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Spring is already shifting into summer across the US, and the transition is bringing much with it. There are flowers and plants in bloom, new life appearing everywhere, and lots of warmth and sunlight.
But there are other things in the air, as well. Pollen, for one, but also a sense of urgency, the continued reality of the pandemic and our country’s racial reckoning, and the always-present truth of change driving us in directions we may not have planned to go.
To help you find ease and joy during this seasonal transition, we offer this springtime practice we’ve shared a few times over the years. It’s a series of three nature-based questions to guide you in finding where you’d like to focus your leadership in the coming weeks and months, or even to just open up your imagination to possibilities:
- What do we want to sow now, that will be ready for harvest in six months, a year, or two years?
- Are there “weeds” growing in our organizations or movements that aren’t beneficial to the growth of the whole?
- What nourishment does our leadership “soil” need, so that today’s effort will have the impact we want and will satisfy us when it’s time to harvest?
(From “Spring” by Akaya Windwood, originally published in April 2014)
Alums In The News
- Aisha Nayandoro & Magnolia Mother’s Trust were featured in an article on Next City and partnered with Magazine to launch a series called Front & Center
- Gloria Walton, with Mark Ruffalo, appeared on CBS This Morning
- Vanita Gupta was confirmed as associate attorney general
- Monica Simpson & SisterSong were featured in Marie Claire’s Changemakers 2021: Working Towards Wellness list, which was curated and written by alum Raquel Willis
- Taifa Butler was named the next president of Demos
News & Inspiration
- “Embodied Practice: How to bring movement practice into virtual space to foster connection with our bodies’ wisdom” by Root. Rise. Pollinate!
- “If you want a truly equitable workplace, you must get over fear of conflict” from Fast Company
- “Practice & Power” from New Moon Collaborations
Leadership Opportunities
- NYC / Miami:O.U.L. Sisters Leadership Collective is seeking an Interim Executive Director
- Various Locations: Solidarity Center has several openings, including Country Program Directors in Bangledesh and Brazil
- Remote: Free Press has a few open positions, including Media 2070 Campaign manager
- Washington, DC / East Coast: National Center for Transgender Equality is looking for a Digital Media Manager
- Chicago: Grassroots Collaborative has two positions open, including Development Director
- California: California Donor Table / California Donor Table Fund is looking for a Deputy Director
