Authenticity.
Truth be told, I sorta forgot I had a blog. I couldn't remember the last time I posted. But I've always appreciated this blog, not just for its regular posts and updates but for its willingness to sit and wait until the spirit moves me to return. And if there's one spirit that always brings me back, it's LeaderShape. TU is currently hosting her 4th Institute (the first under me) and I was grateful to spend time last night with the community coordinating Guest Leader Night. We had some powerhouse Guest Leaders and I had the chance to review each participant's "tomorrow's headlines" to create a just, caring, and thriving world. #Inspiring.
But it was during an informal chat with our summer intern who drove up with me last night to the site that I was brought back to thinking about my core values. I blogged last August about my core values and while attending a conference back in March in Columbus, Ohio, someone raised the question of whether authenticity (one of my core values) is a privilege. And friends, that stopped me dead in my tracks.
Our field preaches authenticity. It lauds it. And heck, it's been one of my core values for the longest time! I believe strongly in living out loud and being myself and bringing my full self into almost any setting (or arena - the world sometimes feels like an arena). And then someone pointed out that's a privilege. That I (as a white, cis-gender, gay man) can show up and be myself. I don't have to wear a mask. I don't have to "put on" and censor myself for fear of judgment or reprimand. And friends, that just doesn't leave me feeling good. I believe in authenticity. I value it. And yet, if I can only practice it because my privilege allows me to do so, there's a problem here. A problem to which I don't yet have a solution. But one I'm going to mull over.
LeaderShape does that for me. Whether I'm co-leading a session or just passing through for Guest Leader Night, the Institute has a way of stretching me. Forcing me to sit in the mess. Nudging me to start conversations that matter. And always, always reminding me that community is one of the greatest gifts we can give to others.
But it was during an informal chat with our summer intern who drove up with me last night to the site that I was brought back to thinking about my core values. I blogged last August about my core values and while attending a conference back in March in Columbus, Ohio, someone raised the question of whether authenticity (one of my core values) is a privilege. And friends, that stopped me dead in my tracks.
Our field preaches authenticity. It lauds it. And heck, it's been one of my core values for the longest time! I believe strongly in living out loud and being myself and bringing my full self into almost any setting (or arena - the world sometimes feels like an arena). And then someone pointed out that's a privilege. That I (as a white, cis-gender, gay man) can show up and be myself. I don't have to wear a mask. I don't have to "put on" and censor myself for fear of judgment or reprimand. And friends, that just doesn't leave me feeling good. I believe in authenticity. I value it. And yet, if I can only practice it because my privilege allows me to do so, there's a problem here. A problem to which I don't yet have a solution. But one I'm going to mull over.
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