Hello Houser Community,
I want to express my appreciation and gratefulness for this platform, recognizing that not everyone has the privilege of an audience like this one. In recent weeks, I have seen leaders in many nonprofit and public service spaces use their platforms to express their commitment to justice, to humanity, and to love. Organizations have released statements that double down on their missions, encourage and inspire during this dark time, and demonstrate transformational solidarity in this season of fear and division. I have listened, read, and absorbed many of these words, waiting for and wondering if words would come to me, ones that would be worthy of this platform, words to share with all of you. And, the single word that reverberates in my mind is leadership.
As of last week, I have been leading SV@Home for 3 years, and I’ve found this leadership role challenging at times and encouraging at other times. While I continue to grow and expand my adaptive leadership skills, one of the few things that has come into sharp focus is the need for leadership that reflects the diverse communities of this region in every way. I see the importance of leadership in our local communities and at every level of government and business, and I continue to ponder on the responsibility that comes with leading and on the need to invest in new, more inclusive leadership. Representation matters.
Real leaders recognize the need to challenge the systems that function poorly, and great leaders show us all how to question and push for better outcomes for more people, all people. Multiple lenses, multiple leaders from diverse perspectives will get us to a place of curiosity, engagement, and discovery sooner with our problematic housing system. This country, this world has always needed bold leadership; leaders like Harriet Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Dolores Huerta.
In this moment, it is more important now than ever to find those leaders, appreciating the leadership that has brought us this far, who are willing to courageously take this work of housing justice to a place that will only result in change. We need leaders that recognize that the worst case scenario is things staying the same. As a community, we must reward leadership that experiments and takes risks, recognizing successes and not settling until all can flourish. At SV@Home, we prioritize knowledge sharing, trust building, and connection because we know that this movement to transform our housing system will be carried by a host of leaders working together. Leadership is not a solo act; it is service beyond oneself, working alongside others to move something that requires collective effort.
I will leave you with some words from Michelle Obama and her book, The Light We Carry, “I believe that each of us carries a bit of inner brightness, something entirely unique and individual, a flame that’s worth protecting. When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it. When we learn to foster what’s unique in the people around us, we become better able to build compassionate communities and make meaningful change.”
– Regina Celestin Williams, Executive Director