Let me share a great quote I saw this past week. Andre Gide said, "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."
As I have been writing "Building Main Street, not Wall Street," I have been asked on many occasions, "Is there a way to sum up everything you have written about in a precise or succinct way?" Summing up a winning formula is impossible in 700 words, but we can hit on a few of the critical elements needed or found in a winning strategy.
Over the years, I have touched on dozens of topics, strategies, processes, technologies and synergies that have been proven to help local communities, local businesses, local chambers and local media to weather the economic and demographic challenges we face. At the end of the day, I can usually sum them all up in four words. I have shared these words before, let me share again. Those words are educating, believing, uniting, and transforming. What does this mean in practical terms?
Educating! Nothing great takes place in a local community without knowledge, preferably widespread knowledge. Promoting or communicating direction will lead to believing. It is the task of everyone involved in the mission to communicate the mission and to educate the public about the mission far and wide. The community educational process is never easy but is what we might refer to as the foundation of building a belief in what you are doing. The community must be educated to understand what is at stake, what is possible and what it means to be truly local. When communities grasp the importance of the truly local mentality, you know your education is making inroads for change.
Believing! With effective education comes widespread belief. With widespread belief comes widespread hope. With widespread hope comes widespread excitement. With widespread excitement comes widespread action. Effective education will lead to widespread belief, widespread belief will help build the army needed to succeed. On the other side of the equation, without widespread belief, education proves to be in vain and a waste of time. Never underestimate the power of hope and belief. Miracles can happen when putting belief into action.
Uniting! Once communities have conquered the elements of effective education and have instilled belief, they are at the doorstep of the most important element of all -- uniting the believers in a common cause and mission. This third step is the step that usually proves the most challenging as it takes great leadership to keep the momentum moving forward. Those communities making the transition from the second step or phase to the third phase are the communities that will prosper into the future.
Remember, the word "uniting" is not passive. It is a clarion call to action. When communities unite, they are capable of great things. Outcomes will always exceed the sum of individual parts. This phase is critical, it is the phase that separates most communities from greatness.
Transforming! After local communities have navigated the first three steps, the foundation has been laid for solid and sustainable transformation. True transformation should be the goal of every community. As you transform, you will feel and experience the excitement that comes from vibrancy derived from active transformation.
Summing up the task of transforming a community with only four words doesn't do the task justice. It takes so much more than four words to revitalize and transform a community. Always remember and bear in mind that the journey of a thousand miles doesn't happen overnight; it begins with the first step.
I am reminded of the quote in the book "A Horse, A Boy, The Fox and The Mole." The boy and the horse are in the woods and the boy says to the horse, "I can't see my way through." The horse asks, "Can you see your next step?" To which the boy replies, "yes." Then the horse says, "then just take that."
Often, we always focus on the goal, the future, the end game, or how long the journey will be when all we need to do is just keep taking the step we can see that leads us toward our goals. Remember, just take the first step, then the second, and keep striving for a fruitful future.
-- John Newby is a nationally recognized publisher, community, chamber, business and media strategy consultant and speaker. His "Building Main Street, not Wall Street" column runs in 60-plus communities around the country. As founder of Truly-Local, he assists community leaders, businesses and local media in building synergies and creating more vibrant communities. He can be reached at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author.