Grand Junction Design, LLC

I spent yesterday with some of the most brilliant community leaders in Maryland, at the Maryland Nonprofits annual conference. Inspiring? Absolutely.

All of the discussion seemed to come back to the idea of working together, while acknowledging (but not focusing on) our differences. Think of it like a team sport -- we share a goal (winning the game), but we're still competing (human nature pretty much dictates that everybody wants to be the MVP).

So where does that leave us?

It seems to me that if we really want to change the world, we have to let go of our egos.

We have to be willing to trust other people -- maybe even people we consider to be our competitors.

We have to be willing to admit that we're not perfect. We have to acknowledge our vulnerabilities, and that those might be other organizations' strengths.

We have to acknowledge that in general, we are most comfortable with people whom we perceive as "like" ourselves; but we must be willing to step outside of our comfort zones and engage the unusual suspects. Alliances are often found in unexpected places.

If we truly want to help, we have to let go of the fantasy that we can single-handedly change the world. Capitalize on the progress that has been made by others. Accept -- and even invite -- support and collaboration when possible.

And above all -- trust one another.