"You say you want a revolution..."

I'm pissed that Bill Gates cares more about patents than people. I'm thrilled that for the first time ever, a U.S. President has agreed we must figure out how to institute a temporary waiver of patent protection related to Covid vaccines. A global pandemic requires a global solution and according to the BBC and MSF-Doctors without borders - temporarily waiving patents will unequivocally save lives. These stories, along with feedback on a post I wrote last week about leaving my professional association after more than 25 years, has me thinking about change and how it happens.

Yesterday, a LinkedIn connection wrote this about me leaving my professional association:

Effective change can happen from within and from enlightened professionals working together. I will not be joining your “departurism” and instead will work towards “changism”.

There are many "right" answers. We can have different and equally good ideas about how to affect change. We have different comfort levels with it too. And, while many prefer to work from within, not everyone believes it is possible.

Author Anand Giridharadas, and I’m broadly paraphrasing here, suggests if we want real change at a reasonable pace, we are fooling ourselves to think this will happen from within. Anand suggests an approach that sounds more like rebuilding than reparation and something about this rings true for me. 

The way I see it, for significant systems change to happen, particularly within something less than 400 years, requires individual change on a massive scale. It requires all those working within an organization to do deep reflective work, learning, and unlearning that will allow them to consider issues with humility and with collective good elevated beyond their individual success. When I consider the arrogance with which many leaders barrel through life and work, I’m hard pressed to believe that humility, learning, unlearning and a deep belief in the elevation of collective good over individual gain, is likely to be embraced.

If, instead, you start something new with like-minded and like-hearted individuals with shared values, guiding principles that are iterative and a belief that equity is core to who you are, then every decision for that organization will be considered through this lens. Do I think change is possible from within organizations? I do. Do I think it will be significant and happen at a pace that will positively impact significant numbers in a reasonable timeframe? I don’t.

 I think change from within will be about the voices that have always been heard continuing to be heard. I think change from within is likely to be incremental, more performative than meaningful. And, regardless, we need to do both. 

We need passionate colleagues who have the patience, will and desire to work from within existing organizations and we need passionate colleagues whose appetite for change inspires them to create new ways of knowing and being.

For most of my life, I’ve tried the "work from within" approach. Perhaps, with fewer years ahead of me than behind me, I’m anxious to see transformative change led by those most affected by inequity and injustice. So many of the gains we marched in the streets to fight for, are slipping away, or were never really there at all.

Whatever path to change you choose, thank you. Beyond all else, doing something is what is needed most.  We cannot afford apathy. Or to fight each other on the best way forward. We must simply work collectively, individually and systemically to ensure justice and humanity prevail.

#leadership #culture #equity #changemangement #systemsthinking #philanthropy #justice #inclusion #afp #fundraising #community