the masses.
But this time, it isn’t happening slowly. It is happening right in front of our eyes. Lies are being told. Reporters are being silenced. Facts are being ignored. History is being rewritten. That is not the Western way.
It’s Time To Be Courageous
It is time for us to stop being polite and instead, stand on guard for our own democracy. For me this looks like courageous conversations, calling out fact over fiction, and stop the “othering” of those who disagree with us. We need to be critical thinkers who seek out news from credible sources. It may also look like turning the news off for a few days and getting grounded in the moment and that which fulfills you most.
In the words of the sublime Jane Fonda who showed courage during her SAG Lifetime Acceptance speech on Sunday night, “We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future.”
We must all gather to meet this moment and carry on the mission of the freedom fighters like, my great-uncle, who came before us.
What does being courageous in this moment mean and look like to you personally and professionally?
Meet the moment with Strong Mental Fitness!
Group training starts in April!
Details can be found here:
Mental Fitness helps you manage stress, make tough decisions, and stay focused under pressure. As a proactive approach and a critical component of leadership development, mental fitness strengthens emotional intelligence, improves conflict resolution, and fosters stronger relationships.
PROGRAM INCLUDES:
• A personalized app to guide the program and build your mental fitness
• 8 Weekly Video Training Modules
• 8 Facilitated weekly group debrief sessions
• 15 minutes/day of app-guided practice that establishes mental muscles (neural pathways) and are bite-sized to fit into your busy schedule. "
• The audio book of Positive Intelligence
To be a leader in 2025 requires great courage.
Courage to get uncomfortable and to lean into conversations that shake up the status quo. Courage to call out fact over fiction. Courage to be critical thinkers. Courage to model your values and inspire a vision for all.
|
