*Inspired by The Courage to Lead: Transform Self, Transform Society by R. Brian Stanfield
Wanted: Social Pioneers
By: Terra L. Fletcher
Requirements:
Courage
The ability to give a darn
In face of apathy.
Despite one’s own vulnerability.
A wedge blade inserted.
Living on behalf of the future.
Seeing the big picture
Focus on the more important thing.
Not excusing self from obligation
Fully free to choose this life
Between the no longer and the not yet.
Deciding to stand
On the leading edge of the wedge.
Taking on our own mission.
Part of the League
That went before us
The Cultural Creatives
The Invisible College.
Building the future
Without expectation of recognition,
Those lotteries already drawn.
Living on behalf of those
Who do not or cannot.
Qualifications and Qualities:
Solitary individuals
Able to act when others retreat.
If you need worldly approval
Please don’t apply.
Indecisives, step aside.
Show up ready to work.
Expect to stand beside
People who show up
But you would not have picked.
You will be vulnerable
Perhaps scared to death.
Convince yourself you know
Exactly what you’re doing
On an uncharted path.
Expect resistance, questions.
Invisibility without fanfare
Even in the greatest triumphs.
Live on interior resources.
Cultivate humility.
Be content being nobody.
Commit fully.
Never a shortage of work
In the vocation of vocations.
There is no retirement age.
The fullness in this life
Is knowing you’re doing right.
About the Book
To transform society, we first need to transform ourselves. The Courage to Lead starts from this premise and delivers a strong, simple message: if you relate authentically to life, to yourself, to the world and to society, you start the process of social change. Grounded in more than fifty years of in-depth research and practical experience in over thirty nations, The Courage to Lead uses a large canvas to paint a vivid picture of leadership in its many forms: personal, family, work, organization, community. Activist stories from around the world demonstrate the profound premise and inspires a deep understanding of leadership. This is a book that changes lives.