Movement Training Isn’t Enough: The Urgent Need for Transformational Change

Authoritarianism is on the rise in our country. To meet the challenge of this moment, we must shift and evolve our activism and leadership.

Authoritarianism is a political system that concentrates power in a single leader or small elite in order to advance the interests of the few and suppress dissent and opposition from the populous.  Authoritarianism is the antithesis of democracy. After all, democracy is rooted in the idea that power should be shared by the people and leveraged to advance the desires and interests of the people at large. Even a representative democracy -- like that which America has strove for, is rooted in a belief that government should function for the people and be run by the people.

One of the tools of authoritarianism is militarization and fear. President Trump is currently weaponizing of the national guard against our communities, attacking community leaders who dissent, and weaponizing the FBI against political enemies. These are all markers of authoritarianism. 

In other words the context of social justice and our pursuit of liberation have changed in a way that requires us to go deeper, be more courageous, more wise, and more bold. 

Here's the thing: Courage and wisdom are not merely intellectual exercises. They are characteristics that must be cultivated. In other words we cannot simply train our way to the wise and courageous leadership we need in this moment. 

Not just movement training. Transformation.

To truly equip movement leaders for this moment, we must move beyond training towards deeper transformation. Decades of experiences has taught us that to truly cultivate Wise Warriors we must engage Six Tenets of Transformation. At their core, the Six Tenets of Transformation are a roadmap for how grow your capacity to lead with the wisdom, discernment, power, and courage of a Wise Warrior.

Training: Trainings provide important opportunities to learn new skills, frameworks or political education. Trainings can lay the groundwork for us to reorient ourselves to new ways of thinking and doing.

Embodiment: Trainings must be coupled with somatic and grounding practices that help us to integrate our learning, anchor in our courage, and access deeper discernment and poise amidst chaos.

Community: Community provide space for us to be witnessed as we grow. Community also teaches us how to witness others who are growing alongside us. Importantly, community is where we are held accountable to the shifts we have committed to making.

Introspection: True transformation requires us to examine our core beliefs and habits. We must be able to truly see ourselves as we journey towards deeper transformation.

Discipleship: We grow most when we're able to journey alongside elders and wisdom leaders who can help guide our transformation. This often takes place in the form of coaching but can also happen in cohorts and fellowships led by wisdom leaders.

Experimentation: As we evolve, we will be given a plethora of chances to make different choices, practice our new skills and put our new beliefs into action. These moments are important opportunities for learning and assessment. We grow our capacity through practice.

Training by itself isn't enough. It's time to go deeper. It's time to elevate our leadership and go beyond movement training, towards transformation. After all, strong leaders build strong movements.