On a Tuesday evening in March, members of the NationSwell Council gathered around the digital table to discuss how social impact leaders can better foster cultures of purpose in our professional and personal lives. Given the ongoing health crisis, we also took a moment to discuss how we’ve been showing up for ourselves, our teams and our partners.
In the hope that these might serve you on your mission to make this world a better place, we’re sharing out some of the key moments from our discussion. These insights, practices and recommendations all come straight to you from the inspiring Council members in attendance.
Insights

  • Moments of intense pain can be where the most opportunity lies.
  • One of the most valuable traits in a good leader is transparency, especially in times like these.
  • Being present in whatever way you can be present is of the utmost importance.
  • Remember that you’re not alone; there isn’t anybody in the world who isn’t dealing with this right now.

Practices

  • Ask yourself: How do we respond to this crisis, and other crises, through the lens of equity? How can we slow down and think about whose voices are missing, and who’s not at the table, when it comes to our responses and our solutions?
  • Imagine it forward: Ask yourself, “What does good look like? What might we be able to do that we feel good about in six months?” That way, you’re not always talking about doom and gloom.
  • When you’re communicating with key stakeholders, be clear about what you can control and what you don’t control.
  • You can’t do enough for your employees during times like these: Hold open office hours, share your vulnerabilities with your team.
  • But as you think about your employees, don’t forget to show up for your customers and partners too — They want to hear from you!
  • Inspire others: They need to hear in challenging times that we can get through it.
  • As our team workplace meetings become more digital, it’s a great time to get creative about how you can foster a sense of togetherness while we’re apart: Take people on home tours with Zoom and Hangout; recommend recipes for meals and cocktails and have everyone make them together.

Recommendations 

Welcome to Dispatches From the Council, a new series capturing insights, practices, recommendations and other powerful moments from some of our NationSwell Council events. If you have any feedback on this series, or if you attended and you’d like to add something you think we might have missed, please reach out via email. To find out more about the NationSwell Council, visit our digital hub.