Latest / Mosaic Sparks with Lesley George / O.W.N Your Voice When You Feel Outnumbered

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O.W.N Your Voice When You Feel Outnumbered · Mosaic Sparks with Lesley George

0:00
SPEAKER_00: What happened to the girl who always had something to say?
0:06
SPEAKER_00: You probably remember her because she was curious, expressive, and comfortable being noticed.
0:12
SPEAKER_00: She shared her ideas without studying everyone's face for approval, and she asked questions without wondering whether they were intelligent enough.
0:21
SPEAKER_00: She didn't need a committee to decide whether she could speak.
0:25
SPEAKER_00: She didn't need three degrees or six certificates or a handwritten invitation before she raised her hand.
0:33
SPEAKER_00: She simply showed up as herself.
0:38
SPEAKER_00: I know that girl because I was that girl.
0:43
SPEAKER_00: As a child, I was talkative.
0:45
SPEAKER_00: I often became the center of attention.
0:48
SPEAKER_00: My voice came naturally to me, so I didn't need permission before I used it.
0:54
SPEAKER_00: But somewhere between childhood and adulthood, especially as I entered professional and leadership spaces, that girl became more cautious.
1:06
SPEAKER_00: She started studying the room before deciding how much of herself the room could handle.
1:11
SPEAKER_00: There were times when I had something valuable to contribute, yet I waited for permission to speak.
1:18
SPEAKER_00: There were other times when I remained quiet because I questioned whether my perspective would be accepted.
1:27
SPEAKER_00: Now I was physically in the room, but I was not always allowing my complete voice to be present with me.
1:37
SPEAKER_00: Today I want you to consider one important question.
1:42
SPEAKER_00: What happened to the woman you were before you learned to question whether there was room for you?
2:26
SPEAKER_00: Welcome, welcome back, sparklers.
2:29
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to Mosaic Sparks with me, Leslie George, and this is where we find leadership and life lessons in movies, real experiences, and the moments that make us examine how we are showing up.
2:48
SPEAKER_00: Today's conversation begins with a woman who enters one of the world's most respected film competitions as the only female director in the main competition.
3:02
SPEAKER_00: It also includes a small robot named Wally, and my own experience as a black woman servant on a nonprofit board.
3:11
SPEAKER_00: So you may be wondering what a Danish filmmaker, a rusty robot, and a black West Indian woman in a boardroom could possibly have in common.
3:23
SPEAKER_00: It sounds like the beginning of a very unusual dinner party.
3:28
SPEAKER_00: But these stories share one important message.
3:32
SPEAKER_00: Being the only one can make you question whether you belong, but your difference may be the reason you carry what the room needs.
3:44
SPEAKER_00: Now, by the end of this episode, I'm gonna give you three lessons that spell the word own, OWN.
3:54
SPEAKER_00: You would learn how to own your place in the room, withdraw your need for permission, and name your gift so you can use it.
4:06
SPEAKER_00: So this year, 2026, Venice Film Festival, Danish filmmaker May L.
4:14
SPEAKER_00: Torker was the only female director among the 21 films in the main category.
4:22
SPEAKER_00: Her film Woman Unknown won the Golden Lion, which is the festival's highest honor.
4:30
SPEAKER_00: The film's lead actress, Martilda Arso, also received the award for Best Actress.
4:39
SPEAKER_00: This was her first leading role and her first attending the film festival, actually, attending any film festival.
4:50
SPEAKER_00: May didn't receive a symbolic award because she was the only woman.
4:56
SPEAKER_00: Her film was judged to be the best film in the competition.
5:00
SPEAKER_00: She also became one of the eighth female directors in the long history of the Venice Film Festival to receive its highest honor.
5:10
SPEAKER_00: The story begins, becomes even more powerful when we look at the subject of her film, Woman Unknown, focuses on women who were historically unseen, unheard, and publicly judged.
5:29
SPEAKER_00: A film about women whose voices and humanity had been overlooked became the work that made its female director impossible to overlook.
5:42
SPEAKER_00: May entered the competition outnumbered, but she was not outqualified.
