I admit that I have a certain lens when I look at the news every morning. When I scan the headlines, I tend to focus on two types of stories – those about women leaders and those about thought leaders.
And while the stories of women leaders are not usually all that great – unequal pay, glass ceilings, etc. – the stories of thought leaders are almost universally uplifting. There are the students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School standing up for gun control; the women who founded the Black Lives Matter movement — Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi – working against myriad injustices; and the many voices of the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements speaking out against the pervasive culture of sexual violence and harassment that keeps too many silent.
I am also inspired by the corporate leaders who use their platform to raise awareness about causes that matter to them. Whether it’s Elon Musk speaking out against artificial intelligence or Starbucks Corp.’s Howard Schultz pledging to hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years… when you have a prominent voice you can use it to make a difference.
But not all of us are running global companies or are the leaders of causes that are daily in the news. How do we get noticed for our ideas and make a difference on the front lines of perhaps less visible change initiatives? Here are some ideas from clients and colleagues that I hope can spark you to take action.