24. Becoming a Radical Change Agent - Tycely Williams

LeadershipProfessional Development

Oct 14

Written By Julie Confer

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Overview

Meet Tycely. She's a dynamic leader, chief development officer and compelling storyteller. As a student of Dr. Maya Angelou, she seized the advice from this wise professor and mentor who said "it is critically important to be joyful.” Understanding that pathways of joy lead to courage, she's armed with the resolve to be brave, not perfect. Her tips to becoming a radical change agent have benefitted her nonprofit, and she's eager to pay those lessons learned forward.

“Courage is so important for institutions and organizations. It is not only important as a virtue, it is a verb. We have to attach action to being courageous.”

— Tycely Williams, Chief Development Officer, America's Promise

The mission of America’s Promise
Tycely’s 7 tips for becoming radical change agents for good
Being brave not perfect: leveraging bravery in a development career
Dr. Maya Angelou’s advice about the critical importance of joy and courage

Powerful Quotes:

“For those of us in the social good space, we are surrounded by people who are trying to do good and be good, and your show enables us to do just that.” -Tycely

“My parents and other adults shaped the way I viewed the world, and shaped the manner in which I now operate as an adult.” -Tycely

“My mother talked a lot about power, because we came from people who literally didn’t have individual rights.” -Tycely

“My mother learned from her mother and my grandmother’s mother that regardless of your external situation, labels, titles, and systems, you are the most powerful being over your life. It begins with your mindset.” -Tycely

“How are we empowering people to have a voice and have a seat at the table?” -Becky

“At a very young age, I committed to memory a quote from Marva Collins, “I will ignore the tags and names given me by society, since only I know what I have the ability to become. I will continue to let society predict, but only I can determine what I can and cannot be.” -Tycely

“You don’t have to be under represented to have a label attached to you.” -Tycely

“Within each human beings are multiple identities. For whatever reason, we as human beings have qualified them.” -Tycely

“Courage is critically important. Without the activation of courage you will begin to stand still.” -Tycely

“Dr. Angelou would always say, “It is critically important for you to be joyful, you must protect and preserve your joy. Without joy you have nothing in life.” -Tycely

“Do you have the courage to find your million dollar moment? Do you have the courage to push through to the answer to the problem that you are trying to solve?” -Tycely

“Courage is so important for institutions and organizations. It is not only important as a virtue, it is a verb. We have to attach action to being courageous.” -Tycely

Becoming Radical Change Agents

No matter where you sit on an org chart, you have the ability to be an influencer and model great behavior so that your peers become faithful followers.
Don’t just say the right thing, put principles into practice that inspires those around you.
Determine who you are going to be. What is your personal mission statement? What are your personal values?
You are the most powerful being over your life.
It starts with mindset. If you have the right mindset, you can give thought to how you use your mindset to change the environment around you.
Combine this with your skill set to become a change agent.
Be mindful of the way we socialize as human beings, and how we have been conditioned and incentivized. This leads to the perpetuation of things that need to change.

Being Brave not perfect

You are going to hear no. You have to increase what is in your pipeline by 3x what you are hoping to bring in. We are counting on the fact that we are going to receive rejection.
Prepare yourself for what you know will ultimately come, even if it is a no thank you.
Do not internalize or process “no thank you’s” as rejection. This will make you doubt your own capabilities.
Courage is critically important. Without the activation of courage you will begin to stand still.
No matter what decision is before you, if you are leaning in a direction that you think will leave you being and feeling joyful, it will require you to activate courage.