Monday, June 17, 2013

Culture Shift: Why culture trumps technology in moving markets

This great video of Rebecca Henderson's talk at VERGE is worth the 10 minutes.  She lays out four elements of a needed cultural shift:
  1. Adopt an entrepreneurial mindset
  2. Develop compassion for the core (e.g. the mainstream, the status-quo, those who don't see the need for change)
  3. Become rational about emotions
  4. Develop a systems mindset
Henderson explains each of these concisely in her talk below, and stresses, that like the "fifth discipline" the need for a systems mindset is the most important. 

Moving groups, organizations, and societies as a whole towards sustainability requires great collaboration and profound shifts in worldviews, values, and mental models (e.g. habits of thought, assumptions and blind spots).  I believe we have everything we need in terms of resources, tools, technology to create a sustainable society (though continuing to work and improve on those fronts is important, beneficial, and can potentially make the shift easier) -- and that we still have lots to do in bringing about the culture shift. 

That calls on us all to be open and provide leadership at all levels. Those acts of leadership often involve simply being strong enough to let go of assumptions and preconceived notions; to rethink success, and reevaluate what our fundamental needs are, and how we can most effectively go about meeting them. 




Stay going.
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards 2013

Second Nature has just announced the winners of this year's Climate Leadership Awards -- "an award program that recognizes signatory institutions of the ACUPCC for their innovation and excellence in climate leadership." 

Click on the following links to learn more about what's happening on these campuses, and watch videos from each. 



Associate's Colleges

Baccalaureate Colleges

Master's Granting Institutions

Doctorate Granting Institutions
Pratt Institute


Finalists in the 2013 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards

Stay going. 
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