Justice is a journey, not a destination. Let's stop confusing the two!

Excerpted and adapted from Case Made!: 10 Powerful Leadership Principles that Win Hearts, Change Minds and Grow Impact?

I'm surprise that I still have to say it...but I do...and so do you! Justice is not a destination, it is a journey. And if you're on a justice seeking journey, you alredy know the stiff headwinds we face. By seeking justice, I mean that we are actively identifying and removing systemic barriers, opening access to resources and opportunities to all but especially to those who have been marginalized previously.??And we redressing the past harms caused by the inequitable and unjust systems that we've inherited.

Justice means redressing the harms of the past and bringing a fresh perspective on how we move forward with shared fate and prosperity for all as the outcome we seek.??

Working toward justice can take many forms: distributive or redistributive justice, procedural justice, etc. But no matter how we define justice, the important point is that we’re always working toward some version of it.?

So let me repeat it - Justice is a journey; it is not a destination. Let that be the narrative that we hold onto. When we look across our nation and all of us have what we need to survive and thrive, with dignity and protection for a set of unalienable human rights, living without fear of violence or harm, acknowledging the truth of our shared history — that’s when we know we are getting closer to the thing called “justice.”?

We are far from this goal post today, but there are an infinite number of paths to get us there. A multitude of policies, programs, investments, and services are on the road to a more just nation and this guide to CaseMaking is written for travelers on this road. The goal is that we might strengthen the skill set we need to invite more people on this path and to accelerate our speed on the pathway to justice.??

To do both things, we need to reimagine how justice wins. One part of that winning strategy is about mobilizing more champions in support of the deeply transformational systems-change work that has to get done in service of justice.?

Justice works against the status quo?- almost by definition.

If you have been on the justice journey for any length of time, you know one thing for sure — justice, power, and leadership are inextricably connected. It isn’t possible to get very far on the journey to justice without power building and changing the behavior of our leaders.?

Adaptive leaders know that working together with community stakeholders to get to solutions that are in the best interests of all of us — not just some of us — is power building. Adaptive leaders work from an explicit acknowledgement that justice usually works against the status quo and to get there, we need countervailing power.??

Countervailing power works to “counter” the policies, institutions, dominant narratives, leaders, and everyday people who protect the interests of those with privileged access to justice. Adaptive leaders know that it will take all of us, working together, making compromises, seeing each other’s humanity as well as respecting our diverse points of view to get enough countervailing power that we can change the status quo and create a meaningful pathway to justice.??

We have adaptive leaders in our nation today who are indeed working to build countervailing power. But adaptive leaders are surely outnumbered by other leaders who fail to truly understand the assignment of leadership in today’s environment. Those leaders are busy building spreadsheets of data, in hopes that the focus on data will bring new champions to the policies they hope to pass. They haven’t grappled with the rise of “fake news” and “alternative facts” that limit the effectiveness of a data-focused approach. They are busy crafting clever talking points and designing expert technical solutions. Those talking points on policies and solutions can certainly help, but without a focus on CaseMaking, they are often missing the opportunity to challenge and dismantle the sticky dominant narratives that often stand in the way of good policymaking.?

I am often astounded by well-intentioned “public awareness” campaigns, for example, that are totally counterproductive, even when their goals are generally positive. Those campaigns often reinforce implicit bias and the most pernicious stereotypes.??

?And I am especially taken aback when the strategies for revitalizing disinvested or marginalized communities use data, maps, and other tools to reinforce old patterns of investment that re-segregate, redline, and marginalize those communities — all while purporting to serve the public good.??

?Are YOU clear about what it means to be an adaptive leader seeking justice in our nation today??

Leadership work has never been easy, but the current political environment has made our intentional focus on the skills of CaseMaking to build countervailing power even more critical.??

?The fragmentation we see in our country today cannot be solved by leaders who are operating out of the logic that statistics, data, or even clever campaign strategies will result in countervailing power. Too many leaders continue to be forces for division (some without even knowing it) because they have not focused on developing the CaseMaking skills that can bring community stakeholders into their countervailing power.?

?As a result, these leaders end up doing more harm than good — often repeating narratives that undermine our efforts to get to justice, all while touting their desire to pursue it.?

We desperately need a cacophony of people, institutions, and organizations standing up on the journey to justice, we need them to understand their role as countervailing power, and we need them trained in effective CaseMaking.?

?Adaptive leaders know that mobilizing people for this journey requires that they engage differently, more authentically, more compassionately, and more skillfully. Adaptive leaders know that the assignment is fundamentally about the intention and skill of inviting more people in, not shutting people out. Adaptive leaders know that justice is inextricably about power — countervailing power!?

I am hoping that this describes you!?

To learn my 10 leadership principles and how to put them into practice, get the book today and then write to me! Tell me about the justice seeking work that what we can do together!