Isaac Molina’s Post

It's so great to be part of the Lean In Network. If you are interested in learning more about the work Lean In do or how you can get involved locally, send me a message and I'd be happy to chat. #leanin #womensupportingwomen #findyourtribe

🎞️ Earlier this week, we announced Gil Mermelstein as our new president. Here are 🖐️ things you probably didn't know about him. Read the full Q&A to learn more about his remarkable journey: https://lnkd.in/gG7U6kyZ

Other countries have long since abandoned the ‘English Victorian Gradgrind model of education’. They have realised especially with the advent of AI that creative thinking problem solving digital and communication skills are the basis of education that equips young people for a fast changing future . England still carries on with its endless consultations and the writing of reports with recommendations that go absolutely nowhere ! Meanwhile children in the UK are deemed to be the unhappiest of twenty one economically advanced countries according to a UNICEF report. Certainly 1.8 million have decided to quit school and countless others are excluded- effectively kicked out of school. Why? As they spend much time out of lessons and miss learning- they are possibly not going to ‘pass their exams’ so risk messing up the school's position in the accountability league tables. The majority of these children have special educational needs - undiagnosed, unmet or both, or are from socio-economic backgrounds ( disadvantaged), so are unable to achieve as well as their peers. How is their achievement measured? Not through valuing the progress that children make from their starting points, or indeed, in subjects that they may excel at- creative technical or vocational, but through an academic suite of subjects that they may struggle in. The EBAcc curriculum is not taught as relevant or meaningful to their lives, or indeed contextualized in 'real world' learning. Some children cannot access the secondary curriculum because their reading age is below their chronological age. Attainment and progress measures are 'normative' and these children are measured against their peers. In truth, is that a fair or equitable education system? Will this normative assessment succeed in closing the gap between those that pass their GCSEs and the one third that do not? A 'pass or fail' education system presents a bleak picture - but then Thomas Gradgrind the notorious school board Superintendent in Dickens's 1854 novel Hard Times ended up with some very unhappy school children, while children in the UK today present as the unhappiest in Europe with a 'particularly British fear of failure partly to blame' according to the Annual Good Childhood Report ( 2023). Is that just a mere coincidence? I fear not. Building in failure into an education system will not result in happy children motivated to achieve their full potential. Its time for a radical change.

Servant leaders are a prized asset when people and assets require protection.

Wow! Explains A LOT! Stopped me in my tracks. Thanks Holly Morris & Alex Partridge for sheding light on something thats been niggling me for years! For as long as I can remember I've questioned how long things last (degrees, course, etc). ⏳️ Or once the dopamine rush of a new creative idea has worn off, how long will it be before I hit the crash? 💥 What happens if this idea takes off, I go full throttle, create a whirlwind and then lose the drive & let people down? 😵💫 When I was barely conscious of this, I would seek out people who could enable me to get the idea across the line, or who could deliver on a idea (& therefore less flakey than me). Ive come to realise theres a couple of issues with this; 1) my dreams & goals are my dreams & goals. Yes, leverage other people's skills to realise your dreams BUT its a fine line between blending skills and expecting others to do it for you. And, I suspect I used the excuse to seek out 'help' as a deliberate attempt to avoid the uncomfortableness of having to do it myself. Subconsciously sabotaging the idea to stay 'safe'. 2) The idea that I can't follow through or that I have an untrainable skill gap is misguided self awareness. Someone, somewhere, at some point in time, may have said something which I chose to internalise as 'I cant'. I looked for evidence to back this up by replaying unhelpful scenarios & tagged those memories with the label of failure, none finisher, needs help etc etc It's a fine line between knowing your abilities so you can find complimenting skills and letting those lacking skills shame you.... As part of my mindfulness practice I remind myself everyday of my gifts of creativity and my thirst for inquiry. I'm a creator and my medium for delivery is self expression. Managing ADHD shame & over thinking is a life long practice. My brain feels like a sandstorm of ideas. I just can't follow up on all of them. But, whats the rush....?? Sure, i risk some ideas falling by the wayside but, my purpose is to keep creating and keep expressing. And, what was meant to be will follow with perfect timing. ♾️😍

More than a vibe, it's a mindset. You know it when you talk, listen, and work with someone who also thinks this way. Coupled with a growth or abundance mindset (vs. scarcity) -- creativity and innovation flourish. And then what flourishes? Your business.

In another edition of our "Get to Know Me | Board of Directors" series, we would like to introduce you to Fran Nigrello and give you a chance to understand the heart behind her service to the NAC. Fran Nigrello, CCEP

For those who are responsible for planning the operations and strategic direction of their nonprofit’s board, I offer a few suggestions based on one of the boards that I serve on, Landscape Architecture Foundation. ☑️ Make at least 1 seat available to emerging leaders. Their perspective is invaluable. ☑️ Meetings in-person should be designed around spending time for breaking bread together and building relationships during which all other work is set aside for maximum and genuine attention towards each other as humans and the greater big picture mission of the organization. