Working with Superheroes

Public servants are superheroes, though you wouldn’t know it from today’s rhetoric. We’re witnessing the dismantling of public institutions and the denigration of government workers: hard-working people being scapegoated for political gain and undermined along with many vital institutions we depend on.

I am familiar with the unfortunate narrative of public servants as unmotivated clock-watchers. My father’s lengthy career as a public servant taught me differently: his unwavering integrity stands in sharp contrast to these stereotypes.

I remember once as a teenager, I asked him for a ride to the library in his city-issued truck. Instead of a simple yes or no answer, I received what felt like a lecture about how the vehicle belonged to the public, and using it for personal errands would amount to theft. I rolled my eyes then, but that lesson in stewardship has stayed with me.

Last year, I had the privilege of working with genuine superheroes – public servants who choose to work within government constraints to serve their communities and advance racial equity. Leveraging our 15 years of experience with the Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI), and findings from interviews with racial equity champions working inside government, we hosted the inaugural training, Stepping into Your Leadership: A Learning Lab to Support Bold Public Servants. (We highlight best practices shared by the interviewees in the report, Equity Advocacy Within Government.)

This transformative work was made possible through partnerships with funders who share our commitment to supporting public servants: the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Peter E. Haas Jr. Family Fund, and Akonadi Foundation.

Their investment resulted in 18 government staff applying new (and old) skills and tools in real-time to their projects, challenging every stereotype about government workers.

This experience reinforced what we already know from BCLI: we need to support and partner with our allies inside the system. These allies need tools, resources, and most importantly, community. They need to know they’re not alone in their struggle to create change within systems that often resist innovation and independent thinking.

What makes our public servants true superheroes isn’t just their dedication – it’s their willingness to work within imperfect systems while actively working to improve them. They need spaces to share their challenges, strategies, and victories. They need to know that while they work within the constraints of government, they’re part of a larger movement for positive change. They are the superheroes we need in these challenging times.