T.Davis

  What? Sometimes, as humans, we can get so trapped in a single path forward. Maybe it is the path of least resistance or what we feel is the only right way, but it is often, truly just the path we are used to. It seems this is because when you think of beliefs, actions, or ideals that are contradicting , we tend to overanalyze what contradicting means at its core; We hear contradicting and assume that opposite is innately negative. We witness contradictions and assume that they cannot exist in such a paradoxical manner (Yip, 2010). Some of the largest, leading and quite successful organizations or companies allow those paradoxes to be used as “leverage” in finding a transformative path forward (Yip, 2010). Often times, this can lead to out of the box solutions and more comprehensive perspectives that are used to outdo competitors (Yip, 2010). So What? Learning to lead through paradoxes can be challenging, because you must be willing and able to broaden your perspective and w...

  What? During this Manifesto, we have talked about reconnected to courage at length; Courage can sometimes be seen as doing the right thing, the big thing. Sometimes though, courage is just acknowledging the harsh reality or keeping hope alive when it seems bleak. So many times, burning out can be a large obstacle to overcome to return to this state of hopefulness . As individuals stay longer in a certain place or field, working towards certain goals, failing, succeeding, ebbs and flows of progress can make I difficult to keep the same motivation and idealism or passion that you may have once had for a cause (Novogratz, 2020). This is why diversity, and expansion can be so valuable to an organization or progress. Fresh eyes or fresh perspectives can also regenerate some of that faith that the cause we are working for or towards still matters, that we are making a difference, and that even if the problem is never solved permanently, we may not be everything to everyone, but we ca...

  Every person is made up of different choices and beliefs. The way we lead and whom we follow are based highly within our values. This is not to say that we can lose sight of our values or follow those who do not align with what we believe is our authentic self. Our values can also help us lead and follow, not with fear , but with belief that we are taking steps towards a future aligning with what we feel is right. Our values are shaped by our experiences, by those we hold in admiration, by those we follow and can sometimes form without even realizing it. When I think of values and how they are formed, I think of my niece. She is ten and though there are experiences she has not witnessed firsthand; it is in the moments that her values are seeming to be questioned that I realize she is learning and leading by example. To say that values shape our decisions and the way we lead, though true, is not absolute and is not always indicative of positive experience. For instance, if someo...

  What? The market and American government are not much different than one another. Both seek establish a narrative of those who will benefit and those who won't, albeit financial, social or political gains on the table. In working in a not-for-profit organization, a continuous challenge being faced is utilizing the market, funding opportunities, and balancing ensuring opportunities for those who do not have the means to afford them on their own. The financial models that persevere often only serve a specific subsection of the community; Like the education system in Pakistan, so often a system will in need of repair, but those who need it the most are unable to move towards that progress alone (Novogratz, 2020). Like many things, this problem is institutionally two-fold: you need funding to make progress, but you need affordable options to serve the communities in full. But how do you convince people to invest in an idea that doesn’t directly benefit them? I think of this like t...

  If you were to have asked me as a child whether I lived in individualistic or collective society, I would not have hesitated to guess collective. I would have guessed wrong. The United States is a prime example of an individualist culture . Individualistic cultures promote an independent self-concept, whereas collective cultures promote interdependency in the like (Bhawuk & Munusamy, 2010). Idiocentric individuals, who practice more individualistic approaches, and allocentric individuals, who practice more collective approaches can be found in cultures practicing in both styles. Seeing multiple generations of my family so interconnected, interdependent on one another, I would never have considered that we were a part of an individualistic culture. Later in life, outside of siblings, parents, spouses, etc., I started to feel that same interconnectedness to others, strangers. To the best of my ability, my self-identified self-concept would be more so an allocentric. Thinking ba...

