Being angry and trying to get even with someone is counterproductive to getting ahead. – Hugh Ballou
There’s buzz about equality with government, the church and charities, and in business, creating a culture of mediocrity by attempting to make everyone equal – or the same.
Here’s the dictionary definition of “Equality”:
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e·qual·i·ty
əˈkwälədē/
noun
1. the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.
◦ MATHEMATICS – a symbolic expression of the fact that two quantities are equal; an equation; plural noun: equalities
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We have said equal, attempting to use the word in the first example; however, in practice, we have defined the term in the same manner as, 1+1=2. There’s no way that I am the same as anyone else on the planet! I hope you feel unique, as well.
In this sense, equality is NOT the opposite of discrimination. The opposite of discrimination is diversity. Let’s raise the bar, not lower it.
Women say they want equality with men in the workplace. I say that women bring better talents, different insights, and profound wisdom to leadership, so why dumb down to be equal?
Black leaders of both genders say they want equality in positions. I say that cultural diversity brings richness and creativity to the stale and broken systems of the past, so why dumb down to be equal?
Equality is a form of minimalist thinking that binds us and traps us in minimizing our efforts, and therefore minimizes us!
The old white guy leadership template is history! It’s time for a change
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Murray Bowen
The Transformational Leader leads by personal influence and not by position of power. As Murray Bowen defined in his essays on leadership, we change others in any culture by changing ourselves.
John Maxwell
John Maxwell defines the 360º leader as influencing everyone in the system, no matter what our position in the organization.
James Allen writes about the power our personal thoughts have over physical things.
Yet we dumb down to what we’ve been taught, to what the system is, no matter what we think, and dumb down to the intimidation of power – both formal and informal.
What if the legendary leaders of the past dumbed down to being “Equal” in society – Martin Luther King, Martin Luther, Mother Theresa, Rosa Parks, Fanny Crosby, Andrew Carnegie, and so many more?
God has created each of us as excellence! Why, then, must we dumb down to mediocrity?
Rather than pushing for equality, let’s strive for the excellence of diversity!
This post is in no way intended to minimize the lack of equal access for all of God’s people in the past. We are all a part of making things better.
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Blessings,
