P.325 “As a 25-year old, I wanted to save the world, and thought I’d start with the African continent. I left a career on Wall Street, thinking I had so many skills to share and so much to give, but soon discovered that most people don’t want saving. The skills I needed most were moral imagination or the ability to put myself in another’s shoes, to listen, and to recognize there are few easy solutions but that building trust is a powerful door to possibility. Learning to balance (and hold) the audacity to dream a different world with the humility to start with the world as it is has been one of the most important lessons of my life.”

-Jacqueline Novogratz (founder and CEO of Acumen)

“It starts by standing with the poor, listening to voices unheard, and recognizing potential where others see despair. It demands investing as a means, not an end, daring to go where markets have failed and aid has fallen short. It makes capital work for us, not control us. It thrives on moral imagination: the humility to see the world as it is, and the audacity to imagine the world as it could be.” (p.326)

Wow, such powerful words. It really summarizes the work we do as leaders in the world. To stand for people’s greatness. To have the vision, optimism. It takes a certain type of resilience to truly believe in your mission even during the times when you don’t feel like it.

“I go for a very long run and remind myself of the beauty in the world, that the sun will rise again tomorrow, that what matters is to be in the arena.” (p.327)

“Part of why shutting out social media helps is because you stop worrying about what others might think of some unusual idea you’re pondering, and you give it a chance to grow and mature.”(p.338) -Sarah Elizabeth Lewis.