113 Empathy, Activism & Power: Rethinking How We Lead скачать в хорошем качестве

113 Empathy, Activism & Power: Rethinking How We Lead

It is personal. It is complex. It is lived daily. Leadership in the Development Sector is never just theoretical. In this episode of Lessons From Leaders, I sit down with Kehinde Togun, Managing Director, Public Engagement & Partnerships at Humanity United, to talk candidly about how personal experiences influence how leaders use their voice, their influence, and their choices to push for change. Kehinde talks openly about growing up with a medical disability, moving between Nigeria and the U.S., having parents who were career public servants, and his mother’s steady reminder, “every disappointment is a blessing in disguise.” All of this became a lifeline and, over time, a way of seeing the world that invites us to roll up our sleeves and turn pain into purpose. When he says, “I feel very blessed to be who I am today, doing what I’m doing right now,” you can feel the journey behind this sentence. We talk about what it really looks like to hold empathy and activism together: seeing people in their full humanity while calling for change, and pushing for systemic shifts in the Development Sector that does not easily let go of control. Kehinde is candid about the messy middle, giving grace, staying clear‑eyed about harm, and remembering that “we are all works in progress,” including those with the titles. We look at localization and decolonization in practice, not just on PowerPoint slides: rethinking who is the “expert,” how Western‑based institutions share power, and what it means to accompany rather than direct when you hold resources. Kehinde offers concrete moves any leader can make right now: • paid internships that actually open doors, • authentic networking, and • using your seat at the table to say, “Have you seen this person?” Thank you, Kehinde, for this rich and generous conversation. I invite you to listen, and walk away both challenged and newly energized. about the kind of leadership you want to practice.