5:47
SPEAKER_00: Her presence represented a small percentage of the directors, while the quality of her work placed her at the top.
5:57
SPEAKER_00: Stories like this become misleading when we only focus on the winning moment.
6:04
SPEAKER_00: Now we see the award, the photographs, the headlines, but what we don't see is every private question.
6:15
SPEAKER_00: What about those disappointed answers?
6:20
SPEAKER_00: The difficult decision or the moment of uncertainty that may have come before all the celebration.
6:31
SPEAKER_00: Public victory can create the appearance that confidence has always been present.
6:37
SPEAKER_00: We can look at a successful woman and assume that she entered every room certain of herself.
6:45
SPEAKER_00: We may decide that she possesses something we don't have because we are comparing her visible results with our private fears.
6:56
SPEAKER_00: Her story made me reflect on my own experience being the only black woman in many leadership spaces.
7:06
SPEAKER_00: I know what it feels like to sit on a nonprofit board and recognize that nobody else in the room looks like me or brings my particular background into the conversation.
7:21
SPEAKER_00: Now, my experience didn't begin with me entering every meeting with complete confidence.
7:27
SPEAKER_00: I didn't always arrive with my shoulders back or my voice strong or a dramatic soundtrack playing behind me.
7:38
SPEAKER_00: Real life really provides background music when we need courage.
7:43
SPEAKER_00: There were times when I stayed quiet, although I had something to contribute.
7:49
SPEAKER_00: I sometimes waited for someone to invite me into the conversation that I was already qualified to join.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: My professional experience, cultural background, and understanding of people allowed me to see some things differently.
8:05
SPEAKER_00: But I still didn't always trust myself enough to say what I saw.
8:09
SPEAKER_00: I had earned a place at the table, yet part of me was waiting for permission to use my voice once I got there.
8:19
SPEAKER_00: This is one of the hidden challenges of being the only one.
8:25
SPEAKER_00: You can become so aware of how different you are that you're to that you temporarily forget how qualified you are.
8:35
SPEAKER_00: Now, you can begin studying your tone, your words, what about your hair, your expressions, and even your body language.
8:45
SPEAKER_00: You wonder whether your confidence will be interrupted or interpreted as aggressive, or whether your directness will make someone uncomfortable.
8:57
SPEAKER_00: Now you start editing yourself before anyone asks you to change.
9:02
SPEAKER_00: The room may not have rejected you, but you become rejecting parts of yourself before anyone else has the opportunity.
9:14
SPEAKER_00: I had to examine the story I was telling myself.
9:18
SPEAKER_00: That story said that waiting was respectful, silence was safe, and someone else needed to recognize my ability before I could fully use it.
9:32
SPEAKER_00: My life already contained evidence that was contrary to that story.
9:39
SPEAKER_00: I'd been a talkative child who asked questions and naturally became the center of attention.
9:44
SPEAKER_00: I had ideas, leadership ability, professional experience, and a gift for communication.
9:53
SPEAKER_00: The evidence was present.
9:56
SPEAKER_00: My interpretation of that evidence needed to change.
10:00
SPEAKER_00: I had to understand that God does not make mistakes, and I am not one.
10:08
SPEAKER_00: And neither are you.
10:10
SPEAKER_00: My voice was not an accident.
10:13
SPEAKER_00: My personality and my ability to communicate were not accidents.
10:19
SPEAKER_00: The little girl who talked, asked questions, and naturally drew attention was showing early evidence of a gift that I would later use as a publisher, a coach, a podcast host, and a leader.
10:38
SPEAKER_00: The gift existed before I had professional language to describe it.
10:45
SPEAKER_00: Life didn't remove my gift, but certain experiences taught me to question whether I had permission to use it.
10:54
SPEAKER_00: I had to stop treating an old story as my permanent identity.
11:00
SPEAKER_00: Now, Wally begins with an image of Earth after human beings have abandoned it.
11:08
SPEAKER_00: The planet is covered with garbage, and Wally appears to be the only waste-collecting robot of his kind that is full that is still functioning.
