I am not an expert in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) work.
I am not a thought leader. Or an authority. Or a specialist.
I have not "arrived" anywhere. I have not crossed a finish line. I am not enlightened.
What I have done for the past twenty years is continually elevate my self-awareness while also elevating my awareness of the lived experiences and realities of people "not like me."
Sure, I know all the industry words and phrases and jargon, but that's not the work.
The work is not sexy. Or showy. Or meant to impress anyone. This work is about driving impact and affecting change.
I do the work because I care about people. Because I'm curious. Because I'm grounded. Because I know that building relationships changes the world. Because uplifting underrepresented voices amplifies all voices.
I suspect that some people doing so-called "culture" work have come to the conclusion that they have "arrived" and that there is no more to learn.
There is no finish line. Like me, you will never be an expert or an authority.
If you choose to do your personal development and cultural competence work, what you will become is an empathetic champion of your own self actualization.
Which puts you in a good position to champion the needs of others.