REASONABLE UNREASONABLENESS

A story about empathetic leadership.
1996 we are in the advertising department at the Nike European Headquarters, Hilversum, The Netherlands. It’s the end of November, both Rob DeFlorio and myself are 2 months into our time at the Nike EHQ, he as the European director of advertising and me as temp filling the position of junior assistant for the department managers. The end of November is a special time in the Netherlands, as the Dutch get very excited about the Sinterklaas celebration. A time of family and friends coming together, singing songs, exchanging gifts and sweets. And there is Black Pete, a black face character where people paint their faces black with red lips, wear afro wigs in harlequin costumes. I remember walking down the corridor where I hear my colleagues (one Irish, two Dutch and two Americans) in a lively discussion about the Dutch Sinterklaas celebration.

I did what I always did when there were discussions about the Sinterklaas, I don’t get involved, I duck. Head down, I sneak in to my cubicle and hope not to be dragged in to the discussion. Rob spots me “Edson! you are part of this conversation” me: “No I’m not”. I have always avoided these conversations because I’ve been afraid to speak my mind and share how insulting, painful and disrespectful the Black Pete character is to me. I had always been blown off with “you are overreacting, you shouldn’t see it like that…” Here I am, hoping that Rob and my colleagues let me be, but DeFlorio then says “Edson, answer this for me: Would you go dressed as Black Pete?” To which I answered “Hell NO! Never, there is nothing that could ever make me do that”. What happened next shocked me and stayed with me: it was unreasonable and something that made me feel safe and supported.

Rob DeFlorio

Rob turns around, facing my colleagues and then says “No more, there will be no Sinterklaas decorations or anything related to this celebration on this floor!” He walks off to his office. I knew in that moment that this guy had my back and was real. Two days later an email goes out to everybody at NIKE EHQ: Black Pete will not be tolerated and that all must refrain from bringing anything to do with the character to our offices. To Deflorio I was a team member who was affected by this Black Pete character. That was enough, if one hurt, we all hurt.
A lesson in empathetic leadership.

“Our differences were cultural and I loved that”

24 years later when speaking to Rob, he says “as a leader I stood up for my people and as a man I stood up for my friends. You were a young kid loaded with passion, style and talent and you were on the team. You were and are a friend. Our differences were cultural and that’s what I loved and found fascinating. You taught me about the Surinamese and Dutch culture from a different perspective”.