11:18
SPEAKER_00: Every other robot like him has stopped working.
11:21
SPEAKER_00: But Wally continues completing his assignment.
11:26
SPEAKER_00: He gathers garbage, compacts it, creates those organized stacks, and returns to his shelter at the end of each day.
11:37
SPEAKER_00: Now nobody is supervising him.
11:40
SPEAKER_00: There aren't any applause and no recognition for his consistency.
11:48
SPEAKER_00: There's no award ceremony waiting for him, yet he continues doing the work.
11:55
SPEAKER_00: Wally is physically alone, but he remains mentally active.
12:00
SPEAKER_00: He is curious about the world around him, and he collects garbage because he recognizes that some things had value beyond their original purpose.
12:12
SPEAKER_00: His environment was designed for routine, but Wally developed curiosity, compassion, and a distinct identity within him.
12:25
SPEAKER_00: Then the Eve arrives.
12:29
SPEAKER_00: Eve is polished, advanced, fast, and powerful.
12:35
SPEAKER_00: Wally looks as though someone created him from an old lunch box.
12:43
SPEAKER_00: A pair of binoculars and whatever was left over in the garbage.
12:50
SPEAKER_00: His appearance does not suggest he is carrying anything important.
12:55
SPEAKER_00: But Wally has discovered the one thing Eve was sent to find.
13:08
SPEAKER_00: Wally may look outdated, but he carries evidence of a possible future.
13:15
SPEAKER_00: He noticed the plant because he continued paying attention when everything around him appeared lifeless.
13:24
SPEAKER_00: That image connects directly with what happened when a woman enters a room when nobody looks like her.
13:33
SPEAKER_00: The person who looks least like the expected leader may carry the perspective, the idea, or the solution that organization needs.
13:45
SPEAKER_00: Her difference may help her notice people who are being overlooked.
13:50
SPEAKER_00: Her life experience may allow her to recognize a problem before it becomes a crisis.
13:57
SPEAKER_00: And her communication style may help organizations connect with a community it has struggled to reach.
14:07
SPEAKER_00: Now, her value may be present long before the room understands how to measure it.
14:13
SPEAKER_00: Now the problem begins when she uses the room's limited recognition as proof that she has limited value.
14:22
SPEAKER_00: Later in WALLI, we meet the human beings aboard the axon.
14:28
SPEAKER_00: They have spent years allowing technology to manage their lives.
14:35
SPEAKER_00: Their chairs transport them, screens control their attention, and their food arrives without requiring much effort.
14:45
SPEAKER_00: The ship's system makes decisions while the people follow the routine placed in front of them.
14:52
SPEAKER_00: They have become passengers in their own lives.
14:57
SPEAKER_00: The ship's autopilot decides the direction, and the people have lost the ability to imagine another way forward.
15:07
SPEAKER_00: Waiting for permission can create a similar pattern.
15:12
SPEAKER_00: When we repeatedly wait for room to approve us, we place our confidence on autopilot.
15:19
SPEAKER_00: We allow someone else's comfort to determine how visible we become.
15:25
SPEAKER_00: We allow a title, a promotion, an invitation, or a public recognition to decide whether our gifts are legitimate.
15:37
SPEAKER_00: Nobody may have directly instructed us to remain silent.
15:43
SPEAKER_00: We learn to study the room, measure every word, and speak only when we felt certain that our contribution will be accepted.
15:54
SPEAKER_00: Women sometimes spend so much time perfecting a thought that the meaning moves to another subject before they share it.
16:02
SPEAKER_00: Meanwhile, someone with half the information and twice the nerve has already spoken three times.
16:10
SPEAKER_00: He may not have brought the facts, but he packed plenty of confidence.
16:16
SPEAKER_00: Now my silence didn't mean that I lacked intelligence, experience, or ideas.
16:23
SPEAKER_00: It meant that I had started believing a story that I was permitted to do with them.
16:31
SPEAKER_00: I eventually had to take myself off autopilot and participate fully in my own leadership journey.
16:41
SPEAKER_00: Years after sitting in rooms where I sometimes stayed quiet and waited for permission, I became the first black president of that organization.
