Taking ownership for change

Taking Ownership for Change – the Empathy Imperative

When I wrote my book, 50 Words, its started as a little project, a gift for my two sons.  The premise was if one could only save 50 words in the English language, which words would they be? It was my way of starting an important conversation with my kids about what I hold to be important, my value system; and thereby have my boys start that conversation about what is important to them.

Upon writing the book, the concept has generated a lot of interest, and wherever I go, I get the conversation going about values; about how understanding our values is important. It is important because it gives us a better understanding of ourselves, but more so because it is the first step in understanding that in order for us to be bold in changing the world,, we must act upon our values. Whether that manifests itself on the playground or in the boardroom.  It takes courage.  Yet, it is critical if we are to live in a world where our planet, its resources and its inhabitants are valued and treated with dignity and respect.

In order for change to happen, in order to become Changemakers, we must start the conversation about change. In order to start that conversation, we must care. In order to care, to have empathy, we must understand and relate to our values.

My book, 50 Words, is one small way for me to get that conversation started. I am working with teachers to create class projects that  allow students to create their own book of values and be able to start their own conversations with friends and loved ones. And I know that when they start talking,  they will start acting. And when people start to act to drive change, when they engage boldly and with conviction, then others will see, will listen and will also engage.

In working with  Ashoka ,  I see this  happening at an impressive, unbelievable scale through the groundbreaking work of social entrepreneurs in the area of empathy. There are hundreds of Ashoka Social Entrepreneurs implementing business models that involve values and empathy – in healthcare, education and other social models.  At Ashoka, we believe that if we are to change the world, eradicate hunger and poverty and reverse the destructive trend of our planet, then we must become a world of change makers.

There are leaders today,  entrepreneurs and big business alike,  who bring those values to the table, all the time, every day. And through these values, they engage and lead with compassion and empathy – in their dealings with their employees, in how they do business in other cultures, and in how they create business strategies that set goals of social profit along with financial profit.

However, this cannot be the domain of the few.  If we are to effect the change we need  for this world, then we must all become change makers.  And for our next generation to become change makers, we need new ways to talk about the imperatives of change. One foundational element to achieve this  is the need to talk to our children, the next generation of leaders, about values, about compassion, about empathy. We need to have that conversation at home, and it needs to be part of how we educate our children  – no different then the importance we place on teaching history, math or science.

This conversation needs to happen at all levels.  Each of us personally needs to engage and lead with empathy. We need to have the conversation wherever power and influence lives -   in the media, in education, in politics  and in business.

And it is happening…