by Symphonic Strategies | Apr 26, 2020 | Collective Impact, Culture Change, Headlines, Strategic Choices
The artist—and the artwork—caught our eye as soon as we saw them one recent quiet, locked-down morning. Kadir Nelson is an award-winning author and artist; some of you likely know his New Yorker covers, or his album art for artists like Drake, or have children’s books...
by ajrobinson | May 22, 2019 | Culture Change, Engagement, Executive Leadership, Fit, Mobilization, Retention, Social Interaction
“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.”― George MacDonald George MacDonald, a 19th Century Scottish novelist, once wrote: “To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” That’s a pretty bold statement, even by 19th Century standards....
by ajrobinson | May 8, 2019 | Culture Change, Engagement, Executive Leadership, Fit, Mobilization, Social Interaction
“The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.”Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway is attributed with these words: “The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them.” I can imagine your response. Easier said than done,...
by ajrobinson | Feb 15, 2019 | Culture Change, Strategic Execution
This is a message for those Trump supporters who claim they don’t condone who the president is, just his policies—especially those who claim to be people of faith. You may think you can get away with pretending that you can separate the leader from the strategy. But...
by ajrobinson | Nov 13, 2018 | Collective Impact, Culture Change, Headlines
There is a special cohort of leaders who are spread out across the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) Division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) who believe deeply in the power of intra-agency collaboration. FNCS oversees many programs...
by ajrobinson | Oct 28, 2018 | Culture Change, Executive Leadership, Headlines
One of my favorite definitions of leadership casts it as an act of persuading others to think or to do things they would’t normally do on their own. I carried this notion of leadership with me last week when I delivered a workshop at the Annual Retreat of the...