Building Trust Through Privilege Awareness

"Being privileged doesn't mean that you are always wrong and people without privilege are always right. It means thatthere is a good chance you are missing a few very important pieces of the puzzle." ― Ijeoma Oluo Privilege is a crucial topic not just in social movements but also in nature movements. 👉 Take me for example. I am  Male  White Hetero EU-Citizen Business Graduate Wealthier than most on the global scale People put me on a far too high pedestal because if life were a video game, I would play it in the easiest settings. Yes, I work hard, but except for deciding to study business; I had no control over the others. 🧐 Now, why does it matter?   The global majority can't afford to volunteer in an industry that is dominated by that scheme (volunteer for NGO X). Disenfranchised people frequently lack the resources to enjoy nature in the same way as privileged people (e.g., access to National Parks). Local people who live alongside wild animals are often left alone in dealing with situations and are then victimized when they harm the animals (e.g., elephants eating crops). Indigenous voices still do not have a real seat at the table, even though they figured out a while ago how to live more in balance with other species (not being involved in taskforces & co.). People with fewer privileges have reduced access to financial support for their nature projects, such as grants, impact VCs, loans, or family offices. I have been to many events where speakers from the Global South couldn't attend because of their passports. And the list goes on and on. If we only listen to voices like mine in the nature movement, we will miss far too many pieces of the puzzle. 💪 So what can you do about it? This is how I try to deal with my privilege: # 1 Acknowledge. I got to the point where I can honestly reflect on how privileged I am. Working hard doesn't mean that I didn't have a head start. # 2 Listen & look around.  I know that my vision is still too narrow & that many pieces of the puzzle are still missing. I try daily to add more puzzle pieces to gain a better perspective and reflect which perspective is missing in the room I am sitting in. # 3 Redistribute. I try as much as possible to redistribute attention, knowledge, opportunities, and wealth to people, or, in my case, often wildlife, who are not that privileged. Spoiler alert: This is not a fun topic or exercise, yet it is crucial to have such difficult discussions, especially in public. The world is currently shaped by a very narrow view. Let's add more pieces to the puzzle to create a fairer, inclusive, and wilder world. P.S. Heavy topic for a Monday morning, but what is your perspective on privilege? #biodiversity #nature #privilege

How often do you reflect on your privilege? I’m a man. I have a stronger feeling of safety when walking down the street. I face no gender bias in the workplace. I never have to worry about how giving birth will impact my career. I grew up in an upper-middle-class family. I don’t know what it feels like to live paycheck to paycheck. I’ve always been able to have a fully stocked refrigerator. I’m black. I’ve been told I’m “articulate” when I speak intelligently. The police pulled me over for just driving down the street. I’ve constantly had to feel a sense of imposter syndrome because I’m one of the only black leaders, and I question if I belong. All of these factors make up my identity. I carry it with me every day, everywhere I go. As a human being (I'm assuming you aren’t AI reading this, but who knows these days), you also have an identity that impacts how you experience the world. And like me, odds are, you have pieces of your identity where you have significant privilege and areas where you don’t. Part of creating a more inclusive workplace and society starts with you.  Acknowledging privilege is the most powerful mindset you can have to create a more inclusive world. What actions should you take to acknowledge privilege? ➡ Openly discuss privilege. It creates a feeling of transparency and trust. It also helps you admit that privilege exists and impacts how others show up every day. ➡ Seek out people different from you, which can increase your awareness of your privilege and develop empathy for others. ➡ Recognize and utilize your privilege in service of others by becoming a mentor or sponsor. Discuss and acknowledge your privilege. It's uncomfortable, but It can be the key to unlocking spaces where everyone feels seen and supported. #Privilege #Inclusion #DEI

💡 Coaching Insight of the Week: Curiosity is the cure for unchecked privilege. Coaching is deeply personal. It’s designed to unlock insight—not only into ourselves, but into the systems, cultures, and communities in which we live and lead. Yet for leaders who hold significant privilege—whether by race, gender, position, or background—developing real empathy for others’ lived experiences doesn’t come instantly. It takes time. And more importantly, it takes curiosity. In coaching conversations, this truth continues to surface. Despite the progress of #MeToo and the increased attention to workplace equity, too many leaders still say things like: “We’ve never had a complaint, so I don’t think harassment or discrimination happens here... We might have some unconscious bias but everyone has unconscious biases.” But absence of a complaint is not absence of harm. It’s often a sign of an unsafe culture - commonly lacking diversity and diverse representation in leadership, and one where people don’t feel believed, protected, or powerful enough to speak up. That’s where the power of group coaching comes in. When the space is intentionally safe and inclusive, and leaders commit to practicing curiosity and empathy, something remarkable happens: ✅ Self-orientation (critical to building trust) drops. ✅ Listening improves. ✅ Vulnerability becomes possible. And the psychological safety created empowers those with lived experience to feel safe enough to share. In those moments, we begin to shift the culture, and fix the system. And not just one leader at a time, but collectively. And with it comes a greater understanding of, for example, the need for protections like Respect@Work and #positiveduty legislation, for while the leaders in the room are unlikely to ever need those protections, they are most certainly the custodians of ensuring its safe for others to access them. Because privilege doesn’t disappear. But it can be named, acknowledged, challenged and used to foster safety and inclusion, but it requires leaders to choose curiosity over assumption. #Leadership #Privilege #Empathy #Coaching #RespectAtWork #InclusiveLeadership #SexDiscrimination #WorkplaceCulture #GracePapers #PsychologicalSafety #ICF #IECL

How can you leverage your privilege to be an ally? Is it a good thing? Over the last few years my partner and I have noticed something about leveraging privilege when faced with discrimination. Here is a typical example: I'm blind, I'm a woman and a guide dog handler so when my Uber arrives 9 times out of 10 the driver will refuse to take me because of my assistance dog. It doesn't matter if I explain the law, reference the contract they signed agreeing to follow the law or show them my ID book with the law in it. I'll get told I have to order an Uber Pet or frequently the Uber driver will just drive away refusing to let me in the car without more than shouting "no dogs". This is what happens when my white male partner accompanies me. I get in the Uber. Sometimes the driver will notice the dog, raise a concern but when my partner says "yes, it's fine because this is a guide dog". And... I get in the Uber. We've noticed this pattern repeating again and again. Whether it's a restaurant or a shop trying to turn me away, if my male white partner is there suddenly the issue disappears. Whereas I have to politely explain multiple times, then ask for a manger, then start explaining the law and the legal consequences. While I am glad that I have a partner who understands the intersecting layers of sexism and ableism that create the discrimination and exclusions I experience... it feels frustrating to have to rely on his non disabled maleness to simply access a taxi or walk into a shop. Recognising when you have privilege and therefore leverage to step up and support someone who is experiencing discrimination is an important act of allyship. However, what I would love allies to do is lay the groundwork so these moments of intervention aren't needed in the first place. If you feel that you can influence a decision maker, a friend, a family member, a community space or a business, start the conversations about inclusion. Something as simple as "I've been thinking about accessibility and how we can make sure everyone is included at this event, meeting, workplace, how can we make that happen?" Then get the experts involved, invite the right people into the space so that everyone can learn. Allyship is about stepping up and calling out, but it also needs to involve some calling in, an open mind and a willingness to learn even when it is uncomfortable. What does allyship look like for you?