This week I read an extraordinary blog post written in 2012 by John Franklin Stephens, a Global Messenger for Special Olympics. It was his response to Ann Coulter’s use of the R-word in a tweet after a Presidential debate during the last election.
While the Twitterverse reacted with vitriol and personal attacks on Coulter, John wrote a response that was:
thoughtful
engaging
informative
respectful
challenging
inspiring
While so many took an instant, 140 character low-road, John took a day to reflect and to refine. He took the high road and chose to educate.
Integrity is vastly more effective than an immediate, angry tweeted response.
How often do you read a blog post and come away with a fine example of communications, a new perspective and a new hero? This piece did that for me.
Who are you most likely to nominate for an award? The volunteer who is visible at events or the treasurer doing the accounting at home in the evening? Will you applaud the parent who is reading in classrooms by day – the one the teachers are raving about – or the one typing up meeting minutes after work to help keep people on track? Do you recognize the star of the show or the person who has gathered all the props?
Over the past several months I’ve seen a few examples of recognition of the star without acknowledgement of the shadow. Frankly, I’m a bit concerned. We need volunteers with a broad range of skill sets and personality types but do we recognize them equally? It’s not at all a slight against the folks who are front and centre. We need them. Heck, I tend to be one of them. I’m just suggesting that we ensure we look past the usual suspects when it comes to recognition and shine the spotlight on all our contributors (provided that’s of value to them). No one is front an centre without people behind the scenes.
Last week, Canada’s Governor General unveiled a statue of famed WWI poet – and Guelph son – Col. John McCrae to commemorate the 100th anniversary of In Flanders Fields. While McCrae is now world-famous for penning the poem on the battle fields of Ypres, Governor General David Johnston pointed out that he was one of the best doctors of his time.
“It’s not widely known that, prior to the war, McCrae interned with Dr. William Osler, the renowned Canadian who has been called ‘the father of modern medicine.’ In fact, McCrae’s teacher and mentor, Dr. John Adami of McGill University, called McCrae “the most talented physician of his generation.” – His Excellency GG David Johnston
The observation highlights the power of art to capture our hearts and minds for a century, superseding our recollection of his other significant talents, accomplishments and contributions. It echoes a conclusion drawn by another famous Canadian Colonel, Chris Hadfield.
First Canadian Commander of the International Space Station, test pilot, NASA’s voice of mission control to astronauts in orbit for 25 space shuttle missions, author, musician, global inspiration – to name a few, Hadfield names Is Somebody Singing? as his greatest accomplishment in decades of literally stellar accomplishments.
ISS — Is Somebody Singing, is a song co-written by Hadfield and Barenaked Ladies frontman Ed Robertson to celebrate the Coalition for Music Education’s annual Music Monday in 2013. The song was one thing – it was the sing-along Hadfield led with thousands of school children from the International Space Station that was an unprecedented unifying experience. At a conference I attended last May, Commander Hadfield said its importance was the extraordinary power of art to reach and unite us, to empower every school child to believe that they too could go to space in a way not other medium could.
On this Canada Day I am toasting these two great Canadians, our role in the world and to more enduring art, poetry and music!
Oh my poor, neglected blog! I thought I would share with you this video of my 5-minute talk about building trust through structures at Ignite Guelph 4 last October.
Accolade Communications 
