FORMULA FOR CHANGE: LTL LB IDENTIFY CHAMPIONS CHOOSE A PROBLEM DETERMINE STRENGTHS FALL IN LOVE WITH PROBLEM CREATE SEEK WISE COUNSEL PERFORM INTENSIVE RESEARCH OBSERVE PROBLEM IN WILD DEVELOP YOUR PROCESS SET GOALS BUILD A BUDGET PLAN AN END ACT AND ITERATE GATHER RESOURCES BUILD A COALITION PACKAGE AND DESIGN MEASURE PROGRESS DOCUMENT LESSONS GIVE IT ALL AWAY REPEAT
THE PENALTY OF LEADERSHIP: In every field of human endeavor, he that is first must perpetually live in the white light of publicity. Whether the leadership be vested in a man or in a manufactured product, emulation and envy are ever at work. In art, in literature, in music, in industry, the reward and the punishment are always the same. The reward is widespread recognition; the punishment, fierce denial and detraction. When a man s work becomes a standard for the whole world, it also becomes a target for the shafts of the envious few. If his work be merely mediocre, he will be left severely alone; if he achieve a masterpiece, it will set a million tongues a-wagging. Jealousy does not protrude its forked tongue at the artist who produces a commonplace painting. Whatsoever you write, or paint, or play, or sing, or build, no one will strive to surpass or to slander you, unless your work be stamped with the seal of genius. Long, long after a great work or a good work has been done, those who are disappointed or envious continue to cry out that it cannot be done. Spiteful little voices in the domain of art were raised against our own Whistler as a mountebank, long after the big world had acclaimed him its greatest genius. Multitudes flocked to worship at the shrine of Wagner, while the little group of those whom he had dethroned and displaced argued angrily that he was no musician at all. The little world continued to protest that Fulton could not build a steamboat, while the big world flocked to the river to see his boat steam by. The leader is assailed because he is the leader, and the effort to equal him is merely added proof of that leadership. Failing to equal or to excel, the follower seeks to depreciate and to destroy, but only confirms once more the superiority of that which he strives to supplant. There is nothing new in this. It is as old as the world and as old as the human passions: envy, fear, greed, ambition, and the desire to surpass. And it all avails nothing. If the leader truly leads, he remains the leader. Master-poet, masterpainter, master-workman, each in his turn is assailed, and each holds his laurels through the ages. That which is good or great makes itself known, no matter how loud the clamor of denial. That which deserves to live, lives. THEODORE F. MACMANUS
NOBLE PRACTICES: 01 TEMPERANCE Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. 02 SILENCE Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. 03 ORDER Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. 04 RESOLUTION 05 FRUGALITY 06 INDUSTRY Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. Lose no time; be always employ d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. 07 SINCERITY Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. 08 JUSTICE Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. 09 MODERATION Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. 10 CLEANLINESS Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. 11 TRANQUILITY Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. 12 CHASTITY Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another s peace or reputation. 13 HUMILITY Imitate Jesus and Socrates. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
GOOD DESIGN: TEN PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD DESIGN 01 IS INNOVATIVE The possibilities for progression are not, by any means, exhausted. Technological development is always offering new opportunities for original designs. But imaginative design always develops in tandem with improving technology, and can never be an end in itself. 06 IS HONEST It does not make a product appear more innovative, powerful or valuable than it really is. It does not attempt to manipulate the consumer with promises that cannot be kept. BY DIETER RAMS 02 MAKES A PRODUCT USEFUL A product is bought to be used. It has to satisfy not only functional, but also psychological and aesthetic criteria. Good design emphasizes the usefulness of a product whilst disregarding anything that could detract from it. 07 IS LONG-LASTING It avoids being fashionable and therefore never appears antiquated. Unlike fashionable design, it lasts many years even in today s throwaway society. 03 IS AESTHETIC The aesthetic quality of a product is integral to its usefulness because products are used every day and have an effect on people and their well-being. Only well-executed objects can be beautiful. 08 IS THOROUGH DOWN TO THE LAST DETAIL Nothing must be arbitrary or left to chance. Care and accuracy in the design process show respect towards the consumer. 04 MAKES A PRODUCT UNDERSTANDABLE It clarifies the product s structure. Better still, it can make the product clearly express its function by making use of the user s intuition. At best, it is self-explanatory. 09 IS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY Design makes an important contribution to the preservation of the environment. It conserves resources and minimizes physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of the product. 05 IS UNOBTRUSIVE Products fulfilling a purpose are like tools. They are neither decorative objects nor works of art. Their design should therefore be both neutral and restrained, to leave room for the user s self-expression. 10 IS AS LITTLE DESIGN AS POSSIBLE Less, but better because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials. Back to purity, back to simplicity.
THE MAN WHO COUNTS: It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man tumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust, sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. THEODORE ROOSEVELT 1910
DECALOGUE BY BERTRAND RUSSELL: 01 Do not feel absolutely certain of anything. 02 Do not think it worth while to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light. 03 Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed. 04 When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory. 05 Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found. 06 Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you. 07 Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric. 08 Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter. 09 Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it. 10 Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.
North Brooklin, Maine 30 March 1973 Dear Mr. Nadeau: As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness. Sailors have an expression about the weather: the same is true of our human society things can look dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbor seeds of goodness that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right. Man s curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable him to claw his way out. Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day. Sincerely, E. B. White