8 Black@ Sprout Leadership Principles To Raise the Quality of Your Relationships
In our Black@ Sprout Social Business Resource Group we decided to turn our leadership team into a Product and Brand Design team. Our product is the employee and candidate experience of Black individuals at Sprout Social. We decided a critical piece of making this a successful journey was to develop a set of leadership principles that would serve as our guiding light while we worked to do something none of us had ever done before.
In January 2020 we held a Brand Design Brainstorm that was open to all members of our Black@ Sprout BRG. The goal was to get qualitative feedback about how our members felt while working as Black individuals in tech. We held some lengthy discussions. Our focus was on the personality traits and values that it takes to be a successful leader when the first thing people see as they look at you is your Black skin. We were absolutely thrilled with the input we got from everyone, and then we had to take on the challenge of turning all of it into a set of leadership principles.
We wanted to create a set of leadership principles that would stand the test of time. We also wanted them to be something we could all refer to when we came upon challenging times during our careers at Sprout Social and beyond. We decided to group the personality traits and values into four buckets that solved four problems that everyone faces in their careers, but the solutions would be uniquely tailored to the Black experience.
- How do we show up?
As Black individuals, we have to figure out a way to show up to every situation that transcends the first thing people notice about us, Black skin and all of the assumptions that come with it. - How do we stand out?
As Black individuals, we have to figure out how to stand out in front of the low expectations that people often have of us, and shift their focus to the value we bring. - How do we overdeliver?
As Black individuals, we have to overcome the fact that the people around us are more likely to overlook our wins and magnify our mistakes because that is the narrative that meets their expectations. - How do we stay grounded?
As Black individuals, our attitude is always under a microscope and our actions are interpreted in very different ways, especially when we succeed.
After our Brand Design team separated the values and personality traits into the four problem areas we were able to deliver a set of 8 leadership principles that have served as our guiding light throughout a global pandemic, the largest social justice and reform movement of our lifetimes, and hopefully through whatever challenges life brings us next.
The last challenge we worked through was to determine what symbols were going to represent them. We initially tested the concept of using modified flags of African countries to represent each principle. The flags added a layer of complexity and confusion because of the meanings that we’re already attached to them. So we did some more research and discovered Adinkra Cloth.
Adinkra Cloth comes from West Africa and is stamped with symbols that represent principles from African proverbs. We had individuals on our leadership team that had direct connections to Ghana and Nigeria so naturally, it piqued our interest. What happened next was amazing. We as a collective of Black individuals had come together to define 8 principles that we believed were critical to being a successful leader. We discovered as we learned more about the symbols that each of the 8 principles we created had an Adinkra symbol that matched the spirit and the lesson of what we knew to be true. It was truly inspiring to see the connection between the work we are doing today and the wisdom of African people from generations before us.
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How Do We Show up?
Collaborate Confidently
At Sprout Social, we strive to create a culture of belonging. You deserve to be here with us. It is your responsibility to overcome fears, hesitations, or Imposter Syndrome to collaborate confidently with every member of our organization. It is our responsibility to create a culture of open, authentic communication to support you. You belong here with us.
To symbolize Collaborate Confidently we chose the Adinkra symbol “BOA ME NA ME MMOA WO.” This is translated to mean “Help me and let me help you” and is a symbol of cooperation and interdependence.
Lead with Compassion
You have a different set of experiences than the average person working in tech. This gives you a unique perspective that is incredibly valuable to the organization. As you are guiding people to the place of understanding your perspective have patience, empathy, and compassion no matter how long it takes.
To symbolize Lead with Compassion we chose the Adinkra symbol “EBAN.” This translates to mean “Fence” and is a symbol of creating love, safety, and security. It is meant to keep your family safe from the outside world.
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How Do We Stand out?
Disrupt Thoughtfully
You don’t disrupt for the sake of being disruptive. You do so with positive purpose and thoughtfulness. It’s not practical to change everything all at once. So you focus on disrupting the things that will lead to the greatest impact being made throughout the organization and industry.
To symbolize Disrupt Thoughtfully we chose the Adinkra symbol “AKOBEN.” This translates to mean “war horn” and is a symbol for vigilance and wariness.
Speak up Fearlessly
You speak up fearlessly because you have a desire to make things better, and the curiosity to ask why things are the way they are. You understand that you will make mistakes, learn, and adapt the way you speak up depending on your audience. Learning from your mistakes is the best part of being fearless.
To symbolize Speak Up Fearlessly we chose the Adinkra symbol “KWATAKYE ATIKO.” It represents the hairstyle of the Asante war captain and is meant to symbolize bravery, valor, and fearlessness.
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How Do We Over Deliver?
Grow Intentionally
You should always be intentional about continuing to grow and seeking out new growth opportunities. You strive to do things better than the time before. You cultivate a culture of continuous improvement so that when new challenges arise you are prepared.
To symbolize Grow Intentionally we chose the Adinkra symbol “NEA ONNIM NO SUA A, OHU.” This translates to mean “He who does not know can know from learning” and is a symbol of knowledge, life-long education, and the continued quest for knowledge.
Commit to Excellence
You commit to excellence and your word is your bond. You understand that excellence is a life long journey. There will be steep challenges. You look for opportunities to uplift yourself and others without cutting corners. When it comes to your relationships, career, passions & interest you always ask the question, “How can I be excellent today?”
To symbolize Commit to Excellence we chose the Adinkra symbol “HWEMUDUA.” This translates to mean “measuring stick — examination, quality control” and is a symbol that stresses the need to strive for the best quality, whether in the production of goods or in human endeavors.
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How Do We Stay grounded?
Give Boldly
You believe that over the long run givers will outperform takers, and give boldly to those around you. There will be times when you may feel unrecognized or undervalued. You never use that as a reason to stop giving to your team.
To symbolize Give Boldly we chose the Adinkra symbol “NEA OPE SE OBEDI HENE.” This translates to “He who wants to be king must first learn to serve” and is a symbol of service and leadership.
Create with Integrity
You strive to be incredibly conscientious about the things you put out into this world. You care about the long term impacts that the work you do has on the people around you. You consider how you want to be remembered when you leave a room, team, or organization and you create with integrity to turn today’s actions into tomorrow’s legacy.
To symbolize Create with Integrity we chose the Adinkra symbol “MPUANNUM.” This translates to “five tufts” (of hair), the traditional hairstyle of the priestesses, and is said to be the hairstyle of joy. This is the symbol of priestly office, loyalty, and the devotion and faithfulness one displays when doing a required task. It also means loyalty and the embodiment of lofty duty to a desired goal.
