Are You a Changemaker?

What kind of person would you be, what kind of life would you live if you did everything you know you need to do? I ask myself this question often. It's about aligning your life with your highest values. It's about discovering what actions you need to take, what experiences you need to have, to become everything you could be. There is far more potential in you than you realize. But the only way to unlock it is to test yourself. The only way to discover this potential is to act upon your values and enable others to do the same. This is the path to unleashing your full leadership potential, living a purposeful life, and becoming a changemaker.

⁉️ What Does it Mean to Be a Changemaker?

We've all been that person who says, "Someone should speak up about this" or "Why isn't anyone addressing that?" It's comfortable to have opinions without acting on them – no testing, no responsibility, no skin in the game.

As I've grown, I've come to value what people do and build far more than what they say. Testing ideas in reality is humbling. No matter how smart or educated you are, the real world is always more complex than your mental model.

When you start doing and building, you encounter not only the shortcomings of your plans but also your own limitations. As Mike Tyson said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." Reality will inevitably "punch you in the face."

What makes you a changemaker isn't avoiding failure – if you take action, you will absolutely fail sometimes. It's how you respond to failure that matters. Do you quit, or do you persist? Continuing means you'll need to change not just your plan, but sometimes yourself too. This is personal growth.

Don't believe the myth that successful people love failing. Failure feels terrible. What makes you a changemaker is working through that discomfort, learning what you need to learn, and starting change with yourself first.

🤔 Common Misconceptions About Changemakers

1️⃣ It's reserved only for politics & activism - You can be a changemaker anywhere – in your community, workplace, or school. It's not about the size of the change or politics; it's about acting on what you care about rather than just noticing problems.

2️⃣ Changemakers work alone, as lone heroes - Real changemakers work with others. They build teams, coalitions, and networks. Even if one person sparks an idea, lasting change happens through collaboration.

3️⃣ Changemakers must be charismatic extroverts - Many great changemakers are quiet, humble, and lead by listening. It's not about making grand speeches; it's about connecting with people's needs. Empathy and deep listening often matter more than a loud voice.

4️⃣ You need a big title or authority to lead change Changemakers exist at all levels. You can lead change from exactly where you are – no special title required. Influence comes from your passion, ideas, and example.

🔑 Key Habits and Mindsets of Real Changemakers

🔹 Values-Driven Action: Changemakers know their values and consistently act on them. They don't just talk about what matters – they put these values into practice. This alignment creates authenticity and provides direction when faced with difficult choices. Consider writing down your core values and checking regularly whether your actions reflect them.

🔹 Action Mindset: Changemakers feel fear but act anyway when something matters. They resist analysis paralysis, knowing that doing often teaches more than endless planning. Rather than building hypotheses on assumptions, they gather real-world data through action. Start small if needed, but start.

🔹 Choosing your battles: While you need to act on your values, you also need to know what is important and worth reacting to. If you respond to everything that challenges your values, you'll become distracted, overwhelmed, and ineffective. Changemakers are focused on CHANGE—so be strategic and focused, not reactive.

🔹 Deep Listening: Changemakers listen before they act. They understand the problem and hear from those affected. This builds empathy and trust, often revealing insights that "top-down" approaches miss. Tip: Pause to ask others for their perspective before taking action.

🔹 Organizing Others: Changemakers excel at bringing people together. They communicate clearly, show empathy, and paint a compelling vision. When people feel involved and see their role, amazing things happen. A true changemaker is part community organizer.

🔹 Experimentation: Changemakers treat projects like experiments – try something, learn, and adjust. This habit of experimentation means being open to new approaches and not being discouraged by setbacks. If one approach fails, they ask, "What can we do differently?"

🔹 Anti-Fragility: Drawing from Nassim Taleb's concept, changemakers don't just survive difficulties – they get stronger from them. They view obstacles as opportunities to grow and improve their approaches. This resilience transforms setbacks into stepping stones. Ask yourself: "How can this challenge make my work or idea better in the long run?"

🔹 Reflection and Learning: Changemakers regularly assess what's working and what isn't. They seek feedback and debrief: "What did we learn? How can we improve?" This keeps them humble and growing. Try this: After a meeting, take a few minutes to reflect on what you learned, how did you show up?

🚀 Action Time!

Being a changemaker is a choice you can make today. Think about one issue in your team, school, community, or workplace that needs addressing. Take a small, strategic first step this week.

Ask yourself: What's one thing I care about but haven't acted on yet? What small action could I take to build my changemaking muscle?

If you already identify as a changemaker, consider how you might encourage others. How can you create space for them, mentor them, or help them develop their own changemaking identity?

🗣️ Remember Theodore Roosevelt's Timeless Words

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Until next time, I invite you to embrace the identity of a Changemaker ✊

🎥 Exclusive Content: Listen to the First Episode of the Pulse of Change Podcast!

We are launching a podcast! In each episode, we will talk to a changemaker with extraordinary experience to bring you unique stories you can learn from.

You have an exclusive opportunity to hear our first episode featuring Hadiya Masieh, who transformed from a member of an extremist Islamist organization to someone who helps others escape extremism. Her remarkable journey offers powerful lessons in personal change and changemaking overall.