When my parents moved to Canada from Kenya in 1976, we settled in a small rural town in Alberta, Canada. We were the only people of colour, we were reminded of this daily. My sisters and I experienced being called a paki, bullying on the school bus, or, even in the classroom in front of the teachers. It wasn’t until my family moved to the city that I realized that what we experienced was not normal life.

I still remember my first day in grade 5, two girls, Andrea and Renee, came to introduce themselves at recess. Up until that point in my life, it was such a phenomena for my classmates to say hello and want to talk to me. They were my first allies. I still remember their faces and smiles.

Their simple action of welcoming me to the classroom and being my friends created what we now call an inclusive environment of belonging. This changed how I viewed myself, gave me the courage to make more friends without fear, and to see myself beyond the colour of my skin.

As I got senior in my career I started to hear the voices of those at the leadership table - “We can’t do the deal with her, she is pregnant,” “We can’t promote her, she is pregnant,” “You don’t have kids, what do you need so much money and balance for,” “Make sure you wear a professional sexy dress and shoes when you meet the chairman,” “You are an attractive woman, you will land on your feet in no time,” “They are not professional looking, how can we present them to the client, we can’t hire them.”

The more I heard these voices, the more I started to believe them, which crippled my confidence, and I became afraid to speak up.

As I reflect back, I wish that I pushed back louder against these voices. Allyship, gender inequality, and racism were not topics easily spoken at work. We didn’t have the language we have today. These messages are damaging for everyone in the workplace. The organization suffers not getting the best out of its talent. The leader suffers as they can’t fully and authentically lead. Employees suffer as they have to code switch to belong, which impacts how they act and feel, which ultimately impacts their advancement.

These experiences have led me to the mission of my company today - to get more authentic and diverse voices to the leadership table.

We need to change the voices at the table, and this starts with us. I want to help leaders claim their executive presence, claim their confidence, and claim their leadership voice to reach their leadership potential and claim their spot at the table. Creating an equitable and inclusive environment starts with you being the leader that you want to be, whatever that looks like for you.

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” - Angela Davis

Resources to Bring Allyship into Leadership

Change starts with individual leaders’ taking responsibility for their own attitudes and behaviors. There are a number of ways to do this.

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Are you looking to bring Allyship is Leadership to your organization? In my new program, learn how to close the gap between intention and action and about the impact that allyship can have. Contact me or email me at salima@unleashforward.com to learn more!

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