August 25th is the birthdate of a noted leader and the late tennis pro, Althea Gibson. She rocked the world of tennis with her ability and stature during a time when she was least expected to do so.
What makes her legacy so meaningful is that she was a trailblazing athlete who became the first African American to win championships including Wimbledon, the French Open, the US Open, and the Australian Doubles in the 1950s.
Like you, I’ve had a few great teachers in my life. John Wooden, one of America’s most well-known sports coaches, was just that. He was an extraordinary teacher. Last week he died at the age of 99. But, his legacy will live on through his writing, standards of excellence, and his famous “pyramid for success.”
His fame registered on the national platform with his record-setting achievements as a basketball coach at the University of California, Los Angeles. In fact, ESPN News named him “the Coach of the Century.” The New York Times noted in his obituary that, “he ultimately became viewed as a kind of sage for both basketball and life, a symbol of both excellence and simpler times.”
Isn’t it amazing how creativity is born? Noted journalist and editor of the Saturday Evening Post Brenda Ueland once said, “Inspiration comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.”
It should be no surprise that creativity emerges from people in different ways. For some, it is just a series of natural abilities, whereas others struggle to gin up ideas. Others pick up dance steps or learn a musical instrument in no time, whereas others struggle.
In the same way, we all use our creativity generously. Maneuver, juggle, and plow ahead when forced to do so. We find the answers. We solve our problems. We address the challenges head on. (more…)
Believe it or not, it’s not all about winning. Really! Most good leaders realize that somewhere along the way they have to find a way to activate the reset button and stay balanced.
A friend recently asked me “So, what is all this balance talk?” I reminded him that it’s what we already know and do without even thinking about it to stay focused. Every day we take steps to stay healthy, level-headed, and in tune with ourselves or others. It’s how we juggle our family, social, and professional lives. Periodically, we burn off steam taking pause from a regular routine or else we get stuck in a rut. Quite simply, we take time out. We stop.
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Author Bob Smucker summed it up best: “Grassroots network is an organized, systematic means of communicating on short notice with volunteers at the local level who have agreed to take some action or to advocate.” If it’s really that simple, what’s required to get started with effective grassroots organizing or community engagement?
It seems important to start with a differentiation. Building a grassroots movement is primarily about communities. Community engagement primarily deals with helping moved communities towards some outcome. Often this is a situation that has been derailed or thwarted.
What most people don’t realize is that grassroots organizing is not a format path of action. More often than not, it’s informal, rather than elaborate. Often times it involves action that is passed via word of mouth through a network.
“The role of public servant
is about more than the role
itself but about giving back
and leaving a legacy.”
-Dawn McCoy
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