LEADERSHIP AND RECLAMATION.

Lately, I've been reflecting on reclamation, which refers to the process of repurposing something (others may consider waste, of lessor or lessening value) to create a better state or condition. Essentially, it's using what you have. My grandfather built his house, the house my aunt still lives in, from reclaimed bricks. I never knew this though. I didn't learn until much later that my grandfather acquired the bricks used to construct it from a demolished project-housing site in nearby Detroit. Interestingly, as industrious as this act of ingenuity was, it never factored into my experience. To me this place (my grandfather and grandmother's and, later, my uncle and aunt's house) was a home, a space where I experienced love and was able to thrive. And recently it dawned on me... effective leaders leverage reclamation. Whether the industry output is chips and solar panels, affordable housing or student outcomes - leaders who get results use what they have, and often, they are able to use it so well that the impact can exceed even the results of those who begin with greater resources. As the aphorism goes, to the person who uses well what they have, more will be given. And the recipients of reclamation - consumers, those who may be unhoused, or students furthest from mastery - though unaware of the reclamation, are the beneficiaries of acceleration. Because acts of reclamation are ultimately enacted in service of others. #LeadWithReclamation

Image by pvproductions on freepik