       What?  In leadership, courage can be a catalyst for moving forward and creating space for global change. Similar to how leadership does not equal power, courage does not equal fearless (Novogratz, 2020). Courage is what allowed Novogratz to initialize her entrepreneurial experiences, with encouragement from her parents who believed she could do anything; Their belief in her and her siblings funneled into her having that same faith in herself (Novogratz, 2020). Being afraid does not make us small, it is not believing we can move towards our goals despite our fear that can keep us small (Novogratz, 2020). Novogratz writes about her uncomfortable and unsafe experience with a man whom she babysat for and how this experience, though her parents taught her to be courageous, allowed her lack of faith in herself to drive her actions and decisions. So What? While parents or adults in our lives may show us how to and encourage us to utilize our courage, there may...

 What?      Cultural differences can be divisive. They are engrained in the way we move through life: beliefs, symbols, practices, and values. They can be a catalyst for conflict and can call for needing to manage expectations. In certain settings, we will experience that matches the culture to which we are accustomed. Whereas, as we gain experience, we may also have opportunities to develop an understanding of cultures different than ours. Given that people may take their culture for granted (Shwartz), it also seems that we don't even recognize the pillars of our culture until we encounter something different. Institutions functions based on these pillars, orientations, of cultural value (Shwartz). Cultures will fall on one side of a value orientation and gives guidance on how cultures function and people move through their societies. So What?      Culture does not define us, but it does impact us. Cultural values can influence our perception, our act...

  What? I have been asleep. Though you may not have realized it, you may be too. Though it may go unspoken, it may not be so unheard of to be sleepwalking through our moral experience (Novogratz, 2020). As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, between cultures and countries and communities, the disparities between such can quickly become more apparent. When looking onto a scenario, especially one we are far removed from, we can sometimes pass judgement. If every single life is its own puzzle, we can sometimes forget that the pieces from our puzzles do not fit everyone else’s; this is where moral principles meet imagination (Manolescu, 2025). We take the issue of energy poverty for example. Novogratz speaks of her work with d.light, a company whose mission is to bring energy to those without (Novogratz, 2020). When she tries to bring their solar lantern to Bahawalpur, she sees the missing puzzle piece of electricity and assumes the piece that will fit is the solar lant...

  What? There is no place that exists without differences. In discussing global leadership, it is continuously reinforced how valuable it is that leaders in a global setting take time to deepen their understanding of the culture they will be working with. Preferably, this will be done with first-hand experience (Rowe & Krause, 2022). The place in the world does not dictate whether there will be differences, only what differences you will see. This could mean differences in culture, gender, political views, other demographics, or things like job roles, experience in the field etc.   In consideration of those differences, they can be catalysts for conflict, task or relationship. So What? One of a multitude of examples would be the individualistic approach in some western cultures versus the collectivism approach of some Asian cultures ( (Koyuncu & Denise Chipindu, 2020) . Some differences like individualism and collectivism can create obstacles in finding the bes...

  What? Leaders are not created by knowing exactly what to do at every turn, they are created by being willing to take every turn until they know what to do. Becoming a leader, a title not restricted to someone who holds power, does not come with step-by-step instructions. They are comprised by skill development, real world applications, and innate characteristics (Rowe & Krause, 2022). They require a willingness to learn, further understand, and develop new ways of approaching a given issue. Perseverance and amenability to failure are what allow leaders to grow for themselves, to promote growth in those they lead, and continue towards an end goal for the betterment of a group, philanthropic cause, humanity, etc. The goal is simple: “Try. Fail. Then try again.,” (Novogratz, 2020). There is no story of change that is free of setbacks, miscalculations, mistakes, and lessons learned; there are only stories where this either stopped progress or was just a new starting point. So, Wh...