16:53
SPEAKER_00: The woman who once questioned whether she should speak eventually became the person trusted to lead.
17:01
SPEAKER_00: Now, my qualification didn't suddenly appear on the day I became president.
17:06
SPEAKER_00: The title didn't deliver my voice or create my ability.
17:10
SPEAKER_00: The title eventually reflected leadership that had been developing through years of service, observation, responsibility, and growth.
17:22
SPEAKER_00: The deeper change occurred when I stopped treating myself like a mistake.
17:30
SPEAKER_00: Now this brings us to the three own lessons.
17:35
SPEAKER_00: Number one, which is O.
17:38
SPEAKER_00: Own provides a simple way to remember what you must do when you find yourself shrinking, waiting, or questioning whether you belong.
17:50
SPEAKER_00: The letter O reminds you to own your place in the room.
17:55
SPEAKER_00: W tells you to redraw your need for permission.
18:00
SPEAKER_00: And N challenges you to name your gift and use it.
18:05
SPEAKER_00: So O, being the only black woman, an immigrant, a Caribbean woman, person over 50, or individual with a particular background, can make you overly aware of your differences.
18:22
SPEAKER_00: The differences can divide your attention instead of fully participating in the conversation.
18:29
SPEAKER_00: You begin watching yourself participate.
18:32
SPEAKER_00: You evaluate how you sound while you're still trying to communicate.
18:37
SPEAKER_00: May was one female director among 21 competitors.
18:43
SPEAKER_00: That number described the lack of female representation in the film competition.
18:50
SPEAKER_00: But it didn't describe the quality of her work.
18:54
SPEAKER_00: Women represented less than 5% of the directors, yet the only woman won the highest award.
19:02
SPEAKER_00: Representation tells us who gained access to the room.
19:06
SPEAKER_00: It doesn't tell us who has the greatest ability once everyone arrives.
19:11
SPEAKER_00: The same principle applies to professional spaces.
19:14
SPEAKER_00: Being the only one like you in the room doesn't mean someone lowered the standard to allow you inside.
19:23
SPEAKER_00: It may be there because you have knowledge, expertise, insight that the organization needs.
19:32
SPEAKER_00: Wally was the only robot of his kind still completing the assignment.
19:36
SPEAKER_00: He could have looked at every broken robot around him and conclude that his work was no longer mattered.
19:43
SPEAKER_00: He continued paying attention, which allowed him to discover the plant.
19:47
SPEAKER_00: Your differences may help you notice what everyone else has learned to ignore.
19:52
SPEAKER_00: A room filled with people from similar backgrounds can develop shared blind spots.
20:01
SPEAKER_00: Your presence can widen the conversation.
20:05
SPEAKER_00: But the benefit disappears when you decide that silence is your safest choice.
20:12
SPEAKER_00: Owning your place begins when you stop treating your presence as a favor someone granted you.
20:22
SPEAKER_00: You prepare, participate, and contribute because you understand why you are there.
20:35
SPEAKER_00: Your seat at the table means very little if fear keeps your voice outside the room.
20:44
SPEAKER_00: Now, W, withdraw your need for permission.
20:48
SPEAKER_00: Permission feels safe because it transfers responsibility to someone else.
20:54
SPEAKER_00: When another person invites you to speak, recommends you for leadership, or tells you that your idea is valuable, the possibility of rejection feels smaller.
21:07
SPEAKER_00: You don't have to declare that you are ready because someone else has declared it for you.
21:13
SPEAKER_00: The danger appears when permission becomes your normal operating system.
21:19
SPEAKER_00: You begin waiting for people to confirm what your life has already demonstrated.
21:26
SPEAKER_00: You may have years of evidence, but you still hesitate because no one has formally announced that this is your moment.
21:36
SPEAKER_00: That was part of my experience on the nonprofit board.
21:40
SPEAKER_00: I sometimes waited for someone to create an open opening instead of recognize that my position at the table was already an opening.
21:49
SPEAKER_00: I had to understand that nobody could give me permission to become the person God has equipped me to be.
