***

In a recent post, I wrote about the role leaders take in encouraging community in their organizations. I appreciate all of you who added comments to the post with additional ideas for creating community.

How important are leaders in building community?

Wally Bock made an interesting assertion that leaders have a marginal role in creating community, since communities are formed by the voluntary actions of the people involved. While I agree that leaders cannot single-handedly “create” community, leaders in a group can positively encourage the growth of community through commitment and dedication.

Your role or position as a leader may give you a false sense of community.

Community is formed when people are interconnected in relationships.Yet your position as a leader in a group may hinder your ability to gauge the connectedness of the others in the group. After all, YOU are well connected; working and interacting with many others in the group, you certainly feel a sense of belonging. You may observe others in the group to determine how well they are interconnected, but even this may not be an accurate assessment.

Ask people in the group if they feel connected as part of the community.

Why not ask? Ask the people in your group if they feel that they belong. Ask them if they feel connected to others in community. Though people long to be connected in community with others, interconnectedness and a sense of belonging are often elusive. Many people feel lost in a crowd, isolated even when surrounded by others.

Help people take ownership of the group.

One way to help people gain a sense of belonging and connectedness that leads to community is to invite them to contribute to the group. Encourage them to take responsibility for creating community. As people exercise their gifts and abilities, they will gain a sense of ownership for the group. As their engagement  increases, so will their sense of belonging — once spectators on the sidelines, now team members participating in community.

Technorati Tags: belonging, community, connectedness

This video is a must see (7:05 minutes). Susan is a contestant on the British talent show “Britain’s Got Talent”. She performed on April 11, 2009 and her performance has become a global sensation with millions of online views in just one week.

Beyond her stunning talent, the thing I LOVED MOST about her performance is how easy it was for the audience (and yes, I’m guilty as charged) to make assumptions beforehand about who she was and what she was (or wasn’t) capable of. In her completely unassuming, down-to-earth and quirky way, she dared to come forward before the world and absolutely shatter those assumptions in seconds.

But the key thing is that she DARED to allow her brilliant talent to be expressed without holding back in any way. Listen to the things she says in her preliminary comments and consider the enormity of the situation she put herself in. And look at the impact it had!!!  She overcame the cynics immediately, connected the show’s audience together in undeniably exuberant support, and to the world with millions of online views…

Susan really personifies the essence of what Connected In Community is about. She is an everyday person who DARES to express her special gift with the world without apology, hesitation or reserve. She dares to let it SHINE brightly, and look at the shockwaves it can create when we trust it, express it and let it go.

She reminds me yet again how important it is to look expectantly for the gifts in others, no matter how difficult they may be to see at first, sometimes well hidden. But they are absolutely there and it is all too easy to form assumptions, to become cynical and to miss them altogether.

Never forget that the person standing in front of you has gifts that are truly unique and incredible, and just as importantly, remember that this includes the person looking back at you in the mirror.

The world needs all of these gifts to be expressed fully and without hesitation. That is why they were given to us in the first place.

Holding back on our own gifts out of fear, modesty, or any of the other myriad justifications we can come up with robs our communities and the world of the essential gifts we each have to offer.

How are you holding back on us with your unique gifts? Be honest. What unimaginably positive impact might you have if you truly dared to bring your own gifts onto your own “stage” and just let them flow as Susan Boyle dared to do with hers?

Examples like Susan’s fill me with inspiration and hope about what is possible if we only let it happen. Dear friend, let it happen. Bring to us all what we so desperately need from you…all of you, fully expressed.

We need more leaders like Susan who confidently drive their stake in the ground and deliver everything they’ve got to achieve it, despite the many doubting Thomases who say it’s not possible. Prove them all wrong like Susan did. Susan, thank you deeply for daring and reminding us to do the same!

Technorati Tags: community, connecting, daring, inspiring, Leadership

In contrast, you often hear stories about villages in third world countries who suffer daily with unimaginable poverty and other hardships, and yet…and yet, live with joy through their dependence on each other for survival. How can this be?

