My final assignment in the Ascent Managers Leadership Program was to write my leadership declaration and pledge. A leadership pledge is a promise or commitment to how I will lead and what I want to lead with. I would like to share my leadership declaration and pledge with you all. It’s my desire to hold myself accountable to my own intentions. You can help me! If you have your own leadership pledge, I’d love it if you shared it with me.

My Leadership declaration and pledge

By Lisa Hylton

While “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal” is a noble and just goal, we aren’t there yet. Ask any doctor of obstetrics or nurse in a birthing pavilion if all babies are born equal and she’ll say, no. This is both the beauty and opportunity of the human race and the exposure of the frail underbelly of our systems. We aren’t equal. We have different aptitudes, different levels of intelligence, different talents and strengths, different personalities and character and different exposures and experiences that lead us to different values and beliefs. And therein lies the wonder and mystery of being human. And because of these differences, my leadership pledge is to meet people where they are, with courage, compassion and connection. Courage to be curious and seek to understand. Courage to choose what is right over what is fun, fast or easy. Courage to practice my values rather than hang them on a pretty plaque on the wall. Compassion to see people as whole beings worthy of love and belonging. Compassion to really listen, not to just respond. Compassion to love those around me. Connection to understand what is shared. Connection to know more about where someone comes from, to hear their story and gain clarity and insight into what we have in common. None of us are perfect. We are all works in progress. I love the line from Jane Austen’s book Emma, which states, “Our imperfections make us perfect for each other.”

I pledge to embrace my imperfections and others’ imperfections because together, we are stronger.