Raymond Wise
He/Him
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"I am deeply humbled to receive this recognition. As a People Leader, my mission has always been to build work environments where diversity of thought is not merely accommodated, but normalized and celebrated. As the corporate landscape continues to evolve, organizations that embrace neurodiversity will be the ones creating the most innovative solutions and transformative business outcomes. This work chose me, and I remain committed to influencing this paradigm shift—one that recognizes different doesn't mean incapable, it means innovative, creative, and valuable."
"The March continues…”
Resilience
My personal reset button consists of two things; Silence and Self care. Because my role requires an extreme amount of talking, listening and thinking, being able to quiet my mind, and also be able to center myself is one of the greatest ways I’ve learned to reset. I have a self-care day every Thursday in which I do things that bring me joy such as eating oatmeal raisin cookies, sewing, or writing music. I like to remind those that I support that there are only 24 hours in a day, and no one should expect you to spend its entirety on work or challenges.. Taking time to refuel in whatever way you need, whether it be silence, or a self-care kit, is an amazing way to give grace to yourself, and also remain focused for the tasks ahead. I also encourage people to do a self-inventory to identify what brings you joy and what things are triggers or stress. Being able to call them out, will make it easier to activate or deactivate them as necessary.
Purpose-Driven
When I was in college pursuing my Theater Degree, I saw a lack of diversity in both the casting, as well as the shows that were being selected. A large part of this was due to lack of diversity in auditions, and also visibility of minority participation. I worked with one of my colleagues and a supporting professor to revamp an organization, “Theatre Alliance for Students of Color”. We focused on creating workshops that would showcase minority students in roles that were written by people of color, as well as opportunities to perform in roles that were outside of stereotypes based on race or culture. This challenged the thought process of the leaders in the program and allowed for more visibility, and gave a voice to so many that were unheard. Because of this, there was an increase in minorities being cast in roles, as well as shifted the types of shows that the program produced so that it was more inclusive, while simultaneously breaking stereotypical barriers. This inspired students across the program to participate in our workshops and encouraged them to try new things. This organization still stands today.
Developmental Leadership
For those I lead, I approach development by first listening, partner with them to identify their strengths and opportunities for growth, set goals, provide resources to level up their skills, challenge them to go outside their comfort zone, and give them opportunities to practice. I’m a huge believer in affirmations and also empowering people to make decisions on their own and take accountability for their successes and failures.
A recent example is a colleague of mine expressed they were looking for new opportunities, but weren’t sure about what they wanted to do. As we discussed their goals, I affirmed them by letting them know the spaces I think they would succeed in as well as identifying stretch goals that they could also accomplish. I made it clear that the decision and how they proceeded was theirs, which empowered them to make choices about their future that they didn’t even believe were options. They are now in a role where they are able to use skills that they had, but weren’t utilizing, as well as having more opportunities to create new processes, as opposed to just deploying them.
Intersectionality
As a black queer man, I’m often in spaces where there is an expectation for me to choose my blackness over my queerness or vice versa, and I often ask, “Why?”. I recall a past job where I was strategically given clients in the more “rough” minority areas, but was also told that my style of clothing should be less “flamboyant” due to the type of environment. I was taken aback they felt because I’m black, I’d have greater rapport with the clients, but then simultaneously thought my queerness would be a detractor. Having insightful and thoughtful conversations about how I show up in spaces, in general, was one of the important conversations we used to navigate how I would proceed not just with the clients, but how I would also authentically show up in the spaces. Also reiterating my queerness and blackness were not liabilities, but rather, the greatest assets I bring to the table. I take this approach as I think about my perspective on leadership. We should embrace the differences and understand that the intersectionality of them are only assets to what we can collectively accomplish.
Future Facing Legacy
I hope from my influence three things stand out; Authenticity, Intentionality, and Motivation (AIM). I envision my influence allows people to AIM for their goals and hit every target they go after. I also envision this influence being a ripple effect that doesn’t just stop at what I’ve done but continues to make waves for years to come, and evolves with every new vibration.