Leadership Is Not Guilt. It’s Repair, Stewardship, and Equity.

By Kate Bailey | Play Big Queen Podcast, Episode 37

When most people think about leadership, they think about making strong decisions, setting vision, and owning their personal choices. But real leadership goes deeper. It’s not just about what you’ve done. It’s also about taking responsibility for repair, stewardship, and trust—even when you didn’t personally cause the harm.

Leadership Is About More Than Your Actions

Think about it: volunteers pick up trash they didn’t throw, community leaders rebuild after storms they didn’t cause, and CEOs apologize for mistakes that happened before they were hired. Leadership shows up in how we take responsibility for repair, not just for ourselves but for the communities we serve.

This is true for all leaders, but especially for white leaders today. Our history in America is layered with harm—slavery, redlining, discriminatory laws—and those systems still shape our schools, neighborhoods, and opportunities. Even if you didn’t create them, leadership requires that you face them.

Facing the Hard Truth of America’s Roots

America wasn’t just “built on discovery.” It was built on genocide. From the moment European colonizers arrived, Native Americans were displaced, massacred, and stripped of land and culture through violence, forced removal, and broken treaties. The Doctrine of Discovery, issued by the Catholic Church in the 15th century, gave Christian European nations the so-called “right” to conquer and exploit lands not ruled by Christians.

This religious and political doctrine justified the erasure of entire Indigenous communities and cultures. And later, “Manifest Destiny” reframed this violence as progress, covering up genocide with a story of inevitability.

Why DEI Benefits Everyone

Today, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) is under attack. Politicians distort it, organizations walk it back, and people misunderstand it. But DEI isn’t just about helping “other” communities. It benefits everyone—including white women.

Why? Because DEI acknowledges that not everyone had the same starting line. Women were denied credit cards, loans, and property ownership for generations. Indigenous communities and people of color experienced genocide and systemic exclusion. DEI initiatives opened doors for women, including white women, who otherwise would have been shut out of leadership and financial opportunity.

Three Ways White Leaders Can Step Up

If you’re a white leader, here are three practical steps you can take to lead with courage instead of scarcity:

1. Name the reality. Speak the truth out loud when racism or exclusion is happening. Don’t sweep it under the rug.
   
   

2. Redistribute resources. Share money, opportunities, and leadership seats with women of color and marginalized communities. This doesn’t exclude you—it strengthens everyone.
   
   

3. Listen and repair. Ask marginalized voices what repair looks like and follow through. Don’t assume you already know.
   
   
   

Leadership Rooted in Abundance

Scarcity thinking says, “There isn’t enough to go around.” Abundance says, “When one rises, we all rise.” Leadership rooted in abundance builds healthier communities, stronger organizations, and authentic empowerment.

Taking responsibility for what you didn’t do isn’t about guilt. It’s about courage, credibility, and creating movements where every woman rises—not just a few.

Ready to Play Bigger?

If this conversation resonates with you, listen to the full episode of the Play Big Queen Podcast:

🎧 Episode 37: Leadership, Accountability, and DEI: Why Real Leaders Take Responsibility for What They Didn’t Do

And if you’re ready to reclaim your energy and brilliance in your own leadership journey, book your Private Coaching Session with me here: 👉 xxxkatebailey.com/private-coaching-sessions

Because leadership isn’t just about vision. It’s about responsibility. And it starts with you.

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