These are quotes which stood out to me, possibly for use in a sermon someday. Their presence here does not mean I agree with them, it merely shows that I might want to reference them later. The default view is five random selections. Use the tag list on the right to view all quotes relevant to that theme.
If you can't tie good knots... tie many.
WISDOM FROM PETER DRUCKER
Last Monday and Tuesday was the annual conference of the Peter F.
Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management.
(http://www.druckerfoundation.org). This foundation, created ten
years ago to honor Peter Drucker's contributions to management and
leadership, believes that a healthy society requires three vital
sectors: a public sector of effective governments; a private sector
of effective businesses; and a social sector of effective community
organizations, including faith-based organizations. It furthers its
mission to lead social sector organizations toward excellence in
performance by providing educational opportunities and resources.
In his opening remarks to the conference, Drucker debunked all the
talk of transition triggered by the new economy, saying that the
current transition is, "...exactly like the preceding one. What is
new is society. The next century will be dominated by society, not
the economy. We are entering the first century in human history in
which, in the developed world, the great majority of people will
work with what is between their ears, not their hands."
Equally as unprecedented is the structure of the population. For the
first time in recorded history, in peacetime, a prosperous time, the
Western population will shrink. It has already begun except in the
English speaking countries. The aging is not new; it has been going
on for 300 years. We have put the retirement age in a box, but it is
predictable that in 20 years, retirement age will be in the 70's.
Immigration will be the central social and political issue and bring
new social challenges and opportunities.
The 20th century was one of big government and big business. The
next century will be focused on the social sector and its
performance. Beginning in the U.S. and other nations, success and
survival depend on it. You, in this room, have the challenge, the
responsibility, of the social sector. This is the new challenge: to
innovate, perform, to go from good intentions to results.
In the closing session of the conference, Drucker answered
participants' questions. Here are some highlights:
Q: What are three greatest lessons you have learned?
Drucker: I'll give you four. If it has to be explained, it won't
work. Say please and thank you. As a writer, if a sentence does not
jell, don't re-write, re-think it. Never ask WHO is right, start by
asking WHAT is right.
Q: How can nonprofits measure their impact in terms of changed
lives?
Drucker: That is the wrong question. It assumes we have defined what
results are. Results are not obvious and they change. The first step
is always to define results.
Q: How is leadership different between profit and nonprofit
organizations?
Drucker: In the nonprofit, you have many more constituencies and you
have far less incentives for them. Therefore, the mission is
infinitely more important. The second thing is that their values are
different and much more important. The third difference is not
easily understood but it is, "What do we say no to? What are we not
going to do?" The world is full of good causes and in nonprofits, it
is very difficult to say no and be able to defend that to your
board, volunteers and staff.
For three years I was a lifeguard. They fired me because every time I saw somebody raise their hand because they were drowning I said, “Yes, I see that hand! God bless you! Is there another? Yes, God bless you, too!”
Okay, I made up that part, but I really was a lifeguard. And one of the things that all lifeguards know is that you can’t save anybody as long as they’re trying to save themselves, because they’ll take you under the water with them. You swim out to them, and they’re flailing around in the water until finally they just give up and collapse. Once they give up, it’s really easy – you just put your arm over their shoulder and swim back to shore. There’s nothing to it. But you can’t save them as long as they’re trying to save themselves.
Integrity is keeping my commitment(s) even if the circumstances when I made the commitment(s) have changed.
King David and King Solomon
Led merry, merry lives,
With many, many lady friends,
And many, many wives;
But when old age crept over them –
With many, many qualms! –
King Solomon wrote the Proverbs
And King David wrote the Psalms.