Annie Leonard is an American critic of international trade, development, international sustainability and environmental health issues. She is best known for her web-based documentary about the lifecycle of goods and services in America (but still completely applicable to the other countries noted above). It’s called The Story of Stuff. Her documentary was first released in December 2007 and has had over 4 million views on her own Story of Stuff site alone (plus additional viewers through syndicated video networks).

The first three-quarters of her piece explains her view of the materials economy, a linear system that starts with extraction of resources, moves to production and distribution, then consumption and finally disposal. If this brings back bad memories of a macro-economics class, stay with us!  It’s actually a very interesting presentation of the bigger picture that we should all understand to start making better choices. Ralph Nader called the film “a model of clarity and motivation”.

While the foregoing is very interesting, what really grabs me is the opportunity for leaders to re-think a better model. One that still provides for what we need, but in a much more sustainable, equitable, green, zero waste, renewable and locally-based way.

And in doing so, how can whole communities that are left at the peril of the current model be better nurtured and revitalized in the process?

No one person, group or community can do this one alone. It is an entire paradigm shift that is needed throughout our society, along with a re-design and re-tooling of the existing economic infrastructure. More than that though, I think we need to look at how we can measure value in more than just economic terms. How can we design our system so that it serves all of our needs better…providing us with not only the tangible goods and services that we need (and less of what we just want and don’t need), but delivering them in a much more collaborative, community-based way?

This shift is beyond desirable, it’s imperative. The current model is not sustainable on many levels. And the good news…there are endless opportunities for community leaders (that’s you and me right !) to step in and find a niche to play in.

Have a listen – the video is a bit of a time investment (21 minutes), but well worth it…

For starters, Annie suggests 10 specific things we can each start doing to make a difference right now (check her web site for further explanation and other resources):

1. Power down!
2. Waste less.
3. Talk to everyone about these issues.
4. Make your voice heard.
5. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy.
6. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (to the community). (Editorial: This one’s my favourite!)
7. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH!
8. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm.
9. Recycle your trash…and, recycle your elected officials.
10. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less.

Would love to hear what really grabbed your attention in this video…

What shocked you? Where did find yourself feeling hopeful? What leadership opportunities became clearer in your mind? So what’s next for you? Share your thoughts with us…

Technorati Tags: community, consumerism, happiness, Leadership

As a reader of Connected In Community, my assumption is that you are as excited as I am (even if, like me, you’re not a US citizen!) about the palpable new age beginning today with the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

At a time of many domestic and international challenges of epic proportions, his is a message of great hope.  His style of leadership is, and will be, a dramatic departure from the past (phew!).  Every time I see him speak, I continue to be impressed even more deeply with his authentic, caring and very capable leadership style.  I always leave with a greater sense of hope, and in particular, hope that a new age of caring, community and social engagement is dawning.

President Obama seems to understand the importance and necessity of engaging all people to solve the problems that the US and the world face, as one community and not as fragmented interests.  It is not just the responsibility of each of us to engage in this new social contract.  Rather, to find answers that will actually work will require the willing contribution of each person’s talents, abilities and perspectives.

Leveraging our diverse strengths and remaining open and curious to our differences is in fact the key to finding those answers.

Appreciation of our diversity was beautifully symbolized in the format and range of participants in the inaugural ceremony today.

We extend our prayers to President Obama and his team, and in fact to each of us, to go forward in our everyday leadership with courage, faith and hope for what’s possible in our communities large and small.

Below is a transcript of President Obama’s inaugural address.  I have bolded the passages that are particularly striking as it relates to community and building connection with others.

Photo used under Creative Commons license

***

SPEAKER: PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

[*] OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you.

CROWD: Obama! Obama! Obama! Obama!

My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

I thank President Bush for his service to our nation…

(APPLAUSE)

… as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

OBAMA: The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbearers, and true to our founding documents.

OBAMA: So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many, and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

OBAMA: These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land; a nagging fear that America’s decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.

(APPLAUSE)

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

OBAMA: On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

(APPLAUSE)

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

OBAMA: It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.

Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor — who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West, endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

OBAMA: For us, they fought and died in places Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed.

