The Anatomy of a Modern Changemaker
The MotleyCrew wants to create a new playbook on creating social change.
The Anatomy of a Modern Changemaker
How to take a creative, more innovative approach to social change.
Ok, sit down. We gotta talk! The landscape for social change is in serious need of disruption. I say this all the time, and I will keep saying it: our new reality is chaos. And we must learn how to feel sane in a chaotic world. This is something we have to deal with in our daily lives, and it’s certainly something we have to deal with as wannabe agents of real, meaningful, impactful change.
I’m not going to bore you with which social issue is more important than the next. News flash: they are all important and most overlap. Ok, now that we got that out of the way, what do you need to know?
Well, funding is being cut for a lot of social programs; the economy is good for a few and terrible for most; and all of the trappings of a solid, middle-class life are unattainable for most people. It’s almost as if the old playbook for social change needs to be thrown out the window to make way for a new, more impactful approach.
What does this new playbook look like, you ask? Well, let me break it down for you:
Change yourself first. Are you living as the fullest version of yourself? Are you working towards showing up for yourself? Are you building a life that makes sense for you? Are you evolving in new and interesting ways? Before you pour into others, you really have to make sure that you have poured into yourself first. It’s not about being selfish; it’s about taking care of your well-being. Working in the public sector is hard work. It is intense, and it takes a lot from us. You have to make sure you get what you need first.
Know what you are good at doing. When you work in the public sector, you become a Jack of all trades because there is rarely enough staff to achieve your very big organizational vision. If you are anything like me, you naturally gravitate to a specific type of daily work. Recognize and understand that. You may not be interested in working on the frontlines as you have done, but you are amazing at fundraising. You don’t have to do all the things to do impactful work. I promise you.
Look holistically at social issues. Societal issues don’t happen in a vacuum. You have to look at a variety of tangential challenges that impact a particular issue. For example, women in poorer communities are often more likely to experience issues with access to quality healthcare, which can lead to increases in infant mortality rates. It’s going to be hard to help marginalized women solve their healthcare needs if they can’t solve their financial needs.
Think innovation, not change. A lot of social programs are failing to meet the moment. More people need access to food. More people are unhoused. To meet these growing demands, we have to come up with more innovative solutions to serve a lot of people, quickly. That is going to take innovation and disruption. It’s hard to believe how many organizations still have outdated intake processes that rely on pen-and-paper versus technology to quickly get people processed or connected to resources. I worked in both small and big city governments. I was always shocked at how antiquated some systems were.
Show and tell real stories of transformation. Sometimes the greatest teacher is the story of transformation. There is nothing more inspiring than hearing about how an individual was able to rise above unfortunate circumstances. But the stories of people experiencing challenges in real time also need to be told. I recently watched Frontline’s Born Poor special. I was moved by the courage it took for those families to tell their stories. Also, those are the stories of the people being left behind in our society. I get it, it is not easy to see, but it is the truth. Those stories need to be loud, proud, and the center of everything that you do.
Create meaningful change. That means that you have to look beyond wanting to do something meaningful to listen to what meaningful transformation is to the people or communities you want to serve. It’s not enough to say that you want to take your Ivy League education to an inner-city school to help students learn. You need to understand the factors that inhibit these same students from learning. A lot of these issues are, indeed, systemic.
Create sustainable change. If you really care about making lasting change, you have to take the time to create strategies; implement structure; document processes; and measure impact. I found that a lot of organizations talked about measuring impact, but few really took creating standard operating procedures or data management seriously. You cannot have transformative impact if you don’t know what works.
Look beyond government and nonprofits to create change. There are so many types of changemakers that exist. You could invent something, start a business that employs formerly incarcerated individuals, create an online community to educate others about politics, or use art and creativity to tell powerful stories. Being a real changemaker is less about how it looks and more about the impact.
Burn the old playbook. A lot of nonprofits and governments operate from a place where resources are severely limited. From that point of view, it will never be enough. I don’t subscribe to that line of thinking. I believe that we live in a world full of possibilities and abundance. For the true changemakers, you just have to be willing to do things differently. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be impactful.
I believe we all deserve the dignity of adequate food, water, and shelter. We all deserve to feel safe in our communities. We all deserve a fair chance at creating a decent life for ourselves and our loved ones. These should be the promises that any society fulfills to its people. I want to help you do the important work without feeling like you have to sacrifice so much of yourself to do so.
Want to be a modern changemaker? Download the Anatomy of a Changemaker self-assessment. Curious about the story behind the story? Check out my latest Hustle Rewritten Substack, Rewriting My Relationship With Social Change, for real talk. Explore the world of Sassy | Chic | Geek, check out our content here on Substack, on YouTube and Pinterest. We occasionally post on IG and Facebook.