Inclusive Language: Picture Quotes

I love reading picture quotes. Whether they are on LinkedIn, Medium, The Muse or even on Facebook.  What I’ve recently started paying attention to is how leaders’ use an inspiring or thoughtful quote to motivate their teams.

As a writer/blogger myself, what burrs my coffee loving grind the most is who is continually used!   Whenever you read a quote, intelligent or not, do you examine who the person is behind the quote? What have they accomplished?  Who, what, were they as a person?

To a large extent, the act of inclusion can be used in our everyday language, communication or otherwise. Picture a quote you’ve read from Thomas Edison, Henry Thoreau or Henry Ford. For one thing, they are all caucasian, cis-gendered men with certain privileges.

Now imagine a quote by a female leader, an anti-apartheid revolutionary or martial artist.   In this case I am speaking about Angela Merkel, Nelson Mandela and Bruce Lee.   How much more does the inclusion of a quote from the latter create an impact for your team members?

By quoting an individual from an equity seeking group you validate that voice, that experience and their authority to be heard.

How much more do these unique voices resonate and speak to a different context that defies the norms of what success is supposed to look or sound like? By far, a member of an equity seeking group (LGBTQ, Women, Visible Minorities, Indigenous People, Persons with Disabilities etc.) offers an opportunity to relate to your team, regardless of situation, and finds the humanity within.  Even if the current makeup of your team does not have self identified members of equity seeking groups, this is a perfect way to begin that conversation, examine what systems you have in place and consider protocols that will effect change.

So I ask you, jazz it up. Read and re-quote from a diverse pool of experience with intention. Because if you do, you set an example to seek and understand different perspectives, offer new opportunities to create an active conversation about inclusion and in turn, can continue to build practical steps for change.