OBAMA: Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

(APPLAUSE)

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology’s wonders to raise health care’s quality…

(APPLAUSE)

… and lower its costs.

OBAMA: We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. All this we will do.

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.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them, that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long, no longer apply.

OBAMA: The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

And those of us who manage the public’s knowledge will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched.

OBAMA: But this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control. The nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous.

The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

(APPLAUSE)

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals.

Our founding fathers faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations.

OBAMA: Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience’s sake.

And so, to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and we are ready to lead once more.

(APPLAUSE)

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with the sturdy alliances and enduring convictions.

OBAMA: They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use. Our security emanates from the justness of our cause; the force of our example; the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy, guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We’ll begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people and forge a hard- earned peace in Afghanistan.

OBAMA: With old friends and former foes, we’ll work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat and roll back the specter of a warming planet.

We will not apologize for our way of life nor will we waver in its defense.

And for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that, “Our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken. You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.”

(APPLAUSE)

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness.

We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth.

And because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

OBAMA: To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.

To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.

To those…

(APPLAUSE)

To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.

And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages.

We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service: a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.

OBAMA: And yet, at this moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies.

It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break; the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours.

It is the firefighter’s courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent’s willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old.

OBAMA: These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history.

What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

OBAMA: This is the source of our confidence: the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall. And why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

(APPLAUSE)

So let us mark this day in remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.

In the year of America’s birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by nine campfires on the shores of an icy river.

OBAMA: The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood.

At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

“Let it be told to the future world that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive, that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet it.”

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words; with hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come; let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Thank you. God bless you.

(APPLAUSE)

And God bless the United States of America.

(APPLAUSE)

Technorati Tags: community, connection, hope, Leadership, Obama

“You must be prepared to act on your dreams, just in case they could come true.” ~ Bill Strickland

Bill grew up in Pittsburg, immersed in the crumbling remains of the steel economy and facing racism everywhere he turned. The odds were stacked highly against him. And what an AMAZING legacy he has built to date (and is still building!) to help disadvantaged folks thrive in life.

Bill is about dreaming, following his heart, and staying true to his vision of hope and human possibility.

Make sure to listen to his story below (35:28)…I guarantee you’ll be inspired to dream bigger!

What does Bill teach us through his experience? My three key take-aways are the following:

• If we want to lead in a community, we need to look like the solution and not the problem.  We need to bring a story of hope and genuinely believe in the community itself as being a valuable partner in the solution;
• The key to changing behaviour in others is all in the way WE and THEY think about themselves.  For us, we need to look beyond what’s obvious and see what’s really there in others.  Sometimes the intrinsic good in people is well-masked as the result of hardship and circumstance….look deeper.  As leaders, we can also help them to realize that they ARE valuable and worthy human beings, who may just need even one person to believe in them and to care;
• When we lead from a place of integrity, commitment and passion, other people will unexpectedly show up wanting to help us.  This of course requires faith and trust, especially when we may feel we are leading an uphill battle on our own at times.  Look at the amazing and influential network of human, financial and capital resources that “magically” appeared for Bill without him seeking them directly. The impact of the people who showed up for Bill is breathtaking!

To me, Bill’s call to action at the end of his talk speaks directly to us here in our CIC community:

“I want you all to know that I think the world is a place worth living. I believe in you…I believe in your hopes and your dreams, I believe in your intelligence, and I believe in your enthusiasm.

We won’t make it as a country [or as a global community] if we can’t turn this thing around…I am banking on people like you, very decent people who still believe in something.“.

So consider the following:

• What dreams are percolating for you that would help others who need your help?
• How are you not dreaming big enough?
• What are you not yet noticing about your dreams that’s fundamentally important?

We would all love to hear your insights on Bill’s story or your dream below…don’t be shy !

Technorati Tags: commitment, community, connected, connection, dreams, hope, human possibility, inspiration, integrity, leader, Leadership, legacy, passion, vision

Environmental justice as she defines it: “No community should be saddled with more environmental burdens and less environmental benefits than any other“. However, Majora also points out that race and class are extremely reliable indicators of where you can find environmental injustice.

