Keynoter Andrews says inspiration can drive change

Grammy-nominated spoken word artist Sekou Andrews discussed the transformative power of storytelling this week at AONL 2023. Storytelling has the power to inspire, which can drive change. Andrews exemplified this, peppering his motivational speech with rhythmic prose and heart wrenching anecdotes. Andrews described reassuring his wife after years of failing to conceive a child. “After desperately begging my voice to do its job, I finally found the right words to tell her, ‘You are not broken,’” he said. Andrews encouraged attendees to embrace their own vulnerabilities to create deeper connections with others, using his own family’s fertility struggles as an instance of how openness can foster connection. “It doesn't matter that we all didn't share the same health condition because we share the same human condition,” Andrews explained. “We all know loss and fear and uncertainty.” Authentic communication can “humanize” leaders, he said, which drives empathy and builds trust. As nursing leaders and educators, AONL members are “in the business of inspiration,” Andrews noted, and they are responsible for inspiring loyalty, resilience, growth and kinship in the nursing workforce.