Dream Big

"Dream Big" all in capitals, white letters on a black background

In 2011, an Ignite presentation inspired me to write:

Everything in our environment is whispering: “Protect your ass. Guard your turf. Trust no one. Rock no boats. Prepare for the worst.”

In other words: “Think small.”

At the time, I called out the economy, social media, generational change, climate change, changing models of volunteerism (and willingness and ability to volunteer), and the shift from information scarcity to information abundance as the forces that were pushing association execs to think small.

I also pointed out:

Sure – think small, and watch your organization die.

Your association has no inherent right to exist. And if you respond to the forces that are challenging us in 2024 – some of the same exact things I called out 13 years ago, plus political polarization, loss of trust in institutions and expertise, and, oh, climate change CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE – with “duck & cover,” maybe your association SHOULD die.

Here’s the thing, also from that original post:

But if you do believe that your organization brings something useful and good to some group of people, now is exactly the time to think big, take chances, rock the boat, make change, and see where it can take you.

It’s easy to be afraid now – a lot of shit is going down. But if we can get past the fear and be courageous and willing to take risks, we have HUGE opportunities to do better by our members, our professions/industries, our audiences, and maybe even the world.

Joe Gerstandt, one of my favorite thinkers and writers and general all-around good egg, frequently asks: “Do you approach life from fear or from love?”

I know what answer I try to have every day. What about you? 

Photo by Randy Tarampi on Unsplash

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