“Leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people.” - Wilma Pearl Mankiller
It has officially been one year (in Canada) since our world was turned upside down by the declaration of a global pandemic, and much has changed since then. The need for quality leadership, however, has not changed. Good leaders adapt and inspire others to look outward and consider what could be. In 2021, it’s safe to say the need to reinvent and reimagine are top priorities in order to plan for a better tomorrow, and that is evident in this spring issue of SAY Magazine.
A common thread that is reinforced throughout this issue is asking the question “What really matters?” From my experience, to be a good leader, one needs to have intrinsic motivation and be able to identify what matters to them as an individual, and more broadly. If those who identify as leaders can do that, then connecting others with the big picture of what really matters will aid in achieving a common goal and real impact in this life. As leaders, our purpose on this earth needs to be greater than ourselves, and we must consider the implications of our actions on the seven generations that will succeed us. In the cover story, starting on page 12, Michele Young-Crook speaks to what really matters to her, as a Indigenous woman as well as a business leader, and how those core values continue to positively enhance the health and well-being of the staff, Indigenous communities and businesses she works with. On page 33, meet Métis youth leader Tracie Léost who has been breaking down barriers and supporting the rise of Indigenous youth. We hope you will continue to be empowered as you flip through this issue and read diverse leadership stories from people in a variety of different industries, including entertainment, business, art and language.
It has certainly been a year of uncertainty, so to all the First Nations, Métis and Inuit leaders—the doers, movers and shakers—we see you, we hear you. Thank you. Let us all continue to move forward with courage, integrity, honesty, an open mind and an open heart.
Danielle Vienneau, Editor-in-Chief