Dave Egger’s story in this video (24:29) is truly inspiring! Although the video is a bit long, I really encourage you to make to the space to hear it fully – it’s an amazing story.

Notice the following about what he has to say:

• How he used his creativity to connect one community’s need and another community’s resources;
• How he just got started with putting his idea into action without having all of the answers about what it would ultimately look like;
• How unexpected obstacles showed him the way by remaining open, being creative and remaining unattached to what “should” happen;
• His sense of adventure and playfulness about how the idea evolved, while remaining very focused on the goal;
• How his courage to listen and follow through on his original idea resulted in an abundance of resources showing up that he couldn’t initially foresee, who have helped far more people than I’m sure he ever imagined at the outset.

Technorati Tags: action, adventure, commitment, community, connected, courage, creativity, focus, inspiration, leader, Leadership, playfulness, purpose

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, and in 2008 ( Saturday March 29, 8:00pm), this movement is going global. The following video provides an overview of what Earth Hour is about.

While a great idea on its own merit (one that I certainly support), listen to the video from the perspective of:

• The power of a simple idea that is acted upon;
• The impact that one person can have when he/she takes a stand for something that is important to him/her and then shares it with others; and
• How this idea is connecting people on many different levels of community, from local to global.

While the growing environmental crisis can be overwhelming in terms of what one person can do to reverse it, it is fascinating to me how this emerging crisis that potentially impacts every living creature on the planet is really the first truly shared challenge that humankind has faced.

Although we have not all been equal contributors to this problem, we all have an vested interest in addressing and reversing it. When a community (in this case, global) finds a common purpose, a shared bond, and starts genuinely working together to address it, amazing unintended outcomes could result including strengthening many levels of community.

This movement is such a simple thing – turning off the lights, and our daily appliances for one hour. Skeptics might say, so what – in the grand scheme of things, how much power is actually being saved by Earth Hour? That’s not the point really.

The much bigger and deeper impact is about enrolling people around the globe to take a real action (perhaps for the first time) and for all of us to experience what’s possible from many people taking a small action. Such experiences, especially when seen on a global level shift the individual (and collective) consciousness over time, which then impacts a myriad of other small decisions that we make.

It is all too easy to underestimate the power that we each have as individuals to be change agents in the world, or to simply default to making excuses about why we can’t do anything to impact significant issues. Earth Day started as just an idea for its founder.

As leaders, we need to pay attention to the ideas that we receive. Allowing them space to germinate. Asking ourselves questions about the idea and listening patiently for the answers to present themselves (and without judging those answers prematurely!). And then acting, even if only in a small way, to start the process of life-giving movement to the idea.

All too often, great ideas just need furtile soil to grow, rather than being quickly dismissed as impractical, impossible or even silly.

The other thing that is striking to me about Earth Hour is how this simple notion of “unplugging” for an hour is impacting community. Simply “unplugging” en masse is a common action shared among people in many communities for a greater purpose (including families, civic and corporate communities).

This shared action is bringing those communities closer at the micro and macro levels, even if just for an hour, although I would argue that there is likely a more lasting impact for those communities in different ways. Imagine attending a wedding that is lit with only candles! For those who attend such an event, they are not likely to soon forget the experience or the heightened awareness they gained about reducing power comsumption as a result.

Whether you choose to support Earth Hour or not (and I hope you will), take notice of this growing movement and consider:

• As individuals and leaders, what ideas are ruminating for you that could more strongly connect members of your community?
• How are you holding yourself small in terms of not acting on these ideas?
• What might be possible for you and others if you opened your heart and mind to really explore these ideas, no matter how impractical or impossible it may seem in this moment?

Feel free to share what comes up for you below. By posting your thoughts, you will help others to consider their own answers to these questions.

Technorati Tags: action, community, connected, connecting, environment, ideas, impact, leader