Coming this August: Introducing Liz’s Leadership Letters: Reflections on Leadership and Community
Lately, I’ve been thinking about our democracy. Not in terms of elections or politics, but in terms of people and their connections to one another, motivated to make things better.
That reflection brought me back to 2024, when Change Matrix partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to design and facilitate a statewide summit supporting the expansion of the System of Care approach for children, youth, and families.
From the beginning, the leaders we worked alongside shared a deep belief that tribes and communities across Wisconsin knew their people best. They understood what children and families needed, what services were working, and where opportunities existed to strengthen support.
Instead of building a traditional conference around presentations, our process began by inquiry and listening.
Together, we conducted interviews, facilitated focus groups, and analyzed survey findings to better understand community perspectives. Those stories and lived experiences shaped the summit agenda and informed the conversations that followed.
When participants gathered, the room reflected the communities they served. Youth, parents, advocates, providers, tribal leaders, and state leaders came together with a shared purpose. People with lived experience stood alongside professionals, bringing the data to life through their own stories.
Rather than ending with ideas, participants worked together to shape a strategic plan that would guide future action. Watching those conversations unfold reminded me that democracy is more than a political system.
It starts with people from different lived experiences choosing to listen, learn, and work together toward something larger than themselves.
As public health professionals, we know that health equity is shaped by more than just healthcare. The conditions where people live, learn, work, and connect influence opportunities to thrive. Those conditions are strengthened when communities have meaningful opportunities to participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
Just like that summit in Wisconsin, at Change Matrix, we believe the people who live in a community are the experts on their own lives, in their history, and in their place. They know their strengths. They know their challenges. They know what works.
Our role as thought partners and conveners supports the space where those voices can be heard and to support the thoughtful work of collaboration that leads to healthier communities.
For me, that is just one expression of democracy and shared responsibility coming together through collaboration.
These are the kinds of ideas I’ve been reflecting on, and they’re the conversations I hope to continue with you in our new newsletter, Liz’s Leadership Letters: Reflections on Leadership and Community, launching this August.
If you’re interested in leadership, collaboration, building teams, and the work of creating healthier communities together, I’d love for you to join me.
Subscribe to Leadership Letters and be among the first to receive the inaugural issue this August.
