Is Division the Legacy We Want to Leave Behind?

I’m going to be honest—what I’m about to share feels a bit out of my realm. It’s one thing to coach leaders and guide personal growth, but talking about the global division we’re all witnessing feels bigger than anything I’ve tackled before. Yet, I can’t shake the feeling that this conversation is essential, because I’ve seen the impacts of division up close.

For over 35 years, I’ve fought for employees engagement. For creating workplaces where people feel seen, heard, connected, valued, and united in being part of something bigger than themselves. I worked tirelessly for decades to bring people together, to bridge the gaps between teams and individuals, and to create environments where collaboration and empathy could thrive.

But throughout that time, I also lived with division within my own family. I felt the sting of feeling lost, not truly belonging—of being on the outside looking in. I’ve experienced this sense of disconnection in multiple workplaces as well, where I never quite felt like I fit. It’s only now, as I look back, that I’m truly understanding the deep impact that kind of division has had on me—and now I’ve started to heal from it.

And as I reflect on my personal journey, I realize one thing: this is not the world I want for myself, my children or my grandchildren. It’s not the world I want to leave behind for the generations that follow. So, let me ask you: Is this the world you want? Is this the legacy we want to co-create? A world where division and disconnection become the norm?

I think we can all remember a time not so long ago, during the height of the COVID pandemic, when we rallied around the hashtag #BetterTogether. Despite the distance, the uncertainty, and the fear, people across the globe came together to support one another. We recognized that unity, compassion, and collective action were the only ways through the crisis. But as time has passed, and we’ve moved out of the worst of the pandemic, I can’t help but wonder—where did that sense of togetherness go?

Why are we back to choosing sides, to division, to fighting each other instead of fighting for each other?

The truth is, we’re seeing the same kinds of silos I’ve worked so hard to break down in workplaces on a global scale—political divisions, social unrest, communities that feel isolated. Systems built on competition, on division, rather than collaboration and unity. And these divisions aren’t just happening in our workplaces—they’re happening in our homes, our communities, and our world. But it doesn’t have to be this way.?

What if, instead of continuing to choose sides and seeing each other as the opposition, we focused on what unites us? What if we chose to listen to one another, to understand each other’s perspectives, and to work together for the common good?

We have the power to build a different kind of world—one where connection, empathy, kindness and collaboration are the driving forces.

I don’t have all the answers, but I do know this: What we’re doing right now isn’t working. The cost of maintaining this divide is too high. If we don’t shift our mindset now, future generations will inherit an even more fractured world. And I don’t want that for them. I want them to grow up in a world where people choose to be for each other, where the value of collaboration and unity far outweighs the pull of division.

I’ve spent my career fighting for bringing people together, and I believe now more than ever that the work of unity is not just for the workplace—it’s for all of us, on every level. Let’s take responsibility for the world we’re creating, for the legacy we’re leaving. We have the power, the awareness, the consciousness to be the generation that makes a shift.

So, I ask again: Is this the world we want to leave for the generations to come? The time to act is now. Let’s choose unity over division. Let’s choose connection over separation. Let’s choose to heal, together.

Cynthia Jamieson, CHRL, PCC

Transformational Coach

Host of Who Are You to Lead Anyway? Podcast