Work on Purpose by Lara Galinsky & Kelly Nuxoll

Author:Lara Galinsky & Kelly Nuxoll [Galinsky, Lara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Doug Ulman, work on purpose, meaningful career, Your path to boldness, next generation of talent, social entrepreneurs, Geoffrey Canada, Heart + Head, giving back, Lance Armstrong, making a difference, Hustle
Publisher: Echoing Green
Published: 2011-04-30T22:00:00+00:00

Too many activists simply rallied for their cause, Mark noted; he intended to approach the people who had the power to help him and to solicit their support with respect and clear objectives. He decided to ask for what he wanted just as his mother’s effective customers had asked for what they wanted when they arrived at her airline counter.

While Mark’s visit to D.C. taught him a lot, several months later, he and his friend didn’t see any tangible results from their trip. The violence in Darfur continued, and Congress hadn’t intervened. Mark persisted in his efforts. He continued to build his knowledge about the conflict and to update the website. Money and visitors kept slowly coming.

One afternoon, a woman he didn’t know tracked him down through his website and said she’d like to donate some money—not to the peacekeepers but to Mark’s movement. Mark had never thought of his efforts as a movement. He believed he was doing a community service project with a couple of friends. But once the woman pointed out that he had an entire army of people reading his website and contributing money, Mark could see there was more momentum behind him than he’d realized.

Shyly, Mark asked his benefactor for some cash to buy pizza and soda for anyone willing to go to D.C. and lobby Congress with him. She upped the ante: She’d donate $100 for every person Mark and his friend could get to go to D.C.

The offer made Mark nervous. It seemed rude to discuss money and was embarrassing to admit that he needed it. Nevertheless, he recognized the generosity of the woman’s offer and agreed to accept her donation of $100 a head.

Three weeks later, Mark and his classmates ushered 100 people into the largest hearing room in the Senate. After a few minutes, one of the Pennsylvania senators emerged and listened to their request. It was possible that he was already interested in stopping genocide, but it certainly didn’t hurt that prospective voters were making the case for action in Darfur. Moreover, they’d given up a day to visit him, and all had donated to the cause. Votes, time, and money had weight in Washington, and Mark could see that the senator was impressed. As Mark stood in the back of the room, listening to his classmates put their voices behind their dollars, he felt he’d come a long way since failing to capitalize on the speech given by the head of the Rwandan parliament. He had finally learned how to translate the public’s interest in genocide into action. His heart and head finally synced.

A week later, Mark received a check in the mail, along with a note from his benefactor asking what else she could do. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He realized that she was helping not him but a cause to which she was deeply committed. Stopping genocide was a bold, ambitious goal that required bold, ambitious action. It would require hundreds of thousands, if not millions,

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