In the last 10 years the term “exit strategy” has become common and typically means how a private equity investor or founding entrepreneur plans to sell their investment in a company they created. Ideally, they leave with a considerable profit, but everyone is told well in advance that one way or the other they will be leaving at a defined point. The advantages are obvious in that from the start a ...[Read More]
Next Exit
Defensive Giving
Earlier this summer I was hurrying to a meeting with our chief of police and was pulled over and given a ticket for going too fast through a reduced speed zone. Yes, I did think about mentioning why I was speeding but thought better of it. So I found myself this week in a defensive driving class making sure the citation didn’t affect my insurance or driving record. Even though there is the o ...[Read More]
Things from of Old
Part of the appeal of Rod Dreher’s book, The Benedict Option, is his invitation to a time before the modern world conspired to eliminate the continuity of more tight-knit communities with shared beliefs. Instead, what we have today is what Zygmunt Bauman calls “liquid modernity” to describe a way of life in which change is so rapid that no social institutions have time to solidify. The most succes ...[Read More]
Once in a Lifetime
I hear a growing amount of conversations about where people are in the various stages of their lives. It’s good to have a general framework – especially when wrestling with something that otherwise would be either a surprise or make you think you are alone. Some stages are predictable, natural and shared by many. Erik Erikson identified eight stages of life beginning with our earliest being whethe ...[Read More]
Exchange of Rings
One of the more useful powers granted to foundations is that of convening. It’s not forcing people to show up or collaborate but inviting people to a useful exchange of ideas and stories, such as the conversation we are hosting tomorrow with Michael Wear, author of Reclaiming Hope. Preparing to talk with Michael started me thinking about who I would like to invite to future conversations to share ...[Read More]