On being a catalyst
“Self respect arises only out of people who play an active role in solving their own crises and who are not helpless, passive, puppet-like recipients of private or public services. To give people help while denying them a significant part of the action, contributes nothing to the development of the individual. In the deepest sense it is not giving but taking-taking their dignity.” - Saul Alinsky
“Everyone is a leader and needs to be cherished for that.”
- Taddy Blecher (CIDA City Campus, South Africa)
These words go to the heart of my passion for community work. They are my goal for how to act in all circumstances. They make me think about how in my daily life I continually struggle to meet that goal.
How do my actions take away a “part of the action” or deny others’ leadership abilities? It’s so tempting to believe that I know the right answers. What would it be like to be genuinely interested in others’ ideas and perspectives, to the degree that I’m open to changing my own? As I work in neighborhoods with people who want to see change, I’m constantly asking myself these questions. My role is to stop fixing and to ask questions that draw answers, a commitment to action, and a sense of pride and faith in a person or group’s capacity to effect lasting change.
Through doing this work, I’ve begun to appreciate the people in my life who have had faith in others-especially those who held a position that might seem to entitle them to having all of the answers.
One of those people was Mr. Funk, my high school European History teacher. Mr. Funk (or “Funk” as we liked to call him) preferred to ask questions and hear our thoughts rather than tell us what happened and what to think about a given period or incident in history. He pulled out theories, sketched out patterns, seeking to bring life to each subject and engage our brains in thinking about the “why” of both past and present. Funk believed, I think, that “everyone is a leader,” and he cherished us for that.
What always seems tragic to me is the look of weariness Mr. Funk carried with him from wrestling with students who wanted only to be told, tested, and graded. Despite his failure to make this work for some, why do I still believe that this is a worthwhile way to be?
I still believe in believing in others and sharing with them a “piece of the action,” whatever that action may be. I’ve heard many stories of change beginning with “catalysts”-a person or group that helps another person or group find the right path forward by just showing faith in their ability to do so and avoiding the temptation to “take over.” I think my faith arises in part from the people who have done this toward me-like Mr. Funk, whose faith in his students was unwavering and unforgettably sincere.
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Comments
Thank you so much Bonnie. I’m glad you’re that kind of teacher!
The Susan Boyle clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY) reaffirmed so much for me about asking questions, especially what kind of questions. In my work recently I’ve been having conversations with people and asking, “What are your gifts? (skills, talents, abilities)?” “What is your dream for your community?” and “What gifts are you willing to contribute toward that dream?” The answers I get help me realize on a fundamental level how important these questions are and how RARELY we ask them. We spend so much time in conversation, but what information do we walk away with that will help us create something new and good together? Beyond asking and listening openly to peoples’ ideas and theories, how can we ask questions that uncover the unique gifts of those we meet and add to a common picture of our potential as a community?
Thank you April! You are an inspiring leader, and I enjoyed your story about Mr. Funk. I always ask my students “what do you think?” and while I think it throws them at first, they really get into it and seem to enjoy it. You are so right that if we are each critical thinkers and leaders in our own way we can begin to heal the world. There is so much good work to be done that it’s time we spread opportunities and let others find their own voice rather than being so certain that we always know the right answers to difficult questions. That’s why I loved your post on facebook about Susan Boyle. She literally found her voice later in life, and there’s no turning back now. She unwittingly inspired the world.