  What? Diversification in leadership can be directly influenced by Social Identity Theory. Social Identity Theory, in a simplified definition, is the idea that human interactions are based on labels and our tendency to group ourselves based on these labels (Nkomo, 2010). These labels or classifications can be self-inflicted or placed by one individual onto another. Additionally, categorizations lead to and allow humans to place themselves into groups, some of which are based on identifiers that are visible; some of which are either self-identified or assumed. Social Identity Theory (SIT) has a third component, aside from the categorization and identification mentioned previously, which is comparison (Nkomo, 2010). Comparison is where perception can create competition between the in-group and the out-group, the group we belong to and the group we do not. So What?               In the categorizations of individuals into groups, especially subgr...

       A courageous follower can be a vital piece of an improving workforce. Though change, much of the time, comes from the top down, sometimes the bottom is who really needs it. When faced with problems in the workplace, courageous followers will speak up about the needs of the individuals, changes that should occur, or better ways to improve productivity or the work environment. Their advocacy can involve taking a “ calculated risk ” of what the consequences could be. With that being said, the idea of quiet quitting, a newly coined term seems to be the opposite of a courageous follower. This phenomenon is where employees, feeling unappreciated or over worked slowly begin to withdrawal themselves at work. The idea is that they begin doing the “ bare minimum ” or exactly what their job description entails and nothing more, but it raises the question if this what a courageous follower would do. When you recluse in that way it would make it difficult to be the agent o...

  In researching intelligent disobedience, the greatest parallels are drawn to guide dogs. Chaleff, in readings and lectures, discusses how a guide dog must not only refuse to act unsafely on behalf of their owner, but go as far as counterpull them in a better direction. While obedience is a very important piece for working dogs, their utilization of intelligent disobedience can save lives. In recent years, specifically pertaining to culture in America, it is my opinion that people are becoming more and more active in their followership roles. Individuals are questioning leaders at work, society and politics more and more. This can be beneficial as a catalyst for change. For instance, there has been a shift in expectations for work-life balance and holding institutions accountable against their mission statements and improvements to the environment in the workplace. Questioning traditional methods and mitigating expectations, when done through intelligent disobedience, can create ...

  What? The leader/follower relationship is one that we see in many different facets of our lives: parenting, sports, work, friend groups, etc. The dynamic can look different, but often times, there can be a bias that the leader’s role is more valuable. However, more and more research is starting to focus on the value of the follower and while both roles are equally important, there is a one significant piece that sets them apart: you can have followers without a leader, but you can’t have a leader without followers. The relationship can only be made stronger by a deeper understanding of how the balance between the two is beneficial for all. Most research is focused on followers as it effects leaders . Learning why this is important could help shift the external view of the dynamic to better mirror the real-life relationship. So what? Though some leadership/followership roles are forged on our behalf, that does not negate that fact that we can all be innately both, often simu...

  What? Prior to and in the aftermath of the pandemic, members of Gen Z have joined the workforce. Coming into a hybrid or modified role, it has been suggested that members of this generation have increased difficulty adapting to the expectations of their roles in many facets. In my own work experience, I have seen the differences between generations and how they approach different job responsibilities.   One specific facet of being apart of a working team, that may be a pose a learning curve, is adjusting to leader/follower dynamic.   This is a challenge both by gen z and others in the workplace to adjust the working environment. This is not to say that all of the needs of Gen z are ones that should be met, but there are adjustments on both sides that can be made to better the workforce as a whole. This is similar to how, in general, both leaders and followers need to make cohesive adaptations to allow their relationship to be the upmost beneficial. So, what? When ...

  What?               Extension education is an entity, funded by land-grant universities nationwide, that’s purpose is to bridge opportunities of lifelong learning to local community members. These programs have deep historical roots in agriculture and home economics, but in recent years have expanded to programming areas such as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math), civic engagement, and healthy living. Depending on the area, the extension agent, and the specific program being held, the target audience may vary between different ages. For instance, many agriculture extension agents will, oftentimes, have a lot of programming geared to farmers and other adults in the community. In opposition, 4-H agents may have a canning class held for children ages 9-19 or an embryology project for a kindergarten class. Non-formal education is an essential piece of extension programming and with that, a lot o...