Her story is a tribute to overcoming adversity with determination, passion, and courage. Don’t miss her story (19:07):

“Economic degradation begets environmental degradation which begets social degradation.”

While my city (Vancouver, Canada) is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world, we have the dubious honour of having the poorest postal code in the country (known as the downtown East Side), amidst extreme affluence very close by. Very much like what Majora describes the Bronx to be like.

Why?

Because for several decades now, this area has been seen as a blight in our city with much debate over how to “fix” it, but with little real action or positive outcomes. There has been little economic investment which has exacerbated the local challenges. There seem to be few parks or green spaces in this part of town, at least relative to the rest of the city. And there are also MAJOR social problems there as a result.

Two things come to mind for me:

• What made the difference for Majora was the love of family, teachers, friends and mentors. How many of us (including me) have the courage and initiative to find ways to deliver love to these folks, rather than just forwarding money as a “feel-good” gesture (if we even do that)?
• Her comment at the end of her talk about not overlooking/wasting the experience of people at the grassroots level in a community, those who live and work in it, to help solve the community challenges. Who could better know the impact of the problems AND provide valuable insights into possible solutions than these folks? But how often are grassroots groups given an equal voice among other stakeholders?

All too often, it seems that “the outside experts” are tasked with solving these problems, ones that they don’t live or are personally invested in fixing. I am certainly not disparaging the engagement of experts in finding solutions to these types of problems. On the contrary, my point is that in solving major social/environmental problems (and other problems for that matter!), it is so critical to engage ALL stakeholders in the discussion and solution-finding process, just as Majora continues to do.

So, as someone who is dedicated to leading and connecting community together, consider just one environmental or social injustice that you see in your own community (there are likely many!). What could you do as a leader to bring all of the stakeholders together and begin a dialogue to start bridging the gap and healing the injustice? How could you show love to the victims, the kind of love that Majora stated was essential for her transformation from a potential victim into the community leader she is now? What is something you could do today to start the ball rolling? Your community needs you!

Tell us your thoughts on this article as you feel moved to do so.

Technorati Tags: community, connection, dialogue, environment justice, Leadership, love, social justice, transformation

So often, people who have much to offer to their communities don’t. Why? Perhaps they feel they don’t have enough time. Perhaps they don’t know where to start. Perhaps they’re afraid to put themselves out there. Perhaps they just don’t think it would be fun!

In a fun and entertaining way (of course!), the video below reminds us of the eight principles of fun – not just amusement, but full-on, blood coursing through your veins, exhilerating FUN…be good to yourself and have a listen (8:29)…

Ok, so here’s a recap (with a leadership lens):

1. Stop hiding who you really are. In other words, what do you really stand for? Start living it fully.
2. Start being intensely selfish. What’s really important to you – don’t waste your time on anything else.
3. Stop following the rules. Who would you be and what would you do if you no longer blindly followed the dictates of society and followed your own heart instead?
4. Start scaring yourself. What’s the big, hairy dream that you have that would connect people together if you dared to make it happen? The one that’s totally at your edge…yah, THAT one!
5. Stop taking it all so damn seriously. Just do it! In 50 years, no one will care about the little insecurities that are stopping you from acting right now. However, they may well value the legacy that you could create for them if you just got moving…
6. Start getting rid of the crap. Get rid of the stuff that’s holding you back – the habits, the memories, the fears, the attitudes, the second-guessing…let it go and move forward.
7. Stop being busy. Being busy in and of itself is not a badge of honour. Ask yourself: Am I busy doing the things that REALLY matter?
8. Start something. NOW is the perfect time! Stop procrastinating. Stop waiting for permission from yourself or someone else. Stop making excuses! Your community needs you – don’t cheat them of the gifts that you have to offer.

So reclaim the * FUN * in your life (where did it go anyway?) and let it move you into leadership in your communities! In doing so, you will remember again how much magic comes from really connecting with other people in meaningful ways.

Thanks to Michael Bungay Stanier for producng this video. Michael is the Principal of Box of Crayons. He helps organizations, teams and individuals get unstuck and get going on the stuff that matters.

