By making these commitments to the broader community, successful advocates can open doors to a network that will exponentially expand their political impact.
Tag Archives: Lobbying
So, What’s Next?
For two dreadfully long weeks, Americans have wrestled with the events unfolding in Afghanistan – punctuated by the tragic loss of service members at the Kabul airport. But with the final American planes taking to the skies, many of us are left wondering: what’s next? There’s still a great deal of story left to beContinue reading “So, What’s Next?”
Choose Principles Over Polls
You can neither build back better, nor make America great again by refusing the role of leadership in the free world.
The Pesky Problems of a Crisis Mindset
“If everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority.” Some Marine Officer, sometime I honestly can’t remember just when I heard this USMC truism, but it’s one of those that I encountered repeatedly in uniform. It may not be fully fair, but I’m going to accredit this one to my former Commanding Officer. ForContinue reading “The Pesky Problems of a Crisis Mindset”
3 Steps to Keeping a Level Head in Politics
Despite my best efforts, I still get worked up from time to time. I get heated, frustrated, and perturbed by the day-to-day in politics. Those are the moments when, just months later, I’ll find myself looking back and wondering why? Why did I let it get to me? I had one of those retrospective momentsContinue reading “3 Steps to Keeping a Level Head in Politics”
The Indispensable Senator from Ohio
The seeds of history making statesmanship are planted in late January. At least that’s my latest theory. On January 25th, 2021 US Senator Rob Portman announced he would retire at the end of his current term. While the political class jumped straight to discussions of potential successors, they missed Portman’s transition from Senator to Statesman.Continue reading “The Indispensable Senator from Ohio”
“I Want You to be Wildly Successful”
Has anyone ever told you that? That statement has been running through my mind the last few days. I heard those words from an organizational leader once as I was entering a new role. Predictably that well chosen phrase fortified me. How freeing to be told, from the opening bell, to pursue change, growth andContinue reading ““I Want You to be Wildly Successful””
Yes, You Can Be Too Scripted
“I just don’t know what to say. Can you write it out for me?” No. That should be the unequivocal, unwavering answer from any grassroots manager. No, we should never – under any circumstances – write out a script for our volunteers. Why? Advocacy isn’t a performance art. In its purest form, advocacy is simplyContinue reading “Yes, You Can Be Too Scripted”
Climate Policy and American Exceptionalism: ‘Lead by Example’ is the Wrong Argument
Americans are competitors. It’s in our national DNA. That’s why I’m convinced President Biden’s administration is faltering when they argue ‘leading by example’ in the discussion of climate solutions. For better or worse, our national conscience is often driven by a finite, winner-take-all mindset driven by the way we talk about the issues and challengesContinue reading “Climate Policy and American Exceptionalism: ‘Lead by Example’ is the Wrong Argument”
No Need for 10,000 Hours
Your participation in advocacy is valuable precisely because you are an expert at something else.
Part of the Possible 