Patricia Jerido has earned her MSW, and served over 30 years as an advocate for social justice, so when she founded Leadership Matters Consulting, she engaged her skills to help those well-intentioned people who wanted to do good but needed a road map and guidance to truly make a difference in the world. She says the stakes are too high to rely on simply wanting to do good; we must employ strategy, discipline, review, candor, and compassion to make our work effective.
Since she was a small child during the Cold War, Patricia thought adults were way off the mark in focusing their energy on ways to destroy the world instead of making room for the people who could make the world a better place. Given that there are so many talented people in the world, Patricia wonders at the inefficiency of a society that would limit their participation. In fact, her view is to level the playing field by assisting those who need a step up to help create a socially just system that uses all of its resources for a sustainable way of life.
The Challenge Is to Dream Bigger
When Barack Obama was elected president, Patricia realized that she hadn’t been dreaming big enough. The possibility of a black president had never occurred to her and suddenly it was real. To enlarge her dream, she became a Take the Lead Leadership Ambassador to help women reach parity by understanding their relationship with power. Patricia says that power is about connection. She realizes that she is more powerful when there are more people like her who have power. When she is the only person in the room, that’s when she has the least advantage. She says the key is to build your network by working with other people like yourself. Parity isn’t going to come by itself.
Like all social justice initiatives, we have to develop strategies and work toward that end. Patricia has her eye on the long view. Today, she speaks to groups about the need for patience to stay sane in this political environment. As an example, she explains that the Underground Railroad existed 35 years before the Civil War. Then she reminds them that it’s only May.
Mindfulness Meets Social Justice
Many of Patricia’s words of wisdom center on staying alert to what’s around you. With things so easy In today’s world, we’re apt to go on auto-pilot. Patricia warns against it. She agrees with the Dalai Lama who told Dr. Nancy that the fate of the world is in the hands of the western woman, but she must wake up to improve it. Patricia says that we must be aware of what we do and live our lives fully. To find out more, listen to this conversation and visit Leadership Matters Consulting.com and follow Patricia on Twitter @culturalmusings.