We are seeing conflict move so quickly to chaos these days.
Anger, entitlement and self-preservation can kick into overdrive when you feel devalued. We forget about relationships and fight to be right, no matter the cost.
Civility is pushed aside more and more as we navigate our differences.
The wounds of relational trauma, betrayal, neglect, poverty, racism are playing out in so many spaces of public gatherings and personal relationships.
But now is not the time to throw our hands up and walk away from this messy state of affairs.
Yes, there is a lot happening that takes us out of our space of leading from confidence, clarity and calm. It is inevitable that our emotions will overwhelm us at some point.
But it is essential that we cultivate spaces together that encourage conflict that moves us towards solutions, not sensational soundbites.
We have to look at how we communicate and the language we use. We have to intentionally set expectations and guidelines for what is okay and what is not okay.
We have to lead with dignity, which means doing the deep inner work so we can show up and lead by facing our biases and recognizing the inherent worth of every person.
Today’s guest fosters civil dialogue and inspires communities to build strength, courage and purpose.
Rosalind Wiseman is the founder of Cultures of Dignity; an organization that shifts the way communities think about our physical and emotional wellbeing by working in close partnership with the experts of those communities–young people, educators, policymakers, and business and political leaders.
She is also an internationally recognized author of multiple books, including Queen Bees and Wannabes, the
groundbreaking best-seller and basis for the movie Mean Girls and its subsequent Broadway adaptation.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
- How to define and foster a culture of dignity through deep listening and engaging with ideas
- The real value of debating in good faith and what our culture gets wrong about “winning”
- How the dynamics of authority and expertise we enforce with kids can defeat our purposes, and ways to turn them around
- How to use principles of a culture of dignity to set expectations and norms for handling conflict and dysregulation
- Why young people need more than just to know their rights, they need skills to implement them and a responsibility to advocate for other
Learn more about Rosalind Wiseman:
- Cultures of Dignity
- Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World
Learn more about Rebecca:
Resources:
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