21:57
SPEAKER_00: Other people could recognize my gift, support.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: It and provide opportunities for it, but they didn't create it.
22:06
SPEAKER_00: His actions were guided by what he discovered rather than by whether someone approved of his involvement.
22:17
SPEAKER_00: Wally didn't need to receive permission to care about the planet.
22:24
SPEAKER_00: He recognized that it was alive, understood that it had value, and protected it.
22:32
SPEAKER_00: The humans aboard the Axon eventually faced a similar decision.
22:39
SPEAKER_00: They had to rise from their chairs, question the autopilot, and participate in determining their future.
22:46
SPEAKER_00: Their first movement was awkward because their abilities had been unused for so long.
22:52
SPEAKER_00: Reclaiming your voice may also feel awkward when you have spent years waiting.
22:58
SPEAKER_00: You may feel uncomfortable when you contribute before rehearsing your statement several times.
23:07
SPEAKER_00: You may feel exposed when you tell someone that you want to be considered for leadership.
23:12
SPEAKER_00: You may question yourself after setting a boundary.
23:17
SPEAKER_00: What about raising your price or submitting your work or just introducing yourself according to whether you are going instead of where you have been?
23:30
SPEAKER_00: Discomfort doesn't always mean that you made the wrong decision.
23:36
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes discomfort is evidence that you interrupted an old habit.
23:44
SPEAKER_00: Confidence usually develops after we act.
23:48
SPEAKER_00: It rarely arrives fully formed and politely offers to escort you into the room.
23:55
SPEAKER_00: Confidence often meets us after we have decided to enter.
23:59
SPEAKER_00: You must ask yourself, where are you still waiting for permission?
24:05
SPEAKER_00: Your answer may involve writing a book, starting a podcast.
24:12
SPEAKER_00: Or what about calling yourself a speaker?
24:16
SPEAKER_00: Some seasons of waiting are guided by vision, preparation, or proper timing.
24:24
SPEAKER_00: Other seasons are created by fear, wearing a sensible outfit, and pretending to be responsible.
24:33
SPEAKER_00: You must learn to recognize which one is making the decision.
24:39
SPEAKER_00: Now, N, which is name your gift and use it.
24:43
SPEAKER_00: Reclaiming your voice requires evidence and action.
24:47
SPEAKER_00: You must identify what you do well.
24:51
SPEAKER_00: Record where it has produced results, and stop describing meaningful work as something small.
24:58
SPEAKER_00: I could continue viewing my childhood talkative talkativeness as a problem that needed correction.
25:04
SPEAKER_00: Or I could recognize that it as early evidence of my communication gift.
25:10
SPEAKER_00: The very characteristics that may have concerned adults when I was a child became part of how I serve women today.
25:18
SPEAKER_00: I use my voice to teach, coach, encourage, lead, and help other women recognize the value of their stories.
25:28
SPEAKER_00: The gift was always there.
25:30
SPEAKER_00: And this is where the brag becomes so practical.
25:34
SPEAKER_00: Brag means to be responsible for amplifying God's gifts and the greatness which is in you.
25:45
SPEAKER_00: Responsibility requires your participation in the development and expression of what you have been given.
25:54
SPEAKER_00: You begin by recognizing your gift and recording proof of how it has worked in your life.
26:02
SPEAKER_00: You respect its values by developing it.
26:05
SPEAKER_00: And you raise your voice by allowing the gift to become visible.
26:09
SPEAKER_00: You eventually reach back for another woman because your confidence should create room for someone beside you.
26:17
SPEAKER_00: Reclaiming your voice requires more than thinking about speaking.
26:23
SPEAKER_00: At some point, you must say the idea, send the proposal, put your name forward, or ask for the opportunity.
26:36
SPEAKER_00: You must also stop reducing meaningful experience with dismissive language.
26:43
SPEAKER_00: When you describe 10 years of service by saying that you were only helping, I teach people to underestimate work that required commitment, skill, and sacrifice.
27:00
SPEAKER_00: When you introduce your business as a little thing you do, people often accept the small description you provide.
27:11
SPEAKER_00: Naming your gift does not require arrogance, but it does require accuracy.
27:18
SPEAKER_00: Wally's action changed the direction of the human race, but his contribution began with one small plant.
27:27
SPEAKER_00: The plant didn't look like a global movement.
27:30
SPEAKER_00: It was evidence that life could begin again.
27:35
SPEAKER_00: Your first action may also appear small.
27:40
SPEAKER_00: It may be one honest contribution doing a meeting, one application, one recorded episode, or one decision to stop apologizing for having ambition.
27:55
SPEAKER_00: A small action can provide evidence of a completely different future.
28:02
SPEAKER_00: I want you to remember these three own lessons.
28:07
SPEAKER_00: Whenever you enter a space and become questioning whether you belong, you must own your place in the room because your difference does not reduce your value.
28:18
SPEAKER_00: You must withdraw your need for permission because your life has already provided evidence of what you can do.
28:26
SPEAKER_00: And lastly, you must name your gift and use it because God does not make mistakes and you are not one.
28:35
SPEAKER_00: The talkative little girl did not disappear.
28:37
SPEAKER_00: She learned to protect herself in spaces where she was unsure of how her voice would be received.
28:44
SPEAKER_00: You can appreciate how she protected you while also deciding that she no longer needs to remain hidden.
28:53
SPEAKER_00: May entered the Venice Film Festival as the only female director in the main competition.
29:02
SPEAKER_00: And she left with the highest award.
29:07
SPEAKER_00: Martilda arrived with her first leading role and left as best actress.
29:15
SPEAKER_00: Wally appeared to be the last functional robot of his kind, but he carried evidence that life on earth could begin again.
29:26
SPEAKER_00: Their value was not reduced because they stood alone.
29:31
SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the person standing alone carries the perspective that can move everyone forward.
29:42
SPEAKER_00: So this week, identify one place where you have been waiting for permission.
29:50
SPEAKER_00: Choose one action that places you back into active participation in your life.
29:58
SPEAKER_00: You may need to contribute the idea, submit the application, create the program, or clearly name the value you bring.
30:11
SPEAKER_00: Your voice does not need to sound like everyone else's voice to carry authority.
30:17
SPEAKER_00: Your path does not need to resemble anyone else's path to carry purpose.
30:24
SPEAKER_00: God does not make mistakes.
30:28
SPEAKER_00: Doesn't matter who your God is, and you are not one.
30:33
SPEAKER_00: You were created with gifts, intelligence, personality, and a voice.
30:41
SPEAKER_00: Your responsibility is to stop hiding the evidence because the room has not yet learned how to recognize it.
30:50
SPEAKER_00: Wally helped the humans rise from their chairs and take control away from the autopilot.
30:57
SPEAKER_00: Some of us need to make the same decision in our own lives.
31:01
SPEAKER_00: We must stop allowing old stories, fear, and other persons' expectation to choose our direction.
31:08
SPEAKER_00: The girl who always had something to say is still within you.
31:13
SPEAKER_00: She has more experience now, and she understands the cost of remaining silent.
31:21
SPEAKER_00: She can emerge as a woman who knows that her voice has been prepared for the season.
31:30
SPEAKER_00: Now, before you leave, remember the own lessons.
31:36
SPEAKER_00: Own your place in the room.
31:38
SPEAKER_00: Withdraw your need for permission and name your gift so you can use it.
31:44
SPEAKER_00: Now, if this episode encourages you or caused you to examine where you have been waiting for permission, please take a moment to rate and review this podcast.
31:57
SPEAKER_00: Your review helps other women discover these conversations.
32:03
SPEAKER_00: Share this episode with a woman who has earned her seat, but needs a reminder that she has permission to use her voice once she gets there.
32:16
SPEAKER_00: So until next time, sparklers, keep finding the spark.
32:23
SPEAKER_00: Keep using your voice and keep being responsible for amplifying God's gifts and greatness in you.
32:33
SPEAKER_00: And that is how you brag.
32:37
SPEAKER_00: So until next week, bye for now.