At our upcoming Design Summit for the Grand Challenge to eliminate the stigma around mental health and substance use disorders, we want our attendees to be in a collaborative mood, upbeat, and ready to be creative together. The ambiance is important. I pay particular attention to the music played when attendees enter the room when […]
What would it be if you could sum up leadership in one word? Inspiration? Dedication? Execution? Strategy? Did you consider balance? In the video above, I share what I learned about leadership and balance while working with NASA. I spent many years teaching leadership training at the Goddard Space Flight Center. During that time, I
Leadership and Balance Read More »
I have been using this platform to discuss Grand Challenges– big, bold initiatives that take on some of society’s wickedest problems. A Grand Challenge is NOT a project. While there are similarities, this issue of Visionary Talk focuses on the differences between a Grand Challenge and other projects and initiatives. Watch the video above or
A Grand Challenge is not a Project Read More »
Launching a successful Grand Challenge requires managing several critical elements. In past issues, I’ve covered: the Grand Challenge Upward Spiral, Creating a Social Movement, Ecosystem Activation, and more. Today, I want to discuss The Grand Challenge Systems Model for Change. I created this model by heavily drawing on the work of Kenneth McLeroy. In
Grand Challenge Systems Model for Change Read More »
Grand Challenges address socially intractable problems. Wicked problems. Problems that have so many moving parts, it’s difficult to wrap your mind around them – like climate change. I’ve had the opportunity to help conceive, design, and execute, five grand challenges. I’ve spent the last few weeks discussing the varied processes, tools, and models key to
Strategic Foresight in 5 Steps Read More »
I am event-driven. I believe bringing people together has the most potential for creating the capability and building the bonds that enable social movements – critical to successful Grand Challenges – to take place. Despite this potential, many corporate events and conferences miss the mark, offering carnival-like atmospheres when you need a profoundly moving and
Touchstone Events: 7 Steps to Impact Grand Challenges Read More »
I’ve spent the last few months focused on Grand Challenges, using Visionary Talk to highlight models, frameworks, and pertinent case studies that would benefit any large-scale change initiative. Remember, a Grand Challenge is a big, bold goal that takes on a socially intractable problem by building alliances of organizations and activists who can attack
Grand Challenge Design Studio Read More »
I’ve been talking a lot about elements of a Grand Challenge and the frameworks and models I draw on to create success in dealing with intractable societal problems. I haven’t touched on the extraordinary experience of engaging in an initiative that calls out your best to walk in Integrity with your world. Awe is an
Grand Challenges: Awe-some Work Read More »
The Design Summit is the second major event in every Grand Challenge. Unlike the Design Studio – which galvanizes leadership and precedes it – the focus of the Design Summit is to launch the movement that will carry your Grand Challenge forward. There are three primary agendas in the Design Summit: Establish the context Launch
The Design Summit: Moving Grand Challenges Forward Read More »
Big, bold initiatives that tackle some of society’s wickedest problems are called Grand Challenges. Successful Grand Challenges rely on several elements, the most impactful being a large and diverse network of allies – an ecosystem. The key to leading a large-scale change initiative is the ability to align players from multiple dimensions simultaneously around a
Activating an Ecosystem for Grand Challenge Success Read More »
