Positively M. A. D.

Visionaries and idealists are often dismissed as being, well, mad—stark-raving loonies. POSITIVELY M.A.D. turns such labels around—telling the stories of people who courageously pursued “crazy” ideas that challenged conventional thinking, re-imagined the way things could and should work, and, ultimately, made a difference. This compelling and moving guide to personal empowerment offers stories, advice, examples, and ideas that can be immediately applied in your own life.

Told by more than 50 of Berrett-Koehler Publishers' bestselling authors—renowned business, community, and thought leaders—these stories show how people around the world are creating positive change in their communities, despite the challenges of our times.Foreword by Geoff Bellman
Introduction

Embrace Your Madness
First Among Equals—Don Frick
Creative Convincing for Corporate Change—Pamela Gordon
Be Who You Are—Mark Levy
Wayne’s World—Bill Treasurer

Have a Higher Purpose
The Antidote to Employee Apathy—Paul Levesque
When the Path Takes a Turn (or Two)—Jesse Stoner
Renewing Passion Through the Legacy of Contribution—Chip R. Bell
And If You Had That, What Would You Have?—David Schmaltz
Naming Our Life’s Calling—Richard Leider and David Shapiro
Our Only Choice Is to Make It Work—Robert Jacobs
Aaron Feuerstein: A Beacon for Change —Robert D. Marx, Karen P. Manz, and Charles C. Manz
A Caregiver Who Cares—Steve Ventura

Find Common Ground
Behaving Leaderfully —Joe Raelin
Restoration: Healing Relationships by Healing the Earth —Storm Cunningham

Lead Earnestly
Making a Difference, One Person at a Time—BJ Gallagher
Rebuilding Workplace Trust—Michelle L. Reina
Someone You Should Know—Dick Axelrod
Speaking Up—Emily Axelrod
Mike, the Barber, Shapes Lives as He Cuts Hair—Donald Mitchell and Carol Coles
Every Child Deserves a Home—Stewart Levine
Building a Collaborative Nation—Stewart Levine

Mobilize Committed People
MAD for Global Justice—Charles Derber
A Stone in the Water —Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff
Heeding the Call: The Practice of Peace —Peggy Holman
An Avalanche of Change —Moshe Yudkowsky
Sucker Punched to Save the Amazon —John Perkins
A Model for Expanding Goodness—Donald Mitchell and Carol Coles
Ingredients for Making a Difference —Robert Jacobs
Strength and Determination on the Pampas —Sharif Abdullah

Capitalize on Adversity
Children of Promise—John Stahl-Wert
Norma Hotaling, The Sage Project, Inc.—Jamie Walters
Fostering the Dreams of Foster Children—Jamie Walters
The Will to Make a Difference—Debbe Kennedy

Defy Convention
Going the Extra Mile—Ken Blanchard
Soldier Field—Alex Pattakos
Bake a Cake for the Office Troublemaker—John Izzo
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, M.D.: Fight the Good Fight for Us All —Charles C. Manz
Delivering Hope to Rural Africa —Heather Schultz
Live Your Values —Cindy Ventrice
Payback —David Haynes
Creating a Graduate School for Sustainable Business —Jill Bamberg
No Problem —Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans
Bend Those Rules —Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans

Shift Perspective
Changing the Dance in Somalia—Barry Oshry
Change Your Questions, Change Your Results—Marilee G. Adams
The Good Samaritan—Debbe Kennedy
Facing Economic Reality—William E. Halal
Listening—Cindy Ventrice
Overcoming Personal Stereotypes—Judith Katz
Have the Courage to Seize Opportunities—Ira Chaleff

Work With City Hall
Joe Taxes—Don Frick
Find a Way to Say “Yes” —BJ Gallagher
Shedding Light on Winter Dreams —Paul Levesque
No More Homeless Pets —Mary Hessler-Key

Stand Up to Authority
Speaking Truth to Power—BJ Gallagher
The Courageous Accountant—Bill Treasurer

Pay Attention to the Little Things
Balance or Bust—Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans
No Lizards in My Shoes—Perry J. Ludy
Lennhart’s Law: Little Things Make the Biggest Difference—Leslie A. Yerkes

Express Gratitude
Attracting More Acknowledgment—Jan Stringer
Touchy-Feely Is Not My Style—Cindy Ventrice
Courageous Gratitude —Bill TreasurerBill Treasurer is founder and chief encouragement officer at Giant Leap Consulting (www.giantleapconsulting.com), a courage-building company that helps people and organizations be more courageous. Among his clients are Accenture, CNN, EarthLink, SPANX, the Centers for Disease Control, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He is the author of Right Risk and Courage Goes to Work. Prior to founding Giant Leap, Treasurer was the captain of the U.S. High Diving Team and performed over 1,500 dives from heights that scaled to over 100 feet.INTRODUCTION




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There is an inverse relationship between initiative and enormity. The bigger and more challenging the issue, the less willing we are to face it head on. The trouble is, our world has “issues”—challenging, complex, and big … very big. There’s the big stuff, like globalization, pollution, terrorism, jingoism, religious intolerance, and war. And the less big stuff, like offshore outsourcing, a broken healthcare system, an obesity epidemic, and rising gas prices. But it’s all big stuff.

