What does it really mean to be an ally in today's workplace? For Amira Barger, Executive Vice President of DEI Advisory and Health Communications at Edelman, it's about going beyond being "nice." Growing up as the daughter of missionaries in Guam, Amira learned early on about meeting people's needs and building community. Now, she's challenging leaders to move past surface-level actions and ask the critical question: "What do you need to show up as your chosen self?" In this powerful conversation, Amira shares why "nice is not the measure" when it comes to creating real change, how behavioral communication shaped campaigns like "Don't Mess with Texas," and what it means to be a leader who truly builds capacity in others rather than just checking boxes.
About Amira
Amira Barger is a multi-award-winning Executive Vice President at Edelman, focusing on health equity, DEI, and employee engagement. She provides strategic communications counsel that mobilizes communities and inspires action. As a professor at California State University East Bay, she teaches marketing, communications, and change management. She leverages design thinking to advance DEI and writes about Black women in the workplace and actionable steps for Black liberation in publications like Fast Company and MSNBC.
Highlights:
- Growing up in Guam as part of a missionary family taught Amira the importance of meeting community needs, particularly in healthcare
- How iving through major events shaped her view that we're "whole humans, not just working humans"
- The power of the "platinum rule" - treating others as they want to be treated - versus the traditional golden rule
- Why DEI work remains vital despite backlash, and how everyday workers across political lines value inclusion
- The "curb cut effect" - how solutions designed for specific groups often benefit everyone
- Why "chosen self" can be more meaningful than "authentic self" in professional settings
- How middle managers shape workplace culture and why they need more capacity building, not just training
- Why "nice is not the measure" and the importance of being a co-conspirator rather than just an ally
- Using behavioral communication principles to create positive change
Links & Resources Mentioned:
- Learn more about Amira’s work:
- LinkedIn Profile
- Instagram (@amirabarger)
- Writing Portfolio
- Fortune's Report on Accidental Managers (2024)
- Don’t Mess with Texas - Fabulous Thunderbirds Ad (1986)
- The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier
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