To create a major change, you need to fight for it

I have in my phone the Gandhi saying: 

'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.'

I look at it every now and then, to generate that fire in my belly when I lead or support a major transformation program. If you are a Change leader - take heed. You need an appetite and a resilience to lead a big change. You need to believe in it more than anyone else. As when others try to bring you down, when others fight you, you need to keep holding the future vision you have and keep on keeping on. For me, my primary motivation is when the transformation is needed to have the organisation perform better. If I feel the transformation is the right thing to do for customers or for staff (hopefully for both) then nothing can stop me.

This seems very relevant this week. With the protests across the globe after the death of George Floyd. And globally this is an issue - even in Australia. It is important to take a stand and say loudly that racial injustice and hundreds of years of racial discrimination continues to live and breathe in our society today. Not just with those in authority (and in organisations) but also in almost all systems in society - (in fact I would struggle to say any system that doesn't have racial bias underpinning it).

We can't continue to ignore this. For those of us, who on a day to day basis, don't experience this injustice because of the colour of our skin, it is easy to dismiss. It is preferable to stay in our comfort zones and either be silent on the debate or worse, we could relate to it as a 'minority' issue. Let's not sweep this issue under the carpet and devalue the debate.

Moments like these present an opportunity to seek truth and depend your understanding of this issue which is owned and created by all. If you are finding it hard to grasp the truth - seek knowledge from various sources. Here is a link to some documentaries that may help provide a different level of perspective.

You may feel empathetic pain through this process, just as I did as I listened to the stories of slaughter and genocide of Australia's first nations people. As an ally I shed many tears yet none compared to those who experienced it. The soul wrenching grief. I will feel only a slight sense, only the slightest sense of the trauma that is felt through generations of indigenous people. Only a sense of the anger on their behalf which is nothing compared to the anger that would be felt if it was my family.

The anger that fires the protests, the violence and the hatred - is 100% justified. And I am hoping that coming out the other end of this time in the world's history that some small level of healing occurs through even more understanding but more importantly tangible change. For white people in many of these systems (including myself) to push to support people of colour at work, in our communities, and in organisations we do business with.

From the action of this week I hold out for some healing to eventuate from shining a light on injustice. For every brick that is thrown - a hand has been extended. For every inhumane message or comment made by world leaders, a more connecting message is conveyed by community leaders. 

Remember the wise words of Gandhi - 'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.'

I hear the voices of people of colour. Black lives matter. I stand with you.