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.

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.

“One can never consent to creep when one feels an impulse to soar.”

I frequently share this quote with teams that are about to embark on strategic planning as I believe it captures the essence of the planning process.

“Most of our problems upon this planet … Have been met and solved either partially or as a whole by experiment based on common sense and carried out with courage.”

]]> http://www.ceffect.com/blog/strategic-thinking/strategic-planning-experiment-common-sense-and-courage/feed/ 0 http://www.ceffect.com/blog/tidbits/an-ode-to-workers/ http://www.ceffect.com/blog/tidbits/an-ode-to-workers/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:29:40 +0000 Gayle Gifford http://www.ceffect.com/?p=58 For our Monday quote, I thought I’d share with you this poem by Marge Piercy, whom I was privileged to meet and have dinner with this past year when she did a poetry reading for the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities.

To be of use
by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

Click here for the full text of the poem.