Islands of Sanity
Plaza Blanca, New Mexico—a personal Island of Sanity
It is possible to create islands of sanity in these very disruptive seas. Margaret Wheatley
I don't know about you—but I find myself cycling through a huge range of emotions, on almost a daily basis, as I try to navigate life in 2025—especially life in the United States of America. As someone who experiences the current administration in America as an affront to my values and is increasingly concerned about authoritarianism, it's hard. Genuinely hard. And, as a resident of Los Angeles, a city that was in many ways "ground zero" for so much of what is so challenging, it's not an abstraction. I am close with people (including people with green cards) who've been abducted by ICE and live among people who remain afraid to leave their homes because their skin is brown.
What worries me as much as the policies I see as destructive and a shift from democracy to something far darker is that America is being led by a leadership team—especially a President—that views kindness and empathy for others as weak and promotes cruelty, seemingly for its own sake. It is an administration that, rather than seeking a sense of national unity, encourages an ugly and threatening us-versus-them. One moment during the Charlie Kirk memorial captured this for me. After Erika Kirk spoke of forgiving her husband's murderer, the president of the United States said, "I hate my opponents, and I don't want the best for them. I'm sorry." This sentence haunts me. How do we find a way forward when the President of the United States says that?
And here's the thing. The political climate influences both "my side" and "their side." I catch myself speaking and thinking more aggressively and discounting people because of their politics. The word "hate" creeps into my mind, if not my language. In this climate, listening is rare, and the willingness to hear others is limited. (If you are reading this and your politics are wildly different than mine, and you've gotten this far—I'd urge you to reflect on whether you can agree with at least this part of what I've written.)
What We Can Do
While all of this is happening around us, I work with leaders to support them in becoming more effective leaders. I work with teams to help them develop healthier cultures. I think a great deal about leadership and the role of leaders. I work with good, caring people who are trying to create healthy and positive workspaces. I believe this matters more now than ever before. Whether you work in a non-profit with a lofty mission or a for-profit that is more focused on financial ROI than social impact—how you show up matters. The spaces that you create for your people in this moment matter—deeply. Offering an alternative to the political culture—leading with compassion and kindness and demonstrating the essential goodness of people—is something we can all do to counter the prevailing political culture. In the words of one of my teachers, Margaret Wheatley, we can create "Islands of Sanity" in a world that feels like it's losing its bearings.
Of course, we still have metrics to achieve. We need to deliver on KPIs, financial or otherwise, and this often requires bold actions. We need to be able to challenge our people and set the bar for excellence. What I'm suggesting here is that we can do both—encourage excellence and high performance AND bring our humanity to our work, demonstrating care for the people we work with.
This is a soapbox I've stood on a few times in the last months while facilitating leadership workshops. I’ve repeatedly said that what we do matters—now more than ever. By operating with care, thoughtfulness, and kindness, we can make a difference in the lives of the people we lead and create Islands of Sanity in the places we work. We can create spaces of safety and belonging. We often work with people who see the world differently from us. We can be an antidote to a world where difference divides us and be a place where we can work together, despite differences. When we create Islands of Sanity at work, we not only make a difference in the lives of the people we work with—we also make a difference in their families and in our communities. It’s a big deal.
So, how do we do it?
Perhaps the most important thing required of each of us if we are to lead with compassion and kindness is to ensure that we have the internal resources to show up at our best, day in, day out. At least for me, this isn't easy. And it doesn't just happen. When I look at my schedule and feel overwhelmed, that I don't have any extra time, I know that ensuring I am "resourced" to face what's ahead requires that I make the time. And finding that time and space, even for just a few minutes, allows me to be better resourced and show up more consistently as a person who can bring compassion and empathy to my work and life.
Over the years, since I started writing this blog, I've shared practices and tools for resourcing. I've written about the value of meditation and centering, foundational practices. I've written about intentionality and about the value of practice. I won't repeat all that—you can read it in my posts or wherever you get your inspiration from. I encourage you to consider what you need to do for you to feel resourced so that you can bring your best resourced self to your work as a leader.
While none of this is new territory—what is different now, I firmly believe, is that it's more urgent. Our ability to offer empathy, compassion, and kindness even as we strive for excellence and performance has never been more important. It has never mattered more.
Take a Moment
Before continuing your day, take a moment and deeply consider the impact you have in the world, just by showing up with kindness, compassion and empathy. Decide what you will do to resource yourself so that you can show up as a leader in this very challenging historical moment. Consider the question that Margaret Wheatley poses: Who do you choose to be? And choose with intention.