Blog
It Can’t Be Just Pretend
We Know What We Want, But How Do We Get There? Vision without action is “just pretend,” as a young activist told me. A vision works only if we create a plan for how to accomplish it – a road map to get to our goal. Because we know the place we’re moving toward, we […]
Change is Coming
Tags: leadership, linda stout
The Biden/Harris administration has a lot going on. Dealing with the pandemic, the economy, climate change, infrastructure, cybersecurity, immigration, a $15 minimum wage….exactly what we call dealing with “complex change.” There are some lessons I hope they have learned that we teach in leadership training. Are you prepared to manage change? Too often, real change […]
This Time, We’ll Do It Differently!
Community organizations are frequently working in a reactive and defensive posture, holding back bad things from happening. The challenge is allowing enough time and space to learn to do things differently.
Is Every Day a Crisis?
In times of economic turmoil, organizers and activists rarely have the time to think about how to take advantage of the opportunities before us and build on our organization’s strengths.
Keep Moving Toward the Vision!
It is with great hope that I write today. Hope for a better tomorrow and for a better future. Because of the work I do I get the privilege of seeing huge wins and changes happening when people join together and follow their vision toward big transformations. We need to continue to focus on the […]
INSPIRED
In September, media reported that more money was being spent on political ads in North Carolina than any other state. It is one of six states where 9 out of 10 of all ad dollars are going to this contested presidency. Not only is the presidential race close, but the Senate, the governor’s race and […]
Time for Compassion
Like many people who grew up in poverty in this country, I was embarrassed and ashamed about my background. Not until after I had spent time in Nicaragua in the 1980s, where people understood poverty in a very different way, did I decide to “come out of the closet” as a poor person back home. […]
No Matter What Happens
As we sit here in anticipation of an election that will change our history for generations to come, I feel both excited and afraid of what could happen. The divisiveness of our country, the fear of voter suppression and possible violence sits heavily on my mind, as I’m sure it does yours. But no matter […]
Is it Just a Band-Aid?
Not all ways of working for change appeal to everyone. Some organizers disdain reform, which involves changing laws and policies. In many cases, reform means trying to protect current policies that serve the public. These are what Joanna Macy calls, “holding actions.” I know that the compromise that is so often at the heart of […]
