This month's scoop is dedicated to the idea that each and every one of us can make a difference in our world in big and small ways….

This was the conclusion of a speech my 12 year old son gave to his Jr. National Young Leadership group. For a week this summer, he attended a program with over 250 middle school students from around the country. They studied leadership by drawing on US history as their textbook and collaboratively addressed themselves to the challenges of today’s world. Here is some more of what he had to say, “Alongside my peers, I will be a leader of the future. With our voices, our minds and our thoughts we can change the world. It may be the end of the conference but it is just the beginning of an even longer journey to leadership. I hope that all who attended can bring home the message.”

That is the lead sentence on the website for The Lenny Zakim Fund. Lenny was my boss, my friend and he lives on in my heart as my inspiration. In his short and powerful life he did more than most of us ever aspire to. Not the least of which was to start this foundation to support grassroots projects and programs that most other foundations never know about. In addition to supporting catalytic communal change through its grant making, the Lenny Fund hosts two institutes a year for its grantees to build their organizational capacity and network with each other, creating new and supportive collaborations. I encourage you to learn more, to support the fund and/or to apply for grants.

This quote by Joe Jaworski, appears in a chapter entitled, “The Mystery of Commitment” in his powerful book, Synchronicity: The Inner Path of Leadership. Written over a decade ago, it touched me deeply this summer as I read of his journey from a successful law career to a leader of large-scale organizational and societal change. Wherever you are on your journey, you will find inspiration and food for thought in this book. You can also check out the website of Generon Consulting-founded by Jaworski.