We choose to lead for different reasons, but most of all because we want to be true to ourselves: perhaps to be autonomous, to set an example, or express our creativity. We are passionate, ambitious and believe that we can have positive impact.Â
We care deeply about impact, and we know that individual efforts sometimes can achieve a lot, but we understand that the power of leadership and impact multiplies through people. When we think about the act of leading and getting people to expand ideas to their full potential, we know that change rarely happens by accident. It is important that as philanthropists we are prepared to step up and lead when it is called for.
For many of us, we cannot help but lead. It is ingrained in us. It won’t get done unless we do it. We want to set an example, we want to make the change we wish to see happen, and we want to use our privilege to set that example. Of course, leading is fun too!
Leading while giving allows two deeply human instincts to meet: the joy of creativity and the joy of contribution. When we build, imagine, and create in service of others, impact and imagination begin to strengthen one another. In creating a better world, we also become more fully alive ourselves.
We all know that money has power. Giving is in the community, in the love of helping others, in the kindness and thought behind the giving. Our sense of motherness, the natural power of leading in a feminine way, stems from a point of caring, and defines both how and why we give. For many of us, the essence of power and motherness can be combined through leading through giving, so that we can create our own rules of society, making it both a heart-led action and strategic.
Ultimately, leading as philanthropists is about owning our power, our impact, our meaning and our purpose. About being strategic champions for each other.
Sometimes, we know that choosing not to lead is leading too.
About the Author:
Aparna Piramal Raje
APR is a Mumbai based writer & columnist
