Being an Ally Requires Speaking Up

Cathie Leimbach • May 17, 2022

"Courage matters more than niceness", says Austin Channing-Brown. She speaks up for justice, for diversity, equity, and inclusion.  She believes that everyone has someone to offer and that all of us deserve to have opportunities to feel valued and appreciated.  She believes that it is our responsibility to help others be positioned to contribute to the world around them rather than being continually sidelined, marginalized, and battered.


However, in our society today there is unspoken and spoken pressure to just get along - to just keep quiet and not rock the boat.  Yet, when we turn a blind eye to inappropriate behaviors in our homes, workplaces, and communities, we are allowing people to be hurt and our culture to erode.  As Channing-Brown says, "Speaking up for others, for orderly meetings, for the bullying to stop, is disrupting the 'safe' norm".  When we turn a blind eye to disrespectful words and hurtful behaviors, we may be maintaining social and physical safety at the moment, but our tolerance silently gives others permission to continue, and even increase, their negative actions.


It's not okay to put up with ineffective and disrespectful behavior.  Yet, it takes courage to go against the norm and do what is right.  Being 'nice' is often not being kind.  People are often described as nice when they are agreeable; they are stuck in neutral and don't offend or argue.  On the other hand, being kind is showing that you care about others, that you have their best interests in mind and you support them towards a more fulfilling life.  


In her book, Radical Candor, Kim Scott shares that due to having a 'nice' culture she had to close her small business.  Nobody in her company spoke up when an employee did not do their work well; rather than offend the underperformer, they redid the work.  Not having tough conversations with a pleasant employee wasted everyone's time, became frustrating for all, and prevented the business from being viable. 


Channing-Brown encourages everyone to be allies in making a difference in organizational and community diversity.  Marginalized people generally don't have the connections and resources to influence systemic change. Causes led by one person rarely make meaningful headway towards changes in organizational systems in government, businesses and non-profits, neighborhoods or families.  Allies are needed in the cause.  Society will benefit from strong allyship.  (This is a new word for me, too.) 


"Allyship is a life-long process of building supportive associations and relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and groups. An ally actively promotes and aspires to advance a culture of inclusion through intentional, positive, and conscious efforts."  Do you care enough about living in a strong, vibrant community to practice allyship in your organization or community?  Do you have the courage to speak up even when it means upsetting the unspoken norm?


When you see someone being marginalized due to race, gender, education, economic status, disability, life experience, etc., I encourage all of us to have the courage to speak up for them.  Go to bat for them to be considered and supported.  When you see someone speaking up for the marginalized, support them.  Speak up in the moment.  Go beyond words and take action.  Ask others to join the cause of creating organizations and communities where all people have opportunities to have a meaningful life.

Why New Tools Don’t Change Behavior

By Cathie Leimbach • January 27, 2026
New tools promise big results. New software, dashboards, and systems all look great on paper. But months later, many leaders are still asking, “Why hasn’t much changed?” Because tools don’t change behavior — leadership does. A system can organize work, but it can’t create ownership. It can’t set expectations. It can’t follow through. Without strong leadership habits, even the best tools just make problems more visible. What really drives results? Clear expectations Consistent follow-through Helpful feedback Leaders who model the right behavior When those are missing, people work around the tool instead of with it. Adoption drops. Frustration rises. And the old problems stay. So the better question isn’t, “What tool do we need next?” It’s, “Do our leadership habits support the results we expect?”  👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation to explore the habits that actually drive performance.

If Nothing Changes, What Will This Cost?

By Cathie Leimbach • January 20, 2026
When things feel “manageable,” leaders often continue with status quo. People are busy. Work gets done. But small issues quietly add up. Rework becomes normal. Deadlines stretch. Decisions take longer. None of it feels like a crisis, but together it eats away at time, energy, and profit. Inconsistent leadership makes it worse. When expectations change from day to day or from one manager to another, people stop giving their best. Some coast. Some get frustrated. Some start looking elsewhere. Turnover rises, along with hiring and training costs. The warning signs are usually right in front of us: Work keeps getting redone. Managers avoid tough conversations around poor performance. Good people are doing less than they could. Progress feels slower than it should. The real question isn’t, “Can we live with this?” It’s, “What is this costing us if nothing changes?” 👉 Join our 60-minute Leadership Conversation to explore how today’s patterns may be impacting your results — and what small shifts could make a big difference.