Qualified means that you’ve done the work, earned our trust and could be invited to join us. More than ever, our current technology and the lack of gatekeepers mean that your body of work could earn you the benefit of the doubt and give you a chance to speak up.
Disqualified is what happens if you make big promises but don’t keep them, or if you expose intent that isn’t in alignment with what the rest of us expect or need.
Unqualified is rare. As in, “you have our unqualified support.” Getting the benefit of the doubt long after most people would have lost our trust is a hard-won privilege. It’s hard to earn unqualified support, and if you do, careful to not waste it.
And too often, before we even begin looking at skill, we’re judging people for other reasons. That’s wrong and it’s wasteful as well. Being confused about what makes someone qualified or not perpetuates injustice.