Mar 31 2019
The faces of power are changing, more swiftly than ever. This week, I sat in rooms with leaders and voices who are breaking the mold of what power looks like. Scary, or promising? The jury is still out in some sectors of society. Read on for my take.
(Too busy to read and click through all the article links? Listen to this podcast episode, for highlights on the go.)
As The World Turns
The faces of emerging power - good, bad, or different?
Movements for more equality, and better representation, will likely be with us for generations to come. On the worst of days, it can feel like we're taking five steps back when we ought to be taking giant leaps forward. And we seem to be living in a time where gains made by women's suffrage, the rule of law, and voting and civil rights are under siege.
But these times are also an opportunity for brave, tenacious and creative citizens to step up. It's a moment when self interest can yield to common ground, when personal gain can align with the greater good, and when conventional wisdom can be amplified by fresh and new voices. Hoarding is out, sharing and re-imagining are in.
And so, those among us who are primed to speak up, and to reshape the conversation, feel a distinct sense of mission...because prevailing power structures haven't done the work of and for the people. Bestselling books about saving democracy, the change that elites purport (but actually thwart), and the need to find the humanity in our legal system, are sounding the right alarms at a critical time in our world.
I love and understand the power of words to drive this change. But, sometimes, and in our time, words are not always enough.
Our media-driven culture bombards us with as many as 5,000 ads a day today, compared to about 500 in the 1970s. And thanks to social media, visual content is the #1 focus for marketers, to help their message stand out and resonate.
So, when I attended a pop-up exhibition and conversation about The New York Times' portraits series of the women of the 116th Congress, I was curious about the thinking and planning that went into this bold and visionary project. Despite the unprecedented nature of having this many women in Congress at one time, and despite the contemporary feel of the imagery, there was something familiar about the portraits, and my novice mind couldn't quite figure it out.
After listening to the conversation with The Times’ photo editor Marisa Schwartz Taylor and photographer and Times contributor Celeste Sloman, it became clearer. The images were familiar because they resembled the classical political portraiture that hangs in Western galleries (like this one in the UK's National Portrait Gallery, or this one in its Washington DC corollary.) These are classical settings for powerful people, a perfect frame to position and celebrate the new faces of sharing and re-imagining.
Same setting, different gender, still powerful.
Om Is Where The Heart Is
Persecuted citizens vs a presidential hopeful
A contrast between the Eastern and Western hemispheres could not be more stark this week.
America's 2020 race presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is having his moment in the campaign trail sun, with political analysts assessing his odds of winning, and conservative media outlets showcasing his core message and key issues. Mayor Pete (of South Bend, Indiana), according to this article, has a resume that's "comically overstuffed," with an impeccable academic record, a tour of duty in Afghanistan, and a flair for languages.
He also happens to be gay, a (relative) newlywed deeply in love. And at least for now, in a country where same-sex marriage became the law of the land less than 5 years ago, "voters at his rallies said his sexual orientation was either a nonissue or perhaps an asset that helps him empathize with other groups that have faced discrimination."
This, though, was also a week we learned that Brunei will implement Islamic laws that would allow death by stoning for adultery and homosexuality. International backlash, particularly from Western countries, promises to be swift and sound.
Same sexual orientation, different country, still a minefield for the global LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Whatever comes of Mayor Pete's presidential campaign, his presence is a testament to, and holds the promise of, yet more new faces of power all around the world. Faces that make no excuses for who they are, and voices that are focused on getting more of the right things done.
News and Views
I'm taking 30 steps for humanity. Join me!
We begin a new month tomorrow, and I begin a new season of my life's work.
#30SFH (30 Steps for Humanity) is my contribution to the conversations bubbling up in so many circles right now e.g. workplaces, institutional integrity, jurisprudence, (inter)national security, and diplomacy. I'll tackle these arenas in turn, 30 steps at a time, as a personal (and with your help, a collective) commitment to raise the issues and highlight some promising solutions.
Last week, I shared initial reflections on a groundbreaking conference for Human Resources professionals. In coming weeks, I'll be sharing more stories, inspiration and solutions to reclaim the goodness of work. Work that makes our soul sing, and workplaces that help our collective spirit soar.
What stories of hard-won wisdom have you gathered, in pursuing that form of work for yourself or others? I'd love to hear them, warts and all, and to share them with others who want to move into their own best work.
In the next issue:
Spring is in the air, and it ushers in a new burst of energy and possibility for what we can do as a human race. So I'll be at a few more mind-expanding events in the coming days, and will share my thoughts with you next week.
Till then...
Live well and lead large - Maya
(featured image taken at the New York Times pop-up exhibition and conversation with Marisa Schwartz Taylor and Celeste Sloman, at the San Francisco Public Library)