Archive for the ‘Great quotes’ Category
Posted by Gayle Gifford on March 4, 2009 in Big ideas, Great quotes, Strategic Thinking
“Manage cautiously but think ambitiously” I scribbled in my notebook. Those well spoken words were shared by Jeremy Nowak, a nationally recognized leader in urban development and the CEO of The Reinvestment Fund, who was the guest speaker at the first annual Senator Claiborne Pell Lecture on Arts & Humanities hosted by the City of Providence.
Mr. Nowak’s talk focused on the role of arts and culture in redefining and revitalizing cities. As part of its effort to capitalize on this enormous local asset by rebranding as “The Creative Capital”, Providence has recently launched a community planning effort called “Creative Providence: A Cultural Plan for the Creative Sector.”
Throughout his talk, Mr. Nowak wove an exciting and hopeful thread for a bold reimagining even as we experience the grim unraveling of an economic tapestry based on debt.
Using Philadelphia as an example (he hadn’t toured Providence yet) Mr. Nowak offered a number of illuminating examples of how artists and creative sector entrepreneurs, using an appreciative approach, “uncover, express and repurpose assets.” Two examples included resuing heavy industrial mill buildings for creative industrial workspace or reclaiming vacant lots for a sculpture park that helped redefine neighborhood. The question posed to the room was how that ability of artists to see can be harnessed to truly reinvent cities that are searching for new identities and economic models.
In thinking about the many interesting concepts presented last night, I woke up this morning thinking again that this third sector of ours needs to stop apologizing for the way it works and stop idealizing some fictitious “smarter than us” for-profit business and leadership model. Instead, we need to reclaim and boldly proclaim our unique way of seeing based on quality of life, a belief in public service and a philanthropic compass to guide our action. It’s time to take the high ground for the what, the why and the how of the work we do.
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on February 16, 2009 in Great quotes
“The probability that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just; it shall not deter me.” – Abraham Lincoln
Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society, page 79
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on February 2, 2009 in 100 Things We've Learned, Big ideas, Good reads, Great quotes
If you didn’t have a sense of urgency about building a resilient and adaptive organization before, hopefully our economic meltdown has convinced you that times change.
In case you are still resisting, try reading Tom Peters “Re-imagine Manifesto!” “Tomato TomAh to.” It’s assigned reading – along with Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind and a Peter Block’s The Answer to How is Yes – for the students in my Strategic Communications and Organizational Change class at Simmons College.
The world is different. Times have changed. Have you?
Or are you still doing everything the same way and expecting different results?
A taste of Tom:
“They say ‘We need an Initiative.”
“I say ‘We need a Dream. And Dreamers.’
“They say they need a “vision” born of McKinsey.
“I say we need a “Grandiose Dream” born of a Passionate & Intemperate Belief that the world can be a different, better place.”
Amen.
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on January 23, 2009 in Big ideas, Great quotes, Strategic Thinking
President Barack Obama spoke Tuesday to the whole country… yet so many parts of what he said had particular resonance for nonprofit organizations. These lines, in particular, stood out for me:
“Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.”
Whatever work we do with nonprofits like yours — whether we are helping to rebuild a struggling board, or facilitating a new direction through strategic or fundraising planning — we are constantly pushing people in organizations like yours not to be afraid of articulating the big idea. For it is that “common purpose” , the Read More >>
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on January 19, 2009 in Great quotes, Public engagement
Across the US, people are honoring the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday by performing community service. President-elect Obama has asked all Americans to serve on King Day and make an ongoing commitment throughout the year.
While I champion the call to service, I’ve been concerned for many years that the definition of volunteering and service has been too narrowly drawn and that what we should be encouraging is civic participation, in all of its many forms.
Here are a few examples of civic participation that don’t always get counted when the discussion turns to “community service.”
We’ve had a lot of snow here in RI over the last few weeks. My wonderful neighbor Doug, who owns a snow Read More >>
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on January 5, 2009 in Communicating, Great quotes, Profiles of passion and courage, Public engagement
Senator Claiborne Pell and Gayle Gifford 1981
It’s not often that I get weepy over the death of a politician. But I couldn’t help tearing up when I heard New Year’s Day that former Senator Claiborne Pell had died. While he served Rhode Island for six terms in the Senate, he truly was a Senator for all of us, a man who believed in public service as a noble calling, and had faith in the power of civility and diplomacy. He worked tirelessly for international peace, human rights, education, the arts and scholarship, the environment and historic preservation.
He was quirky, the way we like our politicians in RI. Known for his frayed cuffs and collars, his summer seersucker suits, he was a patrician beloved by the working class, interested both in science and UFOs and ESP. He defined his Senate job as “translate ideas into action and help people.” Read More >>
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on December 29, 2008 in Big ideas, Great quotes
The 12/17/08 edition of Time Magazine, which named President Elect Barack Obama Person of the Year had an interesting article? “Why History Can’t Wait.”
In the interview, President-elect Obama shared his leadership philosophy, which I thought was worth repeating here.
“…I hire really good people. … I’m not scared of hiring the smartest people, even when they’re smarter than me. And I have a low tolerance of nonsense and turf battles and game-playing, and I send that message very clearly. And so over time, I think, people start trusting each other, and they stay focused on mission, as opposed to personal ambition or grievance. If you’ve got really smart people who are all focused on the same mission, then usually you can get some things done.”
Seems to be a sound strategy to me: hire great people, stay focused on the mission above all, get things done.
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on November 10, 2008 in Great quotes, Profiles of passion and courage
Today’s quote comes from author, activist and extraordinary woman,? Helen Keller, and is a reminder that we still need to reach for our grand vision, even in the most trying of times.
“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”
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Posted by Gayle Gifford on November 3, 2008 in Big ideas, Great quotes, Profiles of passion and courage
We believe that ordinary human beings can create a world of opportunity, liberty, civil & human rights, human dignity, shared abundance, beauty, healthy natural resources and healthy, compassionate people together in a world of peace and prosperity.
That’s why we do the work that we do. Because we see nonprofits as essential to bringing that hope to pass.
So, on this momentous day, we thought we’d share a few words in the same spirit from our President to be and wish him great luck and all of our assistance on this journey:
“So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it?s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers ? in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people…”
“America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves ? if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
“…This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time ? to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth ? that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can?t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:
“Yes We Can.”?Excerpts from victory speech of President-elect, Barack Obama
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