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Is it Okay to Make a Ruckus?
How did making a ruckus become a bad thing?
You heard the Secretary of State, talking about snatching away visas and snatching up international students who hold them.
“If you come into the U.S. as a visitor, and create a ruckus for us,” Marco Rubio said, “We don’t want it. We don’t want it in our country. Go back and do it in your country.”
I don’t care where you do it, I think making a ruckus is usually positive.
Maybe I should back up though. What’s a ruckus, anyway?
“A noisy disturbance and/or commotion”
At least, that’s Wiktionary’s definition, and the other dictionaries are pretty much the same. “Ruckus” is a noun of undetermined origin, been around since the mid-1800s.
It’s clear that some of the students ICE is grabbing have indeed been creating a noisy disturbance or commotion. Although one seems to have been targeted for quietly co-signing an editorial in her student newspaper. That’s not much of a disturbance, is it?
In any event, it’s not clear when a commotion became a crime.
And I think a ruckus is probably good for us, every once in a while.
But then, I’ve been influenced by marketing guru Seth Godin.
He’s been telling us for years to go make a ruckus! I have his “Go Make a Ruckus 2025 Day-to-Day Calendar” on my desk—it’s often inspiring. (You may have seen my related LinkedIn posts. And if we’re not connected on LinkedIn, let’s fix that.)
The ruckus-making message also shows up frequently in Seth’s speeches, interviews, and his daily blog,
Why? Because as he says, “Too often, the status quo gets stuck. It reinforces injustice, persists in unfair or inefficient approaches and most likely, fails to create as much value as it could.”
That’s when a ruckus is in order. It challenges the status quo. Gets us unstuck. And I don’t know about you, but I often need something to get me unstuck.
So how do we make a ruckus?
“By doing generous work,” according to Seth, “on behalf of those we seek to serve.”
In Seth’s world, making a ruckus is:
“The act of making things better by making better things. The hard work of showing up with insight, assertions, and kindness. The opportunity to shine a light, open a door, and lead.”
Sounds like something we might all be wise to be doing, doesn’t it?
And I’m not sure we have to be noisy or chaotic to do it, although that certainly is one way to get attention and shine a light on some issue or obstacle. Writing an op-ed might be another way, right?
Me? I’m easing into ruckus-making.
In the category of “making better things” I’ve added the Fascinate® Advantage to enhance my coaching. Mastering the physical skills of speaking is important. And, it’s even better to incorporate those skills in a way that’s just right for the individual, using their natural advantages.
And in the wider realm of life in these United States, I’m dipping my toe into the ruckus-making water. You could say I’m shining a softer light, I guess. Very soft. It’s a start though.
I’ve written to my congressional representatives about an issue that’s critical for me, and I plan to stay in touch. (They’ve been warned, haven’t they?)
I’ve used social media to connect with an organization that represents people in my situation. They don’t seem to be doing nearly enough representing. Oddly, they make it hard for their own members to call or email their advocacy group, so I’ve tried Xing.
And I’ve donated to a couple of campaigns. (Shh—don’t tell anybody about that. Once they think you’re a mark, those campaign fund-raisers are hard to shake.)
And you?
What are you doing to make a ruckus in your business? How are you making better things? Showing up with insight, assertions, and kindness? How are you leading?
And what about the world around us? There’s a lot to be concerned about—it can be overwhelming, can’t it? That’s why we might do well to make a ruckus now and then. I wonder how you’re going about that.
