Beyond Reaction: Sustaining Strategic Leadership Against Empire
"A people without a land for a land without a people" was asserted by Palestine's occupying terrorists, and mimics the strategy enacted by Turtle Island's Manifest Destiny (Myths, n.d.). Manifest Destiny was a system of genocidal ideology held by the occupiers of Turtle Island, professing a divinely ordained plunder of the land, requiring not only the annexation of the land but the murder, enslavement, sexual assault, and forced exile of the land’s original inhabitants (Donald, 1986). The term ‘Manifest Destiny’ was coined in the early 1800s, but its ideologies and practices are sanctioned and actualized to this day, as most recently depicted in:
the tens of thousands of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women
ICE’s impunity to abduct original stewards of the land (namely, the Dakota & Ojibwe)
disproportionate incarceration of the land’s original stewards
(NWIRC, n.d.; Wang, 2021; Zufall, 2026).
When we have a holistic global awareness of capitalism and colonization, we are not surprised by the genocide of Palestinians, the brutality of ICE, the systemic oppression of women & queer folx, or other forms of violence from empire, including the terrorism inflicted against Afghanistan, Hawaii, Iran, Kashmir, Libya, Sudan, Venezuela, Yemen, et al. (Alweiss, 2025; Alweiss, 2025). When we are no longer shocked by these atrocities we become less reactionary, and more strategically responsive.
When we operate from clear headedness about not only what is presently occurring, but the historical context and anticipation of what lies ahead -- made possible through pattern recognition & critical thinking -- we are best prepared to not concern ourselves with knee-jerk outrage, but to organize effectively & impactfully.
In Anishinaabek tradition exists the practice of braiding our hair, as alluded to in The Braided Strategist’s namesake. The braid represents an intertwining of the past [generations before us], present [us], and future [children & generations yet to come] (University of Alberta, n.d.). Alone, each strand is vulnerable, but when deliberately interconnected, something stronger is created. The imagery of a braid reminds us of the power in acknowledging our interconnectedness [especially in struggle].
Individuals, bringing different skills & capacity, play different roles in this ongoing struggle for justice & liberation, but each person ought to commit themselves to the tasks within their gift, whilst also committing to continual development & application of knowledge & skills that will carry us forward for the generations to come (Temper, et al., 2018). These gifts, when intertwined, are stronger too. When Palestine is liberated, when ICE is abolished, or when queer folx are no longer oppressed [etc.], the fight is not over, for the struggles are interconnected. Too, the adversary is largely shared.
Thus, the strategic recommendation for both individuals and collectives is to (re)orient toward the long-haul work of liberation, by adopting strategic practices that do not exhaust resources but instead sustain us and can be sustained longterm. Practical examples of these actions -- all of which I’ve been committed to -- include:
developing contextualized global awareness of shared & interconnected struggles
fostering a culture around continued learning [namely from the voices of the oppressed]
committing to boycott as a permanent lifestyle change, sans exceptions
engaging in skill share e.g.: operational security, digital security, parkour, art as resistance, meditation to recalibrate, gardening, cooking for the masses, caring for the trans body, legal aid, urban foraging, grafting, alternative energy sources, HAM radios, first aid, stop the bleed, etc.
building mutual aid networks in which resources are shared.
These gifts, like the braid, when intertwined, are stronger together than any standing individually.
What is the practical application of this Anishinaabe knowledge within the workplace? Possessing a grounded perspective of our position within both the global economy and upon the soil we occupy, enables us to have a more comprehensive contextualization. This is valueable in analyzing trends, performing risk assessments, and in making ethical decisions. Furthermore, a grounded leader who utilzes historic data and current trends to inform their short term and long term strategic decision making will be less reactive and more strategically responsive, thus better prepared to obtain and maintain the competitive advantage long into the future.
To Cite This Article in APA7
Drost, A. (2026). Beyond reaction: Sustaining strategic leadership against empire. The Braided Strategist. https://thebraidedstrategist.com/articles/beyond-reaection
Discussion Questions for Leaders
How might ignoring historical context limit our ability to anticipate future challenges in our workplace or industry?
What are the “strands” in your workplace that, when braided together, create greater resilience and strength?
How can leaders ensure diverse skills and perspectives are not only acknowledged but deliberately interconnected for long-term impact?
What forms of “skill-sharing” could strengthen our workplace culture and capacity?
How might building mutual aid networks within and beyond the workplace improve resilience during times of crisis?
What does it mean for us, as leaders, to braid our own gifts with those of others in pursuit of collective liberation and organizational success?
How do we measure success not only by profit or growth, but by the impact we leave for those who come after us?
Do your team members feel like individual strands, or are they aware of their significance in building something strong?
References
Allweiss, A. (2025). I Think About It in Everything I Do Now: A decolonial and transnational counter-pedagogy of complicity. Multicultural Perspectives, 27(2), 108–113. https://doi.org/10.1080/15210960.2025.2558486
Allweiss, A. (2025). We have a great monster in front of us: Chuj resistances to the systemic monsters and illogics of modernity/coloniality. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2025.2452457
Donald, S. (1986). The religious origins of Manifest Destiny. National Humanities Center. https://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/education-material/the-religious-origins-of-manifest-destiny/
Myths: A land without a people for a people without a land. (n.d.). Decolonize Palestine. https://decolonizepalestine.com/myth/a-land-without-a-people-for-a-people-without-a-land/
NWIRC. (n.d.). Missing and murdered Indigenous women and relatives. National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. https://www.niwrc.org/mmiwr-awareness
Temper, L., Walter, M., Rodriguez, I.. (2018). A perspective on radical transformations to sustainability: resistances, movements and alternatives. Sustainability Science. 13, 747–764. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0543-8
Wang, L. (2025). The U.S. criminal justice system disproportionately hurts Native people: The data visualized. Prison Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2021/10/08/indigenouspeoplesday/
Zufall, F. (2026). Wisconsin tribes react after ICE detains Native Americans in Twin Cities. Wisconsin Examiner. https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2026/01/15/wisconsin-tribes-react-after-ice-detains-native-americans-in-twin-cities/
University of Alberta. (n.d.). Braiding past, present and future: University of Alberta Indigenous strategic plan. Indigenous Initiatives. https://www.ualberta.ca/en/indigenous/strategic-plan/index.html
