June 2020 — In Service: The Column of the ADRP President

Michal Shaw
AVP of Donor Relations
Oklahoma State University Foundation

“It is only through disruptions and confusion that we grow, jarred out of ourselves by the collision of someone else's private world with our own." - Joyce Carol Oates

I recently had the opportunity to attend a virtual seminar highlighting the theme POSITIVE DISRUPTION. Participants were reminded that in times of uncertainty and disruption, the world needs leaders. How are YOU leading through present disruptions? I loved hearing from Nicole Yarnold about how she and her team led through disruption by turning a longstanding event into a virtual success, and from Debbie Meyers and Paige Eubanks-Barrow, who challenge us to disrupt our old ways of thinking and language patterns. Be sure to read and learn from both Nicole, Debbie, and Paige in this month’s issue.

One of the POSITIVE DISRUPTION keynotes, Henry Cloud, reminded me that human beings are created for positive disruption, to never stay where we are. That we are created for growth and change. As leaders, we need to drive people toward tomorrow while limiting their tendency to stay where they are today. We are called to create necessary endings. Pruning should be a regular discipline. We need to prune toward what we want the vineyard to look like ten years from now.

Your ADRP Board began developing a 5-year strategic plan in January and has had lengthy and thoughtful conversations about ADRP’s future. Conversations about what needs to be pruned in order to devote more resources to things like equity, diversity and inclusion, and how important topics like these present themselves in our professional lives and jobs. I’m excited to share that this week, the Board unanimously approved a 2020 – 2025 strategic plan that clarifies ADRP’s values and provides a road map to the future our members seek. We’ve listened to you through the listserv, member surveys, volunteer feedback and one-on-one conversations. I look forward to sharing our shared strategic plan with you during our upcoming Annual Meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2020.

Until then, be encouraged knowing that disruption creates opportunity. And that despite how uncertain or stressful things may seem, we have the power to focus on the good, and leverage it to improve our lives, our work, our communities, and the world. Lisa Dietlin, an expert on transformational change and philanthropy says, “embracing happiness and joy isn’t about turning a blind eye to what’s going on around us – it’s taking practical steps every day to ensure we don’t overlook the positive: what we do have, what we have achieved, and what we can still accomplish.” Let’s continue accomplishing great things together.

With gratitude,

Michal