We love the concept of being a ‘subversive networker’, coined by a colleague of PurpleSpace Ambassador and International Leader of EnAble at Eli Lilly and Company, Darren Rowan. 

Darren explains:

“A colleague once referred to me as being a ‘subversive networker’. I took it as a compliment. Being creative, shining a light on controversial issues without alienating people and finding ways to circumnavigate roadblocks are essential skills when trying to create change on a global scale”. 

Do you feel confident delivering difficult information?

Disability ERG/Network leaders know that good communication is essential to engaging colleagues. 

Diplomacy is an essential skill as disability ERG/Network leaders must be confident in delivering and receiving difficult messages. 

The best disability ERG/Network leaders have a rebellious spirit. They are mavericks and renegades who manage to keep people on side even when delivering challenging feedback. 

In his book ‘The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively’, Todd Kashdan coins the term ‘principled insubordination’ to describe a brand of rebellion that is intended to improve society with a minimal amount of secondary harm.

Kashdon outlines four types of principled insubordinates:

• Innovators who hold aspirational visions of what is possible and design solutions to fix what isn’t working.
• Culture shifters who challenge nonsensical belief systems and offer alternatives to conventional thinking.
• Defenders who offer support for those dealing with injustice and unfairness.
• Niche Carvers who aren’t focused on creating something for humanity and engage in acts of principled insubordination because what works for the group, doesn’t work for them.

This month we invite you to consider:

• Which kind of ‘principled insubordinate’ are you?
• Are you confident speaking truth to power?
• How do you decide when a direct or indirect approach is the most appropriate course of action?

New resource

This month we will publish our guide to how you can apply the principles of ‘subversive networking’ to build a better working world for your colleagues with a disability or long-term condition.

Peer Leadership Roundtables

One of the most valuable aspects of PurpleSpace membership is the opportunity to build your leadership capacity via quality conversation with other disability ERG/Network leaders.

Each month we convene groups of disability ERG/Network leaders to stimulate discussion on the issues that matter most to our members.

Connect with your peers during these interactive one-hour sessions for disability ERG/Network leaders. These sessions are a great way to share good practice and challenges, swap ideas and build your ERG/Network leadership capacity. 

We have two sessions to choose from to explore the art of ‘subversive networking’:

• 4 October 08:00 – 09:00 GMT (19:00 – 20:00 ACT)

• 17 October 16:00 – 17:00 GMT (11:00 – 12:00 AST)

Resources and Recommendations 

Tap into our Networkology know-how and check out some of the external learning that links into this month’s leadership lesson:

• The Magic Trio – Briefing paper on fostering the alignment between The Magic Trio: the disability ERG/Network; the DEI Team and the disability Executive Sponsor/Champion
• Purple Planet: How to create high impact disability Employee Resource Groups/Networks in global organisations. Contains guidance on the most valuable human skills required by disability ERG/Network leaders to drive change. 
• Own Your Behaviours ‘The 5 Chairs’ – TED Talk with Louise Evans, author of ‘5 Chairs 5 Choices’ a method to help us master our own behaviours and manage the behaviours of others.