World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honour refugees worldwide. It falls each year on June 20 and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution. World Refugee Day is an occasion to build empathy and understanding for their plight and to recognise their resilience in rebuilding their lives.
Every minute, 20 people leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror.
I like to take this moment to call on our empathy for anyone who has had to start all over again and go through unspeakable trauma. We often don’t know what others have experienced or what they’ve been through. This reality holds a powerful lesson for how we lead and work together.
In the teams I work with, I often see how assumptions destroy trust and performance. We assume we know someone’s background, their motivations, and their capabilities. But assumptions are the cause of all conflicts, project failures, low performance and low engagement. The leaders who create the most inclusive, high-performing teams are those who consistently check their assumptions about others.
APPLY: How can you, as a leader, make an example of always checking assumptions in others and yourself?
I’ve learned this by following the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. They’ve been my north star in working with groups and in all my relationships:
- Be Impeccable With Your Word
- Don’t Take Anything Personally
- Don’t Make Assumptions
- Always Do Your Best
When we lead without assumptions, we create space for everyone’s full contribution, regardless of their journey to get there.
Ready to build more inclusive leadership practices? Let’s create a coaching roadmap together.