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Reflecting on how I became who I am and what I value, I remember something my high school composition teacher said to us on our first day of class. Ms. Young said, “Don’t forget that everyone has some kind of power over you somehow.” Her teaching philosophy emphasized that she didn’t assume she automatically knew more than us, but recognized that we also had something to teach her. As a semi-out lesbian in a small, rural town, she knew something about power and privilege. I later expanded on that sentiment and began to use the following phrase to guide me in making just decisions - “just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.” The phrase asks me to consider my power in any given situation, and whether I am using influence just because I can. For example, just because we can control powerless animals and use them for food doesn’t mean we should. Or at least that is how I approach the choice to be a vegetarian.
My philosophy of social work leadership emphasizes integrity, equity, and trust in each other while placing practices that distribute power at the center. I want my leadership to actively reduce harm, be accountable, and always push against the system’s inequitable baseline. Ultimately, I want to work with staff to create just services that the clients report as helpful to their lives and health. My personal leadership values and principles are integrity, the importance of human relationships, equity and inclusion, systems thinking, and reflective practice. I include integrity because it guides ethical decision-making, creates trust with staff, and brings transparency. In a system that easily allows harmful policies and practices to persist, a leader who slows down to consider ethical implications and values the trust built with staff can bring more equitable practices to the program. For example, fully participating in a feedback loop with staff input means taking ideas to policymakers promptly, advocating, and returning to staff with an honest response. There is nothing more important than our relationships with each other, regardless of position or label. Valuing the whole person, whether staff or client, ensures that I also value everything that is important to them. For example, making time to celebrate successes and achievements with staff, even if they aren’t work-related. Everyone’s entire personhood is valuable to me, and it is special that they bring their experiences to the workplace. Equity and inclusion must be a part of leadership values. We must ensure that we highlight marginalized voices and address systemic disparities. We must ensure that staff feel safe in their workplace, clients feel safe working with us, and services provide high-quality care. For example, the program must include client voice in its decision making. Rather than telling the client, “take the services or leave them,” we can ask why the services don’t work and what would be helpful services to them to address their needs. I include systems thinking as a core principle. One way to push back against the hegemonic nature of institutions is to identify and address how the system passively maintains inequitable practices. Holding individuals accountable is needed, but the system is always in the background, likely doing much deeper, longer-lasting damage than one person can. For example, we can develop a way to seek client feedback on barriers encountered when navigating the system and consistently escalate these barriers to policymakers. The final value I hold for leadership is reflective practice. Particularly as a White leader, I must be self-aware as a way to reduce bias. This plays an essential role not only in situations that directly involve identity, but also in complex events with several variables. The system automatically values White perspectives and approaches, allowing White leaders to ignore or never receive feedback, avoid uncomfortable conversations, and dodge the impact of poor decisions. For example, I can attend a White affinity group to seek feedback on situations, accept perspectives, and act when repair is needed. |
Two leadership theories ground my philosophy – servant and shared leadership. If leadership is not inherent, it can be shared, which means sharing power. Combining servant leadership theory with shared leadership qualities creates a trauma-informed opportunity. As a White leader, the obligation to share power is a cornerstone of my philosophy. Servant leadership values listening, empathy (for a White leader, the imperative to humanize), healing, and building community. These values are essential in my workplace and will continue to be crucial for team growth. Our team is full of talent, and they do not need another overbearing leader. When given the opportunity to create workflows to meet the outcomes required, the team can execute. Learning from the past is also a quality of servant leadership – processing feedback is a key to success.
Our program is team-based; thus, much of the decision-making should come from what the team wants. It behooves me to figure out what needs to be decided by leadership and what we can let the team do, even if it is not my preference. Social work uniquely includes equity and inclusion as one of its central tenets. Like any institution founded in America, there are skeletons in the closet, and we must hold our own profession accountable. In parallel practice, we can bring antiracism and its attributes to our teams and leadership groups. I strive to be a leader that people feel is honest, transparent, grounded, connected, and a little bit fun. I hold importance in trying not to repeat past harms. Our role is to push the system, but of equal importance is my charge to take accountability for harms, mistakes, and missteps. Then, correct those harms by acknowledging and correcting. Grave injustices lie in the system, but individual harms to staff lie in the leadership. Another unique attribute of social work is seeing people in their environment, not as disconnected entities. We must see staff as whole people, coming from their communities to work together for a common goal. In that way, we can more easily identify and leverage staff’s strengths, which is also a founding attribute of social work. My personal philosophy utilizes two main strategies to realize my values – a strengths-based approach grounded in cultural humility. To foster collaboration, I have to create opportunities using the special skills of each staff member. By focusing on what skills people already demonstrate well, I can honor the diverse experiences each person brings to work. One way to ensure I know everyone’s strengths is to prioritize spending time with the teams in the field. We can create shared experiences together, I can understand how everyone approaches client engagement, and the team can build trust with me as a provider. Equally as important as time in the field together is, connecting with each staff member in the office is also essential. I can learn more about their life, ideas, and solicit feedback on the program, our services, and my leadership. Having these types of conversations brings my values – accountability, equity, systems thinking, and self-reflection – to the forefront of my leadership activities. I believe leadership should value every voice and take an unrelenting approach to systemic change. I want to be fearless in challenging inequity and humble in sharing power. Through connection and healing, I aim to build just services and repair harmful practices. |