Web MasterLEADERSHIP HUB CONNECTION
- E-mail your Ideas Incubator Planner worksheet to Anam (anam@regionaldiversityroundtable.org).
- Engage on the Portal regarding any of the frameworks and resources we discussed at out session.
- Continue developing your community project ideas – post questions on the Portal and respond to posted questions to help everyone prepate for the upcoming Community Expo.
TAKE ACTION!
Learn about how diverse communities celebrate December holidays in Peel.
REFLECTION
Reflect on your personal leadership style and how you can transfer active listening and positive feedback skills in all aspects of your life.
TAKE ACTION: Hi folks! As it turns out I did a bit of research on winter month holidays for a youth group I run. So from what I know about Hannukah/Channukah, it celebrates the winning back of Jerusalem and a Jewish temple from a Syrian king who tried to force the Jewish people to worship the Greek gods. After the victory the temple was rededicated to God (Hanukkah means “rededication”) by lighting the temple lamp (menorah, a lamp with multiple stems), and even though only one day’s worth of oil was left in the destroyed temple, the menorah stayed lit for eight days. I got a bit confused when reading about the menorah, but if I’m correct, the hanukiah is a special menorah used during Hanukkah. I also found out about Kwanzaa! It’s a celebration for African diaspora peoples, actually created by a professor in the 60s who researched “first fruit”/harvest celebrations in several different African cultures. Kwanzaa itself is a Swahili word. The celebration has 7 days, 7 symbols, and 7 principles of community-building. There is also a candle-lighting, one each night like in Hannukah, and each lit candle represents one of the 7 principles to be practiced on that day. I don’t know much about Yule and wiccan stuff (any wiccans in the group who can direct me to resources?), but I do know that the word is almost 2000 years old and comes from pre-Christian European traditions. If I remember correctly, many Christmas practices aren’t actually Christian but rather enduring threads of pagan culture.
Hi Melanie,
This is great work! I know there are a few folks in our group that may celebrate one or more of these festivals, so it would be great to hear about others’ experiences with these special times of the year. Let’s continue to engage in dialogue about this, as it helps us to build bridges across our diverse communities.
REFLECTION: In leadership positions, I try to be diplomatic, to incorporate input from everyone, to give flexibility, and to give constructive criticism. I also try to be firm about deadlines, the effort that’s needed, and naming behaviour that’s problematic or inappropriate. I don’t feel the need to be very business-like except close to deadlines and in writing, because I know what it feels like to be intimidated by/afraid of authority—I don’t want to be that kind of leader.
At this point, my two main obstacles to becoming a better leader are anxiety and assumptions. My flavour of anxiety disorder makes me want to do everything IMMEDIATELY, and if I don’t control that it makes me want OTHERS to do everything immediately as well. I lose sense of appropriate timelines of progress, deadlines, and follow-up. I also have the social intelligence problem where I make assumptions about what people think/feel/want/can do, and then act without confirming anything. Or I’ll assume that everyone has the same abilities as me, which results in awkward moments of insensitivity.
I’m actively trying to slow down my mind, question myself, and take what people say at face-value or from a not-knowing stance—these practices, I think, tie into the practice of good active listening.
Melanie, I thank you for speaking so honestly about the leadership methods you employ in different situations and the challenges you face around improving your own leadership abilities. I am sure there are many others who can relate! Keep reflecting on how you can better balance between taking care of yourself, setting boundaries, and moving social change work forward in an inclusive and positive way. It is definitely not easy, but reflecting on it and recognizing it is a very important first step, so I commend you for that.
There are some churches and families along Peel starts the Christmas celebration on the 16th of December. They celebrate mass every night aside from the regular schedule in the church. Masses usually happens in the evening. Parishioners bring food that they could enjoy after the celebration. You get to know each other as they come to enjoy the food. Reunions usually happen in December and some families flew to their native countries to reunite with families, friends, and schoolmates.