Technorati Tags: community, fun, Leadership, principles

A few months ago, by wife and I got rid of our cable TV. Why? We were finding that there was seldom anything on that we felt was really worthwhile watching during the fairly limited opportunities we had to watch. (Sidebar: we haven’t missed it at all!).

In addition to reading more with the time we may have watched TV, we have started to watch more DVD movies. You might guess that we’re not generally in for the latest Hollywood blockbuster. Instead, we usually head for the “road less travelled” at the video store.

A couple of days ago, Fiona came home with a movie that we didn’t recall hearing about called The Great Debaters, released on Christmas Day 2007.

Because we haven’t generally heard much about the movies that we rent, it’s always sort of an adventure to watch them – sometimes you win, other times not so much.

As we started to watch this movie though, my expectations were heightened from the very beginning when I discovered that Oprah Winfrey had co-produced it, and Denzel Washington both directed it and played the leading role (the professor).

It didn’t disappoint. Have a look at the trailer (2:30) to get a sense of what the movie’s about.

Why am I telling you about this? Here’s why:

• media has such a tremendous power to inspire, uplift and motivate. This movie is a great example of that power amidst a sea of other fluff that doesn’t. Sadly, you’re not likely to hear about the great stuff as much as the fluff;
• this movie has powerful messages about pursuing your dreams and believing in yourself and what’s possible if you try;
• the leading character is a person of strong conviction and an inspiring agent for social change. He sees the (potential) strength of character in others and gives them the space and opportunities to find their own strength…a great model for all of us in our leadership.

There is an moving dialogue between the professor and the team that becomes their mantra:

Question: Who is the judge?
Response: The judge is God.
Question: Why is he God?
Response: Because he decides who wins or loses. Not my opponent.
Question: Who is your opponent?
Response: He does not exist.
Question: Why does he not exist?
Response: Because he is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak!

Wow! It makes me wonder how firmly as leaders we believe in the truths that we stand for in our own leadership?

In a world of mediocrities and “whatever” thinking, what truths are we so committed to that we speak it and defend it without worrying about our opponents? Without concern for our naysayers?

Granted it’s a movie, AND, it is important to know that it is based on a true story. The passion that the team was able to speak from was firmly grounded in knowing their own truths and what mattered most to them about the way the world needed to change and what their part is making that change happen.

What are your truths about how the world needs to change? What matters most to you? What are you prepared to be passionately outspoken about? How are you speaking your truths in the world? What do you need to do today to move it forward?

Watch this movie and consider it from your own leadership in the world – it is a gem (I watched it a second time).

And as always, please tell us your thoughts below

P.S. Click here (see Inspiration Video) for other recommended picks for high quality, inspirational movies.

Technorati Tags: community, connecting, inspire, Leadership, oprah winfrey, social change, the great debaters, truth

Pangea Day is an unprecedented event happening Saturday May 10, 2008 which will bring the global community together for four hours through the power of film. Films made for the world, by the world.

The video below (2:30) is a powerful clip about the influence of images in our society and how they will be used on Pangea Day with the goal of building bridges of understanding and tolerance.

The concept of Pangea Day came from Jehane Noujaim, a documentary filmmaker, who won a TED award in 2006 (I’ve featured a number of TED videos on this site – TED brings together thought leaders once a year to share ideas in the areas of technology, entertainment and design…hence “TED”).

Along with prize money of $100K, TED winners also gain access to the contact list of TED, which no doubt contains many of the most influential people in the world.

One of the things that I think is so cool about this concept is the fact that it is even possible technologically. Imagine people around the world sharing in the same experience, some in massive community events, some in movie theatres, some in private homes on TV, some over the internet, and some on their cell phones even…and all at the same time!

While it is the first year for Pangea Day, it has tremendous potential to really impact the way we think about each other in the world, across countries and cultures. The goal really is to allow each of us to get into the heads of other people in the world and to see the world from their perspective.

It’s not the same as real dialogue across cultures and societies to really experience better understanding between us all, but hopefully it will move us further down that road, and inspire other actions that further this goal.

For more information, have a look at the Pangea Day web site (very cool in and of itself). It will be a fascinating event I think – make sure to catch at least part of it through your preferred media format.

How does this event inspire you? What part can you play in building bridges of understanding in your own communities?

Would love to hear your reactions to the event afterwards. Tell us below – I’ll do the same .

Technorati Tags: community, cultures, perspectives, technology, understanding

Never before has one single issue become the vested focus of the entire world.

Al Gore is speaking out again now. His message continues to be on the global environmental crisis, which in and of itself is really about bringing our global community together to solve our common challenges (since, as he points out, we already have the technology to do it). In addition, his message also contains several fascinating implications about leadership in community including, but also beyond, the environmental crisis.

The following video was recorded in March, 2008 (hot off the press !) and is 27:54 in length. Listen to the inspiring message Mr. Gore delivers…

I found the following comments of Mr. Gore fascinating as it impacts community and leadership:

• Solving the environmental crisis is not just about changing our behaviour to be more environmentally friendly (e.g., changing the types of light bulbs we use, etc.). While obviously important, we are also facing a democratic crisis, and we must change our citizenship and democratic behaviour.
  
  I agree, and to me, this is so pertinent to becoming more active in our communities. This means turning our generally passive roles in community to more active ones again…bringing the unique gifts that we each have and creatively delivering them to the various levels of community that we each belong to. This of course includes becoming more active in leadering our communities; role-modelling for others how to effectively contribute to community AND enrolling them to do so as well;
• Mr. Gore makes the point that we need to integrate the solutions to the environmental crisis into the solutions for other problems. It does not ultimately serve us if we solve a problem in one silo, only to transfer it or create a new problem in another silo. Our consciousness needs to be raised to a higher level, where we look at solving the environmental crisis and other challenges more holistically through community. It’s easy to become overwhelmed at the global level. Look locally first for solutions where the scale of the problem will likely feel more manageable and where your efforts will be more tangible.
  
  A few weeks ago, my six-year-old daughter and I spent a couple of hours together cleaning up litter on a public pathway that actually isn’t particularly close to where we live, but which was badly littered. Admittedly, picking up litter is a very small piece of the environmental crisis, and yet, what if we ALL tackled small pieces of the problem? Would it help solve the bigger challenge? Yes! And in addition, and perhaps even more importantly, was it a great opportunity to connect with my daughter in a new way…yes! Was I able to raise her awareness about the difference that she can (and needs to) make in her community and our planet…you bet! A small example to be sure, but an example nonetheless of what Mr. Gore is pointing to I think in terms of addressing mutliple objectives in tandem.
• He talks towards the end of the presentation about how we need

  “I think we ought to approach this challenge with a sense of profound joy and gratitude that we are the generation, about which a thousand years from now, philharmonic orchestras and poets and singers will celebrate by saying “They were the ones that found it within themselves to solve this crisis and lay the basis for a bright and optimistic future!”" ~ Al Gore

  another hero generation, like the generations that brought democracy to the world, ended slavery and gave women the right to vote (in the U.S. context in particular). He suggests that we need to reframe the common mindset that it is such a burden to have to face solving a problem of such huge magnitude [the environmental crisis]. He asks “How many generations in all of human history have had the opportunity to rise to a challenge that is worthy of our best efforts? A challenge that can pull from us more than we knew we could do?“. What a visionary and energizing perspective!
  
  And I would like to suggest the same perspective should be applied to re-engaging our connectedness to each other…re-discovering how we can find joy and solutions by being in healthy community and shedding our all-too-pervasive self-focus which comes at the expense of those in need around us.

Profound stuff to ponder.

Consider your own behaviour patterns as it relates to being in community:

• How could you make space for welcoming greater community into your own life?
• When trying to find solutions to a community challenge, is there a way that you could solve it while, at the same time, improving the environment in some way?
• When trying to find solutions to the environmental challenge, how could you go about doing it in a life-affirming, community-building way?

Tell us below about any a-ha’s this may raise for you, or other insights in general that you have!

Technorati Tags: behaviour, citizenship, community, connectedness, connection, consciousness, democracy, environment, leader