ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2023 - 2

FROM THE PRESIDENT
Stepping Beyond
Comfort
I
thought long and hard about how
to address a topic that is very
important to me: diversity, equity
and inclusion (DEI). I could talk
about what it's like to be the first
female president of ISTAT. Or I
could describe a time when I felt
constrained by a less-than-level playing
field and how I stumbled through with
naïve enthusiasm. Or recount how
fervently I tried to fit in within a work
group but ended up feeling like a square
peg in a round hole.
After considerable soul-searching,
I decided to focus on the basic nature
of humans. One of the most fascinating
aspects of human behavior is our habit
of living within our comfort zones. Our
nature drives us toward routine behavior
for survival. We all have the capacity
to learn, adapt and strive to achieve
the goals we've set for ourselves, yet
intrinsically we know that if these goals
are met, we'll need more. Sitting atop a
plateau eventually becomes unfulfilling
and breeds boredom. It is outside our
My goals are to leave the organization in an even
better position than when I started and to pave the way
for more diversity in our future leadership.
comfort zones that we find stimulation
and growth.
In the context of the workplace
and advancing careers, the comfort
zone can be a place we aspire to but
can lead to professional stagnation.
Many articles on leadership point out
how getting comfortable with being
2 * THE OF F I C I AL PUBL I CAT I ON OF ISTAT
uncomfortable is a vital leadership skill.
They typically highlight the ability to
challenge existing norms and encourage
us to avoid being satisfied with the status
quo, especially when we know something
even better is possible. Take the example
of recruiting and promoting within an
organization. We may naturally gravitate
toward people we are familiar and
comfortable with, but isn't it possible that
someone who thinks or looks differently
or brings an alternative background could
be an even more valuable contributor?
To that end, the ISTAT Board
participated in an insightful and quite
impactful DEI training session last year.
We explored people's individual identities
and backstories. We discussed how our
respective organizations struggle to
tackle sensitive topics. Most importantly,
we looked at actionable ways to
encourage DEI for ISTAT members and
member companies. We learned that
being intentional in the way we interact
through conscious inclusion improves
team performance, engagement and a
sense belonging within an organization.
The ISTAT Board outlined behaviors that
we vowed to adopt, and we committed to
leading by example. Some of these topics
are addressed during our interactive
DEI Breakfasts at ISTAT conferences. I
highly recommend you attend if you have
not already.
What else can you as an individual do?
* Step outside your comfort zone.
* Associate people with their
actions. Consider someone's
contributions first before thinking
about their identity or category.
Make a conscious effort to look
below the surface.
* Enhance your connections. Reach
out and get to know someone
ISTAT Jetrader - Winter 2023

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