Rebel Moves: The one question every leader of change needs to ask themselves.
There is one question I often ask leaders of change like Ryan and like Robyn whom I meet in my coaching and facilitation work.
It's a great way of introducing themselves afresh - and an invitation into the radical culture-building work we're about to get up to.
What are you a rebel for the sake of?
In other words, what societal or systemic norms do you choose to ‘unsubscribe’ from?
What broken narratives are you committed to subverting, just by being authentically you?
Me? I always answer in two ways - because rebellion can take all shapes and sizes.
Answer 1: I am a rebel for the sake of breakfast.
THE BREAKFAST STATUS QUO
Try to change my mind: breakfast is the single most culturally conditioned meal of the day.
Eat what you want for lunch or dinner…but start talking about eating soup or stew for breakfast in the Western world, and I guarantee you, someone has something to say about it.
I’m willing to bet - you’ll see a 🤢 face.
And yet - all over the world folks eat all kinds of things for breakfast. Rice, fish, broth, you name it.
There’s a colonial legacy to finding non-Western foods ‘strange’ or ‘disgusting’ which I want no part of.
I know it’s not brokering world peace or averting climate change - but I just want to live in a world where no-one is shamed for their breakfast choices, okay?
THE BREAKFAST REVOLUTION
When my dear friend Lidija and I went traveling together back in 2009, we declared The Breakfast Revolution.
We drafted a manifesto in three parts:
Eat Breakfast (it’s the most important meal of the day, and all that).
Eat What You Want For Breakfast.
Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Otherwise.
And I’ve lived this rebellion out loud ever since.
#sorrynotsorry cereal fans.
Read to the end to find out what my favourite breakfast of all time is. I’ve learned to make a mean version myself.
PS Any other Breakfast Revolutionaries in the house? If so, I’d love to hear from you. Rebels gotta stick together!
Answer 2: I am a rebel for the sake of Human Wholeness.
THE STATUS QUO: CONFORMITY, INEQUALITY & OPPRESSION
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but…
…We live in a world of received narratives and harmful systems, that have a multitude of ways of limiting our power as human beings.
To ‘fit in’ with the world as it is, we need to perform, conform, to leave parts of us out.
And when we resist or refuse to conform, we are punished. Socially, emotionally, and sometimes even with physical violence.
This is true for us all, but even more acutely so for people whose identities have been historically marginalised, colonised, and/or denied access to power.
I work with so many leaders who declare their commitment to building working cultures that are BETTER than the wider world.
Mission-driven leaders working for change-making organisations.
Start-ups and scale-ups disrupting industries for good.
Businesses, social enterprises, and charities working for a better world.
They want their culture to be MORE inclusive. MORE nourishing. MORE humane.
But they often lack the models, skills, and confidence to actively rebel against the current systems and dynamics and to cultivate something better.
So sometimes, even with the best intent in the world, they end up reinforcing dominant culture - and keeping the cap on their own and their team’s potential.
HOW THIS SHOWS UP AT WORK
As a leader, you might recognise this...
We crave Authenticity, but…
We struggle with expectations of who we ‘should be’, rather than playing to our natural strengths
We waste energy hiding our identities or minimising our struggles
We battle the Inner Critic and find ourselves self-berating and avoiding growth opportunities
We crave Balance, but…
We feel pressured to say ‘yes’ to countless things without counting the cost
We override our needs and instincts, leading to perpetual stress
We burn out and need a full-body time out to recover
We crave Courage, but…
We avoid difficult conversations, feedback, or reports of harm
We struggle to have constructive conversations around power, privilege, and justice without discomfort shutting down the show
We resist taking true accountability because making mistakes feels dangerous
The fact is, friend, I'm just not standing for it anymore.
THE REBELLION: HUMAN WHOLENESS
As I say in my Rebel Leadership Training...
If we’re to flourish as whole humans in a world that limits and undermines our flourishing…
…we’re going to have to be Rebels about it.
That’s the WHAT of my rebellion. But what about the HOW?
My response is my Rebel Leadership Framework, building on the teachings of anti-oppressive, liberatory practices and Integral Coaching.
Through my Rebel Leadership training and coaching, I support leaders to create and sustain counter-cultures of true flourishing.
I do this 1:2:1 and in groups by helping them build key skills around Rebel Authenticity, Rebel Balance, and Rebel Courage.
In other words, to bring MORE of these qualities than our default culture allows - and enable all their people to do the same.
Time and again I see my clients step into new ways of being, becoming...
More Authentic High Performers
More Balanced & Spacious Role Models
More Courageous Champions of Change
But the fact is - it starts with you. It starts with you declaring your rebellion, large or small. And practising it explicitly and consistently.
So fellow rebel, let’s start today. I invite you to use this simple template to declare your own rebellion:
Your Rebel Declaration
‘As a leader, what are YOU a rebel for the sake of?’
‘In a world where …'
[describe the harm, injustice, or ridiculousness]
‘I am a rebel for the sake of … '
[name your commitment]
‘I practice this rebellion by…
[name the actions you take to role model your rebellion]
'And my co-conspirators in this rebellion are...'
[name the people & communities who are supporting you to show up this way]
If you fancy, drop me a note on LinkedIn with your Rebel Declaration
I'd love to cheer you on and recommend any books, podcasts, or communities to support you.
Remember, it’s by publicly practising acts of rebellion in that we expand the range of powerful choices available to us.
And we create new worlds of permission for others in the process.
Now, THAT’S the world I want to live in.
Debbie Danon
Founder, Rebel Leadership
Debbie is the founder of Rebel Leadership - a developmental practice serving leaders and teams of change-making organisations. She is a certified Integral Coach, inclusive leadership facilitator, and sought-after expert in personal and professional development.
In a world where burnout is too common among activists and change-makers, Debbie is passionate about supporting leaders to build their capacity for Rebel Authenticity, Balance and Courage - so that they and their teams can feel energised and fully resourced to navigate even the most complex challenges.
Clients recognise Debbie for her ‘deepest emotional intelligence’, ‘extensive leadership knowledge’ and ‘total unshockability.’
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