Guest Opinion: The power of ‘us’
BY TERRY HERNANDEZ | Executive director, Chrysalis Foundation
Being dependent has sometimes been viewed as a negative. We’re taught early in life to be “independent,” or “individual” — to have our own thoughts and make our own decisions. Self-reliance, self-direction and autonomy are the buzzwords. Most Americans are fueled with the idea of individualism.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with the idea of independence. For the nonprofit sector and the organizations we partner with, this is the status we hope all women and girls will achieve. But stop to think about how connected we really are — from our reliance on others for friendship, love, and social and emotional needs, to the fact that Facebook now allows us to connect, one-to-one, throughout the world.
America’s glorification of individualism and freedom can blunt the drive to help others. It does not prepare any of us for collective goals of family, community and the common good. It’s about “I” instead of “we.”
Society is highly interdependent. Teams, networks, caucuses, congregations — formal or informal, spontaneous or deliberate — few of us would survive without the interconnections of these relationships.
Our interdependence helps shape change. It becomes a movement. It becomes purposeful collective action. This is how women work, and how women become leaders.
The skills women bring to the table, sometimes stereotypically deemed “feminine,” emphasize relationship-building, process-orientation, connectedness, care and concern. Women succeed as leaders because their leadership style is to facilitate, coach, mentor and teach.
We’re often under the impression that in order to make a difference, whether in the workplace, community or society, we need the power of a single charismatic individual. This may be important, but when we look behind this individual, we see ordinary people, oftentimes women, collectively working together. We can allow each other’s differences and honor each other’s separateness, yet focus on a unified goal. This is an innate and remarkable female attribute.
Dr. Angela Davis once said, “As isolated individuals we will always be powerless, but as communities, we can achieve anything.” This takes the commitment of each of us — we’re not meant to do it alone. Women know this.
Terry Hernandez is executive director of the Chrysalis Foundation, a public charity working to ensure that girls and women in Greater Des Moines are educated, safe, secure and economically independent. With her staff and board, she is committed to build community understanding of the issues, trends and opportunities we all have to make a difference in the lives of others. Hernandez enjoys speaking on leadership, communication and community issues.
CONNECTION POINTS
Email her at thernandez@chrysalisfdn.org or connect by phone through Chrysalis at 515-255-1853.
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