The Power of Big Thinking
It's your time. Time to step boldly out and embrace the big thinking your mission needs to scale and grow long-term. Fair warning: it requires us to employ cognitive diversity (gosh, we love this expression!). By digging into big problems to debate root causes and solutions, we can eliminate roadblocks and find a clearer path to news successes.
Evolved professionals don't let challenges get in the way of achieving their goal - they let it inspire them to think critically. We're talking risk-taking and big, bold thinking that allows us to break out of "the way it's always been done." Join us as we share our own risks and how we channeled bigger thinking to seize opportunities. Hey, this company is living proof that big risks can yield amazing rewards.”
Working with the WAFG team, I, as an intern, have learned a lot about the long game, the big picture, and big thinking. This podcast episode was enlightening to really understand what the heck they were talking about. Just stepping into this space and being thrown into phrases of the industry I had not yet become familiar with, I needed to really dive deep and think about what big thinking really meant. Below are Jon and Becky’s tips on how to use that big ole brain for some big ole thinking.
1. Dare to dream
Sorry if we sound like ridiculous idealists. If you are feeling stuck in a vicious cycle of playing it safe, flip the script. This is all about mindset. Failing is an expectation that you put on yourself anyways.
2. Write down your goal
Write down your goals and make it visible. Ask yourself how are you implementing it today? When your big dreams and goals are visible, it becomes top of mind.
3. Rethink your vision
Ask yourself, “Is our vision big enough for what our causes deserves?” Find a just cause that you are fighting for. It lives beyond you and drives you to show up and dig in.
Crash Course on Building a Strategic Development Plan + Raising $100M+! - Bill Littlejohn, CFRE
4. Don’t slice the pie, make the pie bigger
Most people don’t think big because they see the pie as a fixed size. They think in order to get a bigger piece, others need a smaller piece. This will do nothing but create a win/lose scenario for you. We want to create win/win solutions for you. Expand the pie.
Susan McPherson shared that there are times in our life when we don’t know how to employ community and are feeling isolated. She encourages us to make our own table.
5. Actually set aside time and space for creativity
You have to be intentional. Step away from the day to day and create space for creativity. We’re here to tell you it is not just going to happen.
I love these tips and I personally think they have helped me grow and utilize my qualities and time better when thinking big picture. Below are some other helpful podcasts you should definitely tune into, after all, sharing is caring.
Thanks for being here, keep doing good, good-doers.
BIG THINKING PODCAST EPISODES
76. Crash Course on Building a Strategic Development Plan + Raising $100M+! - Bill Littlejohn, CFRE
75. Reimagine Corporate Partnerships + Discover The Lost Art of Connecting - Susan McPherson
64. Leveraging Data to Raise More Money This Year - Adrian Owen Jones, CFRE
63. Real Talk: How to Recruit + Empower a Diverse Team - Kishshana Palmer
47. How to Bring Your Best Self to Grant Applications - Dulari Gandhi
41. A Mission to End Human Trafficking: The Story of Guardian Group - Jeff Keith
23. How to Rock Donor Experience + Taking Stewardship to the Next Level - Lynne Wester
2. How to Save the Worldwide Water Crisis by Putting Ourselves Out of Business - Matt Hangen
Jonathan McCoy, CFRE
Founder + CEO, We Are for Good / Co-Host We Are For Good Podcast
Becky Endicott, CFRE
Co-Founder + Chief Storyteller, We Are for Good / Co-Host We Are For Good Podcast