The challenges faced by our increasingly frenetic world are enough to make you throw up your hands in resignation. “Why bother?” you ask. “I can’t make a difference anyway.”

“Au contraire,” say we! And this book sets out to prove it.

Who are “we” you ask? First and foremost, we’re authors. Authors with opinions and ideas that we’re not afraid to share. Second, we’re authors who have all published books with Berrett-Koehler Publishers. B-K tirelessly promotes ideas that elevate the human condition. Third, we’re MAD. Really MAD. Steaming MAD in fact.

As authors, our expertise is varied. But the outcome we all aim for is strikingly similar—to leave the world better off than we found it. And our MADness allows us to do this.2

In spiritual literature, there is a concept called holy anger. It is the notion that our dissatisfactions (sometimes referred to as “divine discontent”) can be our fuel for making an enduring impact on the world. It is this holy anger, this dissatisfaction with the inadequacies of the present, that brings about the change necessary to create a better future. This is the idea behind Positively M.A.D.

Despite the complexity of the world’s problems and inadequacies, and despite our own frustration with the current state of affairs, we can indeed Make A Difference. Regardless of our station in life, each of us is entitled, if not obliged, to etch our initials onto the tree of humanity.

In the stories and descriptions that follow, you’ll learn of people just like you who are making a true difference in the world. You’ll learn about contemporary ideas from some of the world’s leading thinkers. Though MAD, in some instances certifi-ably so, our MADness is directed at a purposeful aim: to help you take action in your own life in order to make a positive difference in the organizations and communities you serve. In the end, we think you will be inspired to make a difference in your world.

The chapters of Positively M.A.D are organized into twelve lessons (outlined below). Each lesson is composed of a number of stories that illustrate, with real-life examples, how to make a meaningful difference in the world. Each story contains a number of MAD Tips that can be immediately applied in your life. Sometimes these tips are included as part of the story, at other times the tips appear at the story’s end.


12 Lessons For Being Positively M.A.D.:


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Embrace Your MADness: The stories in this chapter underscore why it is important to move toward your madness. It is the people with an almost obsessive passion who get the most done. The toughest part is sticking to it when everyone around you is convinced that you’re crazy.
Have A Higher Purpose: Making a difference takes energy and effort. This chapter describes how having a higher purpose helps you stay goal-focused, thus sustaining your motivation in the face of obstacles and setbacks.
Find Common Ground: Rarely can you, or should you, do it alone. Lasting impact often requires bringing together people who see the world in different ways. As this chapter illustrates, by focusing on their common purpose, rather than their points of friction, diverse people can come together to change the world.
Lead Earnestly: Often the impact of a single person extends far beyond normal expectations. This chapter shows how an enduring difference is often a by-product of a single person’s influence earnestly applied.
Mobilize Committed People: It takes more than a long lever to move the world. It takes committed people directing their efforts toward a worthwhile aim. The stories in this chapter demonstrate that the best way to get things done is to share the madness!
Capitalize on Adversity: This chapter includes stories about people who have done more than just overcome adversity… they’ve actually capitalized on their adversity and leveraged it to their advantage.
Defy Convention:4 As the saying goes, if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten. This chapter includes stories about people who refuse to stick to stale approaches and outdated responses. They rely on, and relish, unconventional approaches.
Shift Perspective: The stories in this chapter show how sometimes the only thing standing between you and the difference you can make is a slight shift in perspective.
Work With City Hall: MAD people, as this chapter illustrates, don’t always buck the system. Rather, they bring about profound change by working within the system. Sometimes they even change the system by working the system itself.
Stand Up to Authority: Sometimes those with the power to make a difference, stand in the way of the difference being made. This chapter includes stories of MAD people who are self-assured enough to stand up, and speak up, to authority.
Pay Attention to the Little Things: As the stories in this chapter show, the best way to make a difference in the world isn’t with grandiose plans. Sometimes it’s the little ordinary things, consistently and persistently applied, that bring about the most profound changes.
Express Gratitude: People who are truly MAD aren’t doing it alone. As related in this chapter, they benefit from the good works of many people. As such, people who are MAD take the risk of being vulnerable by expressing sincere gratitude. In so doing, they improve morale, deepen relationships, and give others a reason to work hard.