934: INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP: Survivor Serves a Leadership Masterclass on Inclusion

In 934 episodes, I’m not sure I’ve ever shared lessons learned from a TV show, much less a reality show.  However, the way a recent episode of Survivor has stuck with me is making it impossible for me not to talk about it here.  

Before I dig in, I’ll admit that my husband and I are probably two of maybe 15 people who still watch Survivor faithfully.  We have watched every season together since we met 22 years ago.  I have to say, the show just keeps getting better.  They have consistently improved casting and production to prioritize representation.  There is racial and cultural diversity, gender diversity, sexual orientation diversity, age diversity, neurodiversity, and a wide spectrum of ability diversity.  This has led to some deeply powerful and impactful moments over the years. 

This season, one contestant, Eva, is the first contestant to share an autism diagnosis with the audience.  She also shared her diagnosis with one other team member, Joe, at the beginning of the season.  Throughout the first half of the season, we see Eva navigating living in this unique community environment while managing her autism on a daily basis.  Beyond sharing her diagnosis with one trusted team member, Eva is careful to keep her diagnosis to herself out of fear that it could complicate her game if others were to find out. 

In the March 26th episode, we see Eva, a very talented athlete, get frustrated during a physical challenge.  As she repeatedly tried and failed to complete her part of the challenge for her team, she became visibly upset and eventually emotionally distraught.  With her teammates' relentless support and patience, she eventually succeeded at completing the challenge.  Her relief in finishing was then quickly overshadowed by complete emotional overwhelm, where she had a hard time re-regulating herself physically and emotionally.  

The magic in this moment was how Eva’s teammates, Survivor production, and host Jeff Probst held space for Eva to regain a sense of safety and control in this moment.  

In this episode, I talk through 5 lessons learned from this incredible moment of reality TV that ultimately became a masterclass in inclusion. From there, I also invite you to ask yourself 4 crucial questions about how you prioritize inclusion as a leader:

• How does your behavior as a leader consistently demonstrate your values?
• How can you show your commitment to inclusion no matter what words are “illegal” or how society is getting stuck on ridiculous semantics as a means of undermining human dignity?
• How do you consistently consider other people’s visible and invisible layers of identity before passing judgment?
• How do you hold space for those you lead in a way that builds trust and safety so that when someone needs something, they feel safe asking for it and feel confident they will receive the support they need?

Episode Highlights:

00:00 Introduction to Survivor and Leadership Lessons

02:49 Mitch's Story: The Importance of Consent, Patience, and Space

06:00 Eva's Journey: Building Trust and Support

08:48 Joe's Role: Observing and Offering Support

11:59 Jeff Probst's Vulnerability: Modeling Vulnerability and Compassion

14:47 Creating Safety in High-Pressure Situations

18:08 Demonstrating Values Through Actions

21:02 Key Takeaways and Questions for Leaders

Links Mentioned:

• Hire me to speak: saradean.com/speaking
• Coach with me: https://saradean.com/executive-coaching-services
• Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saradeanspeaks/
• Connect with Ligia Koijen Ramos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ligiakoijenramos

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