Favor Outcomes Over Exposure: The Importance of Keeping Your Ego in Check In Social Change

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Prioritize outcomes over seeking personal recognition and fame in social change efforts. Letting go of the desire for constant exposure leads to liberation and freedom to make decisions based on impact. Acknowledge the role of ego in reaching accomplishments but avoid letting it overpower decision-making. Embrace the journey of maintaining a balanced relationship with ego. It is essential to avoid the need for personal association with every change and be willing to step back to allow others to take the spotlight. Focus on aligning with quality organizations for collective impact, rather than solely seeking personal recognition.

Michael Sani founded Bite the Ballot (BTB), an organization in the UK that mobilizes young people to vote. BTB started as an idea in one classroom and grew into a national movement. At a national election in 2014, over 400,000 people registered to vote via BTB's platform. For the BREXIT referendum, that number was 1.9 million. The organization also promoted a number of policy changes that made voter registration easier for young people. Each step of the journey required Michael to assume a different role, including teacher, organizational developer, campaigner, advocate, network builder, and others. In the interview, Michael walks us through his thought process of why he decided to transition from one role to another, as well as the difficulties and conflicts that these decisions entailed. He also highlights the importance of personal development and letting go of "ego" in order to have more impact on a systems level. Key questions explored in this episode include : How do you decide which role you should play as a social entrepreneur? What is the relationship between systems change, personal development, and well-being?