Director Rachel Biderman: Defying the Status Quo

Rachel Biderman has been the Country Director of the World Resources Institute (WRI) in Brazil since 2011. In one the world’s largest carbon-emitting countries, Biderman and her team work with civic leaders and local stakeholders to build effective public policy and sustainable, low-carbon initiatives. Margareta Barchan, founder of The Brave Leaders Project, spoke with Biderman in São Paulo.

Have you ever thought of your vision for a sustainable future as a form of brave leadership?

If you want to do it right, if sustainability is part of your life, it takes courage. You have to face differing opinions, people who don’t believe in what you believe. It takes speaking up for your values and volunteering information, and it requires permanent advocacy for what you believe in. Most people want to stay in their comfort zone and achieve the minimum. Changing the culture of an organization takes courage for employees and managers, because it defies the status quo.

Can you give an example of a time when you have gone against what was expected of you?

Back in 2008, I had a very upsetting conversation with the president of the university I worked at. I was called into his office to discuss my recent research on the investment trends of Brazilian banks and my findings that these banks were investing in companies that destroyed the rainforest. He called me crazy and told me that I was naive and young, didn’t know what I was doing. He said that what I wanted to do was impossible.

I responded that someone had to do this and hold the banks accountable financially. He was so upset I thought I was going to lose my job. I didn’t, but I was prevented from doing the research. You could really see the bureaucratic legacy of the military dictatorship in Brazil even in the university context.

Nonetheless, you continued your fight to protect the rainforest, through your work with various NGOs. How does this courage manifest itself in your role at WRI?

I constantly stand up for the protection and restoration of the Brazilian rainforest, and more recently, I’ve focused my research and advocacy work on exploring how land is crucial for water security. You can’t just protect land, you have to restore it. That’s the angle I’ve been promoting at WRI and I’ve been able to fundraise a fair amount of funds for it.

Have you ever have any doubts about your work?

No, when I get to a point where I believe in something, I go all the way. I will take my time to form an opinion and make sure that I have all the information. I don’t defend things that are not concrete or backed by facts. I am always concerned about how applicable things are; I’m not a blind idealist. I don’t have doubts once I’ve made an informed decision.

Have you ever considered the potential risks of your decisions in having an undesired outcome?

Yes, in my restoration efforts, every ecosystem reacts differently. There are risks that projects are not as successful depending on the environment. That’s why I always make sure that we have the best scientists working with us before we make an intervention in the rainforest to mitigate the risks.

You have strong, clear values. Where do you think these come from?

I’ve been thinking a lot recently about my childhood and my grandfather who would take me to the countryside. He would take my siblings and me all the time to spend vacation with them there to bathe in the river and swim in the waterfalls. For 10 years I did that every year. These are strong experiences from my childhood that have led me to where I am now and to defend the protection of the environment.

I also went to a strict Jesuit school. I was well-behaved but when the rules didn’t make sense I would question them. That character trait of mine is why I became a lawyer to stand up to injustice. I can’t be a bystander to someone being unintentionally or intentionally harmed. My childhood friends would request that I ask the teachers for things. I told them to stand up for themselves.

I also remember my grandmother telling me that I should make the bed for my brothers growing up, reminding me of sexist Brazilian traditions, and I would tell her that they could do it on their own. Why should they play soccer while I cleaned and made their beds? I think everyone should be treated equally.

Rachel Biderman with colleagues and fellow restoration advocates.

What’s the personal manifestation of this courage?

I am a spiritual person and I’ve cultivated faith over the years. But it really comes down to values. I grew up doing social work in disfavored neighborhoods of São Paulo.

Spiritual connection is not necessary for all leaders. I think that the more you learn about human beings, the psychology of people, challenges, the less you fear people and are able to have a dialogue and build consensus. I have my beliefs and I will be aggressive to defend them when I need to, but ultimately, my bigger goal is to build consensus.

I had an experience with a nonprofit that works with indigenous people to defend their land and human rights. I worked with them as a lawyer. Their knowledge of sustainable livelihoods really opened my mind to long-term understanding of the environment.

Do you think some people are more prepared than others to be brave leaders?

I think men are usually more prepared because they are still trained and valued more as leaders than women in organizations. But mostly, I think it’s about exposure to certain circumstances, like traveling and education that gives them chances to become excellent leaders. People that are put in the lucky position to travel the world have more opportunities for changing the world. They have seen so much. So some people are more prepared than others. And the mentors or coaches of these people are also crucial for investing in the right skills.

Do you think people can learn to become brave leaders?

People can show you courage — and it is usually an inherent trait. But you can train people to find the leader within themselves. At the end of the day, a person has to believe in themselves and put the work in to become brave enough to act. In a sexist country like Brazil, making women aware of leadership opportunities is important for them to mature faster as leaders.

What do you think about the future of leadership?

I keep telling my colleagues at different nonprofits and companies that we need to pass down the power and knowledge to the younger generations while speaking their technological languages. I think in the future, there will be fewer traditional NGOs and more self-led social movements and self-organized companies. In the current water crisis, seeing new leadership that is horizontal with collective decision-making power is encouraging. Social media here is key to this decentralized, democratic model.

We also have to think collectively in our leadership. Let go of our egos and be open to advice, and generous in how we manage and empower teams. There is no more time for egos, we have to trust each other to heal the planet.

This post was written by Jessica Newfield and Margareta Barchan. Read more inspiring stories like this one in our book, Brave Leaders: Finding The Guts To Make Meaningful & Lasting Change.

Images courtesy of Rachel Biderman.