How to be an Ally

Alliances have long been the invisible thumb tipping the scales of geopolitical conflict. The alliance between the United States, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, and China turned the tide of WWll. But it also left in its wake a remarkable legacy, the United Nations. The sprawling 193 member state intergovernmental agency focused on international peace & security, was born from an alliance of just 4 countries. Known as the Allied Forces, each country pledged their allyship - a commitment with clear expectations and duties - in a signed document called the Declaration of United Nations. They promised full economic and military support to the alliance, and vowed to not make peace with any enemy of the alliance.


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“The pledge to serve as an ally isn’t an internal pact you make with yourself, it’s a public declaration.”

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Allyship in the context of conflict provides a useful frame to understand and examine allyship in the context of organizations. In many countries Identity, the inherited and sometimes discovered traits & characteristics that define who we are, isn’t valued equally. For example, in America being Male is perceived as better than being Female. Citizen, better than being an immigrant. White, better than being Black. Straight, better than being LGBTQ+. These unconscious biases seep from our homes and schools into our organizations where they flourish. Allyship is an effective way to address unconscious bias in organizations by using the voice of individuals with preferred identities to amplify the diminished voice of those with non-preferred identities.