We are not helpless. Change can still happen, but it requires responsibility-collective responsibility. – FARHIA NOOR

Every so often I come across someone saying something as if they were speaking directly to me. Recently, it was a post by Farhia Noor. Rooted in her African heritage, she invoked Sawubona — “I see you, I honor you” — and extended a wider call…a call for African people not to give in to despair, not to believe the lie of helplessness. A call to remember that change is possible when we act together, when we take responsibility as a community rather than waiting for rescue.

That struck me because I see the same dynamic play out in business. And when I sat with her words, four perspectives opened up for me…

1. The Power of Being Seen

Misalignment doesn’t begin with broken systems. It begins when people feel invisible. Sawubona — “I see you” — is more than a greeting, it’s a principle. When leaders and organizations stop seeing their people, cracks widen.

2. Voice as Alignment

Farhia asked: “What’s on your heart?” It’s a question businesses rarely ask. But silence is the enemy of clarity. When people can’t voice what’s breaking — or what’s possible — misalignment grows unchecked. Expression is the gateway to correction.

3. From Seeing to Strategizing

Too often, leaders rush to patch processes without pausing to see the people inside them. But “I see you” might be the most strategic phrase a leader can offer. Recognition is not soft — it’s the foundation of every durable system.

4. Ubuntu and Retention

I am because we are. Alignment isn’t just an individual act; it’s collective. My Client Retention & Referral System™ rests on this same truth. Clients stay, return, and refer not because everything runs flawlessly, but because they feel connected, honored, and seen.

Collective Responsibility in Business

No one person can fix a business. Alignment doesn’t belong to the CEO alone. It isn’t HR’s exclusive job. It isn’t a consultant’s magic that will make everything OK.

It is collective.

• Leaders must take responsibility for creating clarity, not just issuing directives.
• Teams must take responsibility for voicing what’s breaking, not waiting for rescue.
• Clients, too, become part of the alignment when they share honest feedback instead of walking away silently.

The Seduction of Defeat

In business, defeat is subtle. A leader who feels stuck stops trying. A team that feels unheard stops speaking. An organization with the same recurring problems shrugs and says: “That’s just how things are here.”

That posture is deadly. The moment we accept defeat, we harden misalignment into culture.

Everyone has a role. When responsibility is shared, organizations move.

Why Defeat is a Dangerous Business Strategy

Quiet resignation breeds expensive band-aids: a new hire here, a shiny piece of software there, a clever slogan to distract. None of it sticks because the root problem — hopelessness — remains untouched.

Believing change is possible isn’t just optimism. It’s a necessary foundation. It’s what unlocks options, fuels testing, and creates momentum.

The Realignment Opportunity

Farhia Noor’s words reminded me that alignment is never a solo act. It’s a collective refusal to be helpless.

The question isn’t: “Can change happen?”
The real question is: “Will we take responsibility for it together?”

Strategic Reflection Prompt

Where in your business have you slipped into resignation — believing “this will never change”? What would collective responsibility look like if you invited everyone into the work of alignment?

If you’re ready to see what’s possible beyond defeat, let’s have a Clarity Conversation™. Sometimes the shift begins not with a new plan, but with one brave decision: to refuse helplessness, and choose alignment together.