Stay True to You

02/02/2024 -

Samina Ansari is the Head of Inclusion and Communities at Volunteering Matters 

As a leader, it’s an absolute given that you will come up against wicked problems and challenges that you will need to scrupulously navigate in your role – after all, it’s what you signed up for.

So let’s go back a good few years, to a story of me learning one of my biggest lessons about leadership and staying true to yourself, at a time when the butterfly of mayhem flapped its wings, and the hurricane that followed suit (some of you may also know the alternate saying, about faeces and a fan, which felt less appropriate to use) forced me to take a deep, hard look at my values and remove myself from a role that I loved, gave my absolute all to, and felt honoured to have.

It was 7.30pm on a Thursday in June. I was out with some friends for dinner and unusually my phone started pinging with constant notifications. Now mildly distracted, I chose to quickly scan the tens of messages, and my phone started ringing with calls from people who I wasn’t regularly in touch with or knew in a personal capacity. A social media post that our organisation had put out earlier that afternoon had gone viral.

By 8pm I left the restaurant and was on my way home, trying to respond and reassure staff that they’ve got nothing to be worried about, they should switch off from work and we’ll discuss the social media post in the morning. 

That evening right up until 1am, I continued to receive a barrage of messages and phone calls, including from a self-elected community leader who was on holiday abroad, demanding an explanation of why our organisation would publish such a social media post and how the post faired as a poor reflection of my leadership and judgement.

Over the next 72 hours or so the situation escalated.  From getting harassed at my son’s school playground, our volunteer numbers rapidly dwindling, the office phones constantly ringing with upset from community members to the Police having to get involved due to horrible threats being made to harm staff.  I was in crisis handling mode desperately trying to make sense of the situation, and to not lose sight of our organisational values whilst ensuring people felt heard. 

In short, what happened next was many more meetings, lots of external comms, and space created for staff to talk about what they had experienced, how they felt and what they needed. What also rightly ensued was a discourse amongst governance and the leadership team about our organisational brand, identity, values, and which communities we’re in existence to support.  It was this discourse that led me to feel a sense of disenfranchisement, unable to fully reconcile my personal values with the unofficial reformed values and direction of travel.

However, love and respect for the life changing work of the organisation, and understanding that I was in a position of influence to be able to serve and support historically underserved and ignored communities soon silenced and quashed the misalignment in values.

Before you knew it, it was business as usual, and the organisation went on to win an award for its campaigns and work under my leadership. However, in the background, I was grappling with an internal battle of whether I was perpetuating inequity and being disingenuous as a self-identified ‘authentic leader’.  Was I truly working towards social justice and the dismantling of systems of oppression and disadvantage so that everyone had the opportunity to thrive and be supported through the organisation?  Was I exhibiting good values-led leadership? Was I putting my familiarity and comfort with my role and the organisation above where else the organisation could develop and thrive under different leadership? Could I be holding the organisation back in any way?

I handed in my resignation without another job secured, surer than ever that I should never sell out on my values and beliefs. Confident that I had served the organisation well, from a place of compassion, commitment, and integrity; and that I would be leaving it better than when I arrived – stable, able to hold its own, and with an amazing staff and volunteer team.

So, whilst I would love to share what happened next in my leadership journey to raise awareness of the importance of culture and inclusion, for now, I’ll leave you to reflect on your values – what are they? How do they shape your leadership style? Should you ever sacrifice or compromise your values in pursuit of the greater good?

“Stay true to your values. That’s why you were a success in the first place, and that’s how you make incredible things happen” Rafe Offer

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Reflective Challenge: Reflect on your leadership values – what are they and how do they shape your leadership style?

We’d like to thank Samina for writing this guest blog which is part of the Leading to Change Diversity Blog Series. We want to highlight and promote the voices and experiences of diverse leaders at all levels including those working at frontline / grassroots levels. We aim to celebrate diverse leaders who can act as role models for other aspiring, diverse leaders.

Samina Ansari

Role:

Head of Inclusion and Communities at Volunteering Matters

Samina is an award winning third sector leader and campaigner with 20 years’ experience dedicated to improving the lives, outcomes and opportunities for many groups of people, including, arguably, some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised groups in society, racially minoritised women, refugee and asylum seekers, and children and young people in Scotland’s care system. A believer in the power of communities to create positive change, and a regular volunteer on a number of local projects. Samina currently serves on a few advisory and Charity boards. Most importantly, a mum, raising a teenage son in a world that sometimes exudes great beauty and kindness and other times seems incomprehensible.

All information regarding our contributors was correct at the time of publishing.