EP 147: Despair Is Not a Strategy: Emerge America CEO A’shanti Gholar on Servant Leadership and the Long Game

If it feels like you’ve lived a year inside of a month right now, you’re not alone. The cycle of our times is relentless and demands more of our attention and emotional capacity than we were ever meant to carry.

This disorientation makes us more prone to disengagement, burnout, cynicism, and the lure of certainty. We also risk what social psychologists call moral narrowing, where our moral attention and empathy constrict to a smaller set of people or issues—often those we identify with directly—while excluding or devaluing others outside that circle. We can become more rigid, less able to tolerate complexity, and more likely to simplify moral dilemmas into “us versus them.” 

Even the most caring people are susceptible to moral narrowing when they’re constantly overwhelmed. But we can build skills that help us move through grief, tolerate uncertainty, and stay engaged without losing ourselves.

We need to train for these times, not just intellectually, but relationally and somatically. We need to be able to stay in the room long enough to build lasting connections and coalitions.

My guest today models what it looks like to think and lead with the long game in mind while also tending to present-day relationships and her own well-being. She reminds us that despair is not a strategy and that steady, relational, local action is how we keep the future from being decided by the loudest and most reckless forces in the room.

A’shanti F. Gholar is the President & CEO of Emerge, the nation’s largest network of women elected officials and candidates. A’shanti co-founded Emerge Nevada in 2006, was named Emerge’s national policy director in 2016, and became the first Black woman to lead Emerge in February 2020. Under A’shanti’s leadership, Emerge has experienced unprecedented growth and success. With affiliates in over two dozen states, more than 1,200 alums in office, and over 6,500 Democratic women trained to run for office and win, Emerge has become a force to be reckoned with in the political landscape. 

She is also the founder of The Brown Girls Guide to Politics and its award-winning podcast, which The Guardian recognized as a “practical guide to progressive activism.” 

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How A’shanti learned early on the power of getting involved at the local level
• How Emerge helps women recognize the value of their skills and lived experiences in holding political positions
• How centering the “why” helps Emerge candidates get elected, fight through the hard days, and get re-elected at high rates
• Why servant leadership is at the core of how Emerge trains candidates to lead
• How every day micro engagements in your community add up to make a difference and keep hope alive for the long haul
• Why representation, visibility, and mentorship are vital to changing the narrative of who can run for and hold office

Learn more about A’shanti Gholar:

• Emerge
• The Brown Girls Guide to Politics Podcast
• Instagram: @ashantigholar

Learn more about Rebecca:

• rebeccaching.com
• Work With Rebecca
• The Unburdened Leader on Substack
• Sign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader Email

Resources:

• Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age, Shannon Watts
• Not My Type: One Woman vs. a President, E. Jean Carroll 
• Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
• Stranger Things