ABSTRACT
The following chapter uses the author's practice principle of positive disruption to disrupt and redefine various foundational social work terms. Specifically, common understandings of cultural competency, leadership and trauma are critiqued. The author argues that these terms have been historically framed and defined with a white heteronormative lens and must be redefined to be effectively leveraged as a tool in moving the social and organizational spheres toward diversity, equity and inclusion. Notably, the author uses first-hand accounts, in the social work classroom, a leadership conference and organizational spaces, to demonstrate positive disruption's utility in upsetting boundaries and comfortable norms. The author concludes the chapter by addressing the precarity of disruption.
