Reverend Darrell Goodwin serves as the first Executive Conference Minister of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. He is the first openly LGBTQ Black person to serve as an Executive Conference Minister in the UCC. He is a member of the United Church of Christ Board, the UCC Council for Health and Human Service Ministries, and the Global Ministries Board. Reverend Goodwin joins Host Anthony Shop to discuss why diversity of all kinds strengthens the foundation of an organization, how to foster mutually beneficial partnerships, and what the power of owning your personal identity can do for leaders.

Takeaways:

• Leaders should start every decision-making process with a focus on inclusion. For example. Ask how an initiative will cater to diverse groups. This strategy helps bring people together and ensure each group feels seen.
• Find opportunities to collaborate with new partners beyond organizational or departmental borders and remove barriers. Leaders should ask who they're not talking to, seek new connections, and explore new possibilities.
• Reverend Goodwin advocates for being transparent and owning your story. Taking this approach not only disarms those who might use your identity against you, but also makes it a centerpiece of your strength.
• Organizations often limit themselves by adhering strictly to known patterns. Growth-minded leaders should question the established norms and be willing to be nimble, adaptive, and innovative.
• Consider opposing viewpoints and open yourself up to criticism and opposition. Listen intently to all the feedback you receive, good or bad. If confronted with backlash for you or your organization’s opinions, it is important to be resilient and stay true to one’s beliefs. 

Quote of the Show:

• “Trust fast, fail forward.” - Reverend Darrell Goodwin

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rev-darrell-goodwin-58b0967/ 
• Personal Website: https://www.revgoodwin.com/ 
• Southern New England Conference of The UCC Website: https://www.sneucc.org/ 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rev.darrellgoodwin9821/featured