Dare to Lead

A Local Leader Lab Q&A with Michelle

“There is nothing to lose. There is everything to gain. Do not think about it, just dare to lead.”

What has been the biggest shift for you since joining the Local Leader Lab?

For me, this lab has been all about mindset shifting. It unlocked a permission structure that we all have, particularly being women. We know how many times we need to ask a woman to run for office before that woman says yes. And that’s 8 times, at least. This program told me, “You have what it takes. There is nobody else that could care as you care about this issue.”

One thing I loved discussing in the Lab was that when we don’t dare to lead because we’re thinking, “What will others think about me, if I am the only, if I am the first?” Well, we will probably be the first, in many instances.

In my personal case, as a Peruvian-American, and zero generation, I can tell you, I have gotten comfortable with being the first. There are no real impossibles. It’s just all a matter of deciding to lead.

What was the biggest step you took in the lab?

The Lab gave me the opportunity to connect with leaders in my community, working hands-on, in reality, around the issue I want to work on. And although it sounds simple, that felt like a glass that I had not broken through yet. Once you move from the Zoom room to the real world, and you have those conversations, it is a magical process. It allowed me to see myself already immersed in that reality. That is the first big step, that opens the way for everything else to happen.

What would you say to someone who might be interested in joining?

I would say dare to lead. Dare to lead and know that you are prepared because you have the fundamental ingredient, which is that you care. What we need in public office and civic engagement and public policy is people who care.

This program is unlike any other program. It will connect you to reality in concrete ways. If you’re not sure whether you want to run for office, this program will allow you to be boots on the ground, to really realize and recognize if the calling that you’re feeling is the right calling. There is nothing to lose. There is everything to gain. Do not think about it, just dare to lead.