Do you have the capacity for change?
I have a theory, and it goes something like this “Those who have the capacity to effect change, have a responsibility to do so”.
Have a think about that for a minute.
If you have the capacity to effect change, in other words, make things happen, bring people together, lead a project, start something great? Then I believe you have a responsibility to do so.
Imagine if more people in the world that DO have the capacity to make things happen, thought this same way? (And I believe that is A LOT of us). Wow there’d really be some good stuff happening.
So don’t say NO straight away to someone’s idea, consider it. If it’s a good idea, then get on board. Sometimes think YES before you think NO! Move ahead and make things happen. And what about your own ideas? We’re only on this earth once, so don’t keep stuff to yourself, get it out there…..its 2010 and we have more avenues than ever before to share our ideas and make things happen.
And you might be surprised at the result.
….And for those of you interested in delving further, Seth Godin has written a mini-book called Insubordinate, which encompasses similar thinking. Here’s a short excerpt:
“I’ve figured out that there are three kinds of people:
Linchpins
Supporters
Leeches, Advocates for the Devil, and Bystanders (aka people in a pre-linchpin state)
I lump the last three together as one kind, because I don’t think they deserve categories of their own. Even though they’re the majority in terms of numbers, they don’t matter so much in terms of getting things done.
The first group, the Linchpins, are the people who make a difference, the ones that ship, the rare ones that truly have an impact. This group of people, in that moment of time, change everything.
The second group, the Supporters, are eager and willing to help. They respect and admire the work the linchpin is doing, and they’re ready to supply leverage or money or just a smile to help get the job done. Even better, they challenge the linchpin to do more, dig deeper and make an even bigger difference.
The third group, as you’ve probably guessed, are the pessimists, the obstructionists and the protectors of the status quo. Driven largely by fear, they set out to slow you down, whittle you down and average you down. Mostly, it’s not their fault, though, because they’ve been brainwashed and don’t yet realized how powerful and productive it is to take a different route.”