I remember a business card on the desk of a VP Research. It said: “Head, New Shi*.” I loved it – the aggressiveness and good humour around a mission – to create new things in the space of your expertise. It also reflects what we desperately need today. In a world of accelerating change, status quo isn’t an adequate solution. Even more than that, communities and people want to reach highest aspiration. They just need people to help them realize their full potential more quickly.

Much of my work involves community-building. Society has a problem: it has fallen out of trust with government and institutions. We need to rebuild trust. Nurturing high performance government is important.

But it’s also about us. We take the communities we live in for granted. We can’t. Long ago I used the line “where does it go, it doesn’t matter, flush it” to describe an innovative sewage treatment plant in Okotoks. We tend to naturally discount the ability of our communities to provide excellent basic services that most people in the world would be envious of. From clean water to law and order to the road in front of your house, communities provide great enablers for life happiness. In our community – with all the emotional sentiment we attach to the word “home” – lies our ability to realize a world of possibilities. In family, work, hobbies, and deeper meaning of life we pursue lies the soul of humanity. In our community, we are our most powerful in our potential.

Community-building principles work just as well in the private sector or not-for profits. Leadership principles are universal. Attitudes are a great enabler. The ability to see change as opportunity is a great enabler. Whether it’s a light-hearted-with-serious-message keynote presentation, using “plan-on-a-page” visualization, or working in a no BS style of workshop to solve a key problem, I use unconventional tools and approaches that help break free from the clutter of average. We can all be exceptional.

My Dad once said, “Acting in the service of others isn’t a matter of generosity, it’s a matter of obligation to future generations.” I guess the “die trying” mantra runs in my family.