Do you know how powerful you are?

So many leaders have no idea how powerful they are. And yet so many of them are trying to shift the status quo. 

Whether it’s challenging the non-profit industrial complex. Or disrupting funding models in philanthropy. Or pushing for anti-racist policies in government. Or resisting hustle culture in corporate. Or advocating for workers’ rights in tech. 

Doing systems change work without knowing how much power you have is risky business. That’s cuz the system wants you to think you’re powerless. It’s by design. 

Believing we have no power keeps us small. We become frozen by fear, chaos and overwhelm. We lose sight of what matters the most and where we can make the most impact. Sometimes we resort to compliance out of defeat. After all, why bother pushing if you don’t actually have the power to make a difference?

The truth is that we are so powerful in spite of what the system wants us to believe. 

Defining power from an anti-colonial lens

The power I'm talking about isn't about conforming to systems of domination (e.g. white supremacy, cis-heteropatriarchy, colonialism, capitalism). It's not about using supremacist tools to maintain dominance, hierarchy and control. It's also not about upholding dominant ideas of power that harm and dehumanize.

The power I’m talking about is the power we have within us - our agency. This kind of power comes from knowing what you’re capable of. And trusting yourself so you don’t get bamboozled by colonial narratives. It’s believing that you have the capacity to make choices that serve you and your community. It’s an unwavering belief that another world is possible and you have the skills to help build it. 

Agency is at the heart of our collective ability to build a better world. And we need to be able to tap into this power now more than ever. 

Building power for collective action

Accessing our internal power is not easy in a capitalist society. We’re fooled to believe that the only people who have power are those at the top. We’re told that we obtain power as we rise to the top. So I get why so many leaders think that climbing the ladder is the only way to change the status quo. 

Welp I’m here to tell you that there’s a different way to access power to make the impact you’re capable of. As a starting point, I wanna invite you to think about these three questions.

1. What am I fighting for?

Saying what you’re against (e.g. racism, sexism) is usually easier than naming what you're fighting for. The latter invites us to think about the world we want to build. It encourages us to reimagine what’s possible and reflect on how we’re contributing to this vision.

What you’re fighting for could relate to your work but it’s likely bigger than your job. For example, I’m fighting for collective liberation because every single person deserves freedom, safety, and dignity. At the heart of it, I want to live in a world where nobody is disposable. This guides my work as a leadership coach and is part of my values as a person. It influences my relationships, priorities, and contributions to my community. 

Maybe what you're fighting for has nothing to do with your job. For example, you’re fighting for climate justice cuz you want the next generation to be able to thrive. If you can't do this through your job, it’s important to find ways where you can make a direct impact outside of work. 

Understanding what we’re fighting for connects to the fire that fuels us. Despair becomes a lot more consuming when you don’t have an outlet to direct this energy into action. 

2. What’s within my control?

We often fall into the mindset that we alone need to change the entire system. This is not only unrealistic but also debilitating. To realize our power, we need to ground ourselves in what’s within our control vs. what’s out of our control. For example, I may not be able to dismantle white supremacy BUT I have the skills to coach people around leadership models that don’t replicate patriarchal white supremacist versions of power. 

We need to invest our energy into things that allow us to exercise our agency. It's harder to make an impact when you don't have control over how you spend your time or decisions that impact you.

Doing systems change work in large institutions means you’ll 100% have to deal with BS, egos and politics. Because of this, it’s sooo important that you know what replenishes you vs. what depletes you. Things that replenish you are often areas where you can use your gifts and skills to make an impact. It’s usually work that brings you the most joy and fulfillment. 

On the flip side, things that deplete you are usually areas where you have the least amount of control. They’re distractions that prevent you from making the impact you’re capable of. Think: office politics. 

Knowing what replenishes you and depletes you allows you to focus on the things that matter. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the chaos, you need to know how to protect the things that replenish you. 

3. What do I have that might make life safer or easier for anyone else? 

I saw this last question in an IG post by author and poet Hanif Abdurraqib. It encourages us to focus on impact that’s centred on humanity. 

Institutions often celebrate impact that can be packaged into fancy KPIs. For example, how much money did we make? How much engagement did a post get? How many users did we onboard? How many products did we sell? Thanks to these limiting metrics, many think they're not making an impact if it can't be quantified or scaled. 

I wanna invite you to think about your impact beyond the confines of capitalism. To me, impact is about doing what you can to create better alternatives. It’s finding tangible action to build the world that you’re fighting for - and doing this consistently. 

Your impact today could be getting groceries for your immigrant neighbour who’s too afraid to leave their house due to ICE abductions. Or redirecting your February paycheque to a mutual aid fund to support the recovery journey of a Black man who was shot by the police. Or restocking a community fridge in your neighbourhood. Or calling/writing to your local councillor to keep warming centres open for unhoused neighbours. Or attending a community fundraiser for Gaza. These actions are radical and impactful in a society where we’re told to isolate and abandon each other in times of need. 

Remember! Your impact as a human being goes beyond your job. 

Stepping into your power

The most powerful people are those who know themselves. They're uncompromising about their truth. They know what their gifts are and how to lean into them. They know what depletes them, what empowers them, and where to spend their energy. They understand that their responsibility extends beyond self. They're rooted in a loving community. They know they’re part of a collective movement. And they know another world is possible. 

We all have the potential to step into this power. Don’t let the system tell you otherwise. 

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The world may be a dumpster fire but here are some things that have been giving me life:

• The people in Minneapolis who are showing us what true power looks like ✊🏽

• Anything by Mon Rovia but especially this song 

• One of my favourite poems by Nikita Gill 

• Reverting back to my teenage self thanks to Heated Rivalry 🥲