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Walkability
Jun. 19th, 2014 01:08 pmThe more walkable a city is, the more money it makes.
So, where does your city sit on this list of 30 major US cities?
So, where does your city sit on this list of 30 major US cities?
Jun. 19th, 2014
Leadership
Jun. 19th, 2014 01:24 pmWhen I moved to Arizona, I signed up to row with the Master's Competitive program run by the City of Tempe. It wasn't always an easy transition into master's rowing, despite the fact that I'd participated in master's rowing programs previously in Seattle. Part of the reason why was a big disconnect between what different people wanted and expected out of the program.
The majority of the participants wanted this: they wanted to be able to show up, be told what do do, get some exercise of some sort by moving their arms and legs, and then go home.
To some extent, that's what rowing is. But that's a shallow depth of experience, and eventually it was unsatisfying for me. I wanted goals. I wanted to push my limits. I wanted the thinking part of the sport. I wanted crescendos and decrescendos in tune with the seasons and races. So I switched to the Outlaws. This is also what I've appreciated about the Aggie rowers. They don't have the option of just showing up and doing what they are told to do; they have to think about their goals and talk to each other and work together to move forward and encourage each other.
In this context, it's interesting to look at the bicycling scene here. Once again, I feel like I often encounter a lot of people who fall into the top category - they wish to show up, move their arms and legs, and then go home*. Why is that? What can be done to encourage more of them to move into the other category? When a couple of my friends agree to step up and lead rides when I'm unable to do so, they've struggled - but at least they've stepped up and tried.
The thing is, when I step up to lead something, I'm not doing it for glory. I'm doing it because I feel like it makes me a better person, and/or it is a way to make a positive contribution to a community. It comes at a cost - I don't have the choice to bow out if I'm assuming responsibility - but it's usually worthwhile, even when things don't go exactly as anticipated.
An important quality of a good leader, though, is also knowing when to step back. When to encourage others to lead, and support the others. A community isn't strong, and isn't really a community, if it falls apart as soon as its leader disappears. How do we cultivate this latter skill?
*But this is not universally true!
The majority of the participants wanted this: they wanted to be able to show up, be told what do do, get some exercise of some sort by moving their arms and legs, and then go home.
To some extent, that's what rowing is. But that's a shallow depth of experience, and eventually it was unsatisfying for me. I wanted goals. I wanted to push my limits. I wanted the thinking part of the sport. I wanted crescendos and decrescendos in tune with the seasons and races. So I switched to the Outlaws. This is also what I've appreciated about the Aggie rowers. They don't have the option of just showing up and doing what they are told to do; they have to think about their goals and talk to each other and work together to move forward and encourage each other.
In this context, it's interesting to look at the bicycling scene here. Once again, I feel like I often encounter a lot of people who fall into the top category - they wish to show up, move their arms and legs, and then go home*. Why is that? What can be done to encourage more of them to move into the other category? When a couple of my friends agree to step up and lead rides when I'm unable to do so, they've struggled - but at least they've stepped up and tried.
The thing is, when I step up to lead something, I'm not doing it for glory. I'm doing it because I feel like it makes me a better person, and/or it is a way to make a positive contribution to a community. It comes at a cost - I don't have the choice to bow out if I'm assuming responsibility - but it's usually worthwhile, even when things don't go exactly as anticipated.
An important quality of a good leader, though, is also knowing when to step back. When to encourage others to lead, and support the others. A community isn't strong, and isn't really a community, if it falls apart as soon as its leader disappears. How do we cultivate this latter skill?
*But this is not universally true!