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“Every person must decide whether to walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
How much have you forfeited, due to a lack of appreciation, for other people’s ideas?
- Do you think you could change if your life depended on it?
- Do you think you could change if your child’s life depended on it?
- Do you think you could change if someone else’s life or child’s life, that you didn’t know, depended on it?
Many leaders appear to struggle to effectively implement changes. Have you?
Many leaders appear to be better at implementing changes generated from their own ideas. How about you?
Most leaders appear to struggle to adopt other leaders’ ideas and are even less effective at actually implementing those ideas. Why?
Objectively; how are you doing in the 3 categories above?
Why does change appear to be so difficult? I have a few theories I’ll share with you. Personally, I believe change is relatively easy. However; enabling changes to take place for others, is quite difficult.
Enabling change requires higher levels of Decision Making Quality (DMQ), Execution-Excellence (Ex-Ex), forward-thinking and non-self-centered leadership.
These four basic competencies will knock out 84% (68% are “Average” and 16% are “Below Average”, per the unbiased, Standard Bell-Curve) of leaders from effectively implementing changes. From the top 16%, less than half or roughly 7% will be the ones who can actually get changes effectively (not “partially baked”) implemented. Let’s look at some real-life examples in the Non-Profit sector.
Non-Profit Organizations (NPO’s) are truly fascinating since they involve making positive social impact from locally to worldwide. I have a number of specific examples where change has been too difficult for the leadership teams to even get started. Thus, I’ll share the common threads I’ve observed.
Basic Fundraising Opportunity – Our Social Impact Model is quite simple. We save corporations, hospitals, NPO’s or governmental organizations $M’s first, so they have new / more money to donate. Over the years, our teams have saved corporations, including 90+ of the F500’s, from $1M to $51M per year. For our teams; saving organizations money, is the easy part.
The organizations can donate 5% or more, of the new money they now have (that they wouldn’t have if they didn’t collaborate with us) to the NPO’s. At a low 5% donation rate, that’s a $50,000 donation per $1M, at 10% that’s $100,000, etc.
Yes (if you’re doing the math), the corporations are actually increasing their Net Incomes, since they keep the lion’s share of the new money our teams create, while simultaneously only donating 5%+ to the NPO’s. It’s that simple!
I mistakenly thought, new $1M+ donations would be meaningful to most Non-Profits. What I’ve discovered, since it involves change…
Change is apparently, quite difficult; even if it means you could help hundreds or thousands more people. This new donation channel involves minor changes and often, it isn’t required for NPO’s to remain “open” while meeting their payrolls (the first place most donations go) for their employees.
Thus; change is not “seen as” being required.
However; the people in need of food, clean water, mental health, blood, etc., pay the price for the $M’s conscientiously forfeited by the NPO’s, who ironically, were established to serve the very people who remain in need.
Two simple, actual examples involve NPO’s creating clean water sources for people in developing countries, to save the lives of children and adults from water-borne diseases. I’ll be succinct and keep them nameless, to respect their “challenges” to adopting positive changes.
- Both water NPO’s pay their employees on time, regardless if they raise money, don’t raise money, etc.
- Both water NPO’s personally have plenty of clean water to keep themselves and their children from dying from water-borne diseases.
- One water Non-Profit has a process-flow to prevent the CEO from receiving outside communications from people who can help them. I’ve asked the process, “how many people reach out to help your NPO raise $10M+?” They said, “none”. So; is the process designed to save thousands of lives; or, not inconvenience the CEO? Apparently, they’re “saving enough” lives?
- The other water Non-Profit’s Development Director asked me to contact them next year since they already hit their fundraising goal for the year. So; is the purpose of the NPO, to hit their self-created goals for the year or save thousands more lives?
My simple question to any employee at these water Non-Profits; “if your child could die tonight from the water they are drinking, would you have the ability to change”?
Beautiful, positive change … the world needs you so, so badly
and more than ever, in our complicated world.
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How rare is it to find competent, selfless leaders with the courage to create positive change for others? I’m not talking about little changes or politically accepted corporate model donations that only change slightly.
I’m talking Big, Kick-Ass, Beautiful Changes that you’re proud to implement!
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I’m talking the kind of Big, Kick-Ass, Beautiful Changes you’d make if your child’s life depending on it!
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I’m talking the kind of Big, Kick-Ass, Beautiful Changes that require Chasm-Leaping,
fearless leaders to bring them to fruition!
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I’m talking the kind of Big, Kick-Ass, Beautiful Changes that will deliver giant smiles,
a river of tears, etc., when you look back on your purpose-driven life and say,
“Yes, I Kicked-Ass & I made a huge difference in thousands of lives!!
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Who changes the world? I believe it’s almost exclusively the Top-7%. They are the only ones with the Talent Portfolios and social consciences needed to actually implement significant positive social impact.
If you believe you’re one of these executives, we’d love to explore possible opportunities.
Get Making A Difference! ~ JR
