“What I strive to do wherever I am is be part of noticing or finding the truth of something – the ‘what truly matters’, and getting other people to care about that, and not the attendant b.s.”
Get to know the LeadersTrust interim ED, Holly Delany Cole.
What advice would you offer other Black women trying to develop or amplify their voice and become self-advocates?
- Explore self, get to know yourself deeply and listen to that inner voice that tells you who and what is good for you, in your true interest, and who and what is not.
- Value yourself. Value yourself. Value yourself. Acknowledge your genius. Surround yourself with people who value you and acknowledge your genius. Get yourself into communities that love you…that appreciate you. This is not the same as surrounding yourself with people who only praise you and never offer critical insights.
- Use feedback to grow. Ask for it from trusted partners. Roll it around in your mind and act on the things that make sense to you.
- Listen deeply to others.
- Ask for help when you need it. You don’t have to know it all.
- When you meet people who you’d like to get to know, ask for a meeting, a coffee, a conversation. Actively expand your network, and don’t worry about the ‘no’s’. Find the yeses.
- Learn and continually deepen your analysis. Learn and grow.