“Have you space/time traveled before?” might not be the most expected question in a formal research interview or check-in question at a professional work meeting, but it’s what we’ve been asking leaders over this past year. And to our surprise, many leaders respond with, “Yes, I have…”
In retrospect, we should have known how common space and time travel is in the social good sector. It has been documented again and again, and most recently by Neha Mahajan and Felicia Griffin in The Call of Leadership Now: BIPOC Leaders in a Syndemic Era.
(April 20, 2023) where they share that “BIPOC leaders are being asked to simultaneously dismantle the past, survive in the present, and create an alternative future.” April 2023 was around the time LLC began our journey in researching and writing to now finally publishing a report called Leadership & Race: A Call to Each Other, Exploration of the Current Racial Justice Landscape and Recommendations for Action (October 2024). To be honest, this was not a subject that brought immediate joy to us coming out of the pandemic and much of the turbulent social, economic, political, and racial whiplash that followed. We have been hearing about the truths of our field, including systems changing quickly, organizations in transitions, frustrations about multigenerational workforces, leaders tasked with more than ever before, and a collective exhaustion. We, too, have had to move at warp speed, teleport, and travel long distances to the past and future to make sense of leadership and race today. Space traveling, however, helped us see how wrong our initial reservations were as leaders consistently shared bright possibilities over and over again. A clear learning is that once those futures are revealed, it’s hard not to believe in them, too.
We write this blog knowing that many of us would like to tap into that skillset of space and time travel right now. We wanted to share five ways to time travel safely. After that, we offered several reflection questions that were also posed to our Leadership and Race interviewees.
Five ways to travel safely
Curiosity
It’s not normal to space/time travel. The first skill you will need to lean into is curiosity. It might help to ground in your senses since gravity is out the door. You’ll need to feel things out a bit and expect no wrong answers while you’re suspended in space.
Protection
There’s a risk to time traveling. It’s seductive and possibly dangerous to wander off in our own multiverse. Try approaching this not as an expert but as a learner. Oftentimes, LLC mitigates unknown risks by taking a phased approach to this work, keeping an open stance, and remembering to have fun.
Tempo
It is true, warp speed can be too much. This is a reminder to slow down, pause, or even rest when needed. Your pace can fluctuate. It makes for the best music.
Connect
Rivers do not flow straight into the ocean in one solid stream. Our work towards liberation will take on many smaller paths, going past deltas and meandering through wetlands toward the ocean. We have to almost call out to each other regularly to say, “I’m over here. Are you close? Do we go on this leg together or alone?” It takes connection, trust, and relationships to do this, especially while you’re traversing the unknown. Make it a practice to give those connections attention and get back to calling on each other again.
Reground
You will have to come back after all the space/time traveling you’ve done. We need your wisdom, grace, and care in this present. Try mindfulness—the act of paying attention to the present moment. Perhaps drinking meditation can be a portal back to the present. Our staff regularly practices this. Start by simply paying attention to the coffee, tea, or water that you’re drinking while drinking it. Here’s a great primer on mindfulness by Sister Peace of Plum Village.
Reflection questions from Leadership and Race interviews:
- Do you have ancestors or other leaders you call on within this work? Who are they?
- What’s something from your past work that you’re proud of? Why was it compelling for you?
- Close your eyes and warp speed to a future time that feels joyful. When is this? What do you feel? What do you see?
- What are the brave and courageous ones saying in this future? (Another way to think of this: When we are collectively brave and courageous, what do you dream of us doing?)
- What hasn’t been said before that needs to be said?
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