Leadership is about leading by example. Leadership is about standing up for what you believe is right. Leadership is about impacting change in people. Leadership is about staying true to what you believe is right, even in the face of adversity.
John Lewis was the example of all these leadership principles.
John Lewis was a Congressman, a Civil Rights Activist, an author, and a leader on human rights to name a few. Lewis worked tirelessly to stand up for equal rights, voters rights, and to put an end to racial segregation. Lewis was one of the original thirteen Freedom Riders who organized bus trips to put an end to segregated transportation. He was jailed, beaten, threatened, and more, all in the name of standing up for what he believed in. He organized peaceful protests and sit-ins to bring awareness and make a difference. He packed ten lifetimes of difference making into his eighty years on this earth.
The philosophy that stands out for me is what Lewis referred to as, “good trouble, necessary trouble.” Lewis believed in what was right, and what was and is right is equal rights for all humans, no matter the color of your skin, your background, your sexuality, or your beliefs. In order to bring attention to equal rights, he chose methods that often got him in trouble with the law or put him in the way of physical harm. These methods would have caused many to shy away from the fight, for Lewis, it only fueled him more to make equitable changes for all.
Good trouble in the workplace can take many shapes and sizes, but most notable is the concept of standing up for whatever you believe in. This can mean supporting someone even when everyone else has given up on them. This can mean fighting hard for a program or project that you think will be a difference maker for the company, even when nobody else agrees. Good trouble can also take the shape of speaking out on behalf of underrepresented communities in the workplace, or fighting for those who don’t have the same voice as you. What you may risk in your brand, your image, or your name, is more than worth the ability to make a difference for others, especially if your platform gives you that space.
In the workplace, we tend to dance around things because our careers are so delicate. When we find the right job and we start making the right amount of money to support our lifestyles, it can change our voice. It’s hard to speak up for what we may believe in because that career is fueled by the way our leaders and peers think about us. Why would someone risk their mortgage all in the name of good trouble when they could just stay focused on whatever task they’ve been given? Good leaders aren’t afraid of good trouble to drive change.
John Lewis also knew that it was just as important to listen as it was to speak out. As a politician representing his communities, he spent time listening to his constituents to drive change. Good leaders listen on all topics, even if it’s not on the agenda for this week, month or quarter. The best leaders listen more than they speak and their quiet words are overshadowed by their actions. The peaceful sit-ins that Lewis organized weren’t always about words, they were about visible actions for all to witness.
John Lewis was also unwavering in his principles and philosophy as it related to equal rights. He stood in the face of adversity and never slowed down. Even after a Freedom Ride in which he was beaten and bloodied, and hit in the head left unconscious with a wooden crate, he still continued to work tirelessly to drive change. Not jail, nor risk of life caused him to slow his mission. Lewis, like many brilliant leaders, knew that in order to make a difference, he had to do something that others weren’t willing to do and to risk it all in the process.
Congressman John Lewis was so much more than any biography or journal page can ever capture in writing. He was the ultimate leader, willing to sacrifice it all in order to create a better life for his community. The next time you think about fighting for what is right, no matter the location or the topic, think about how good trouble, necessary trouble may end up making the difference in your outcome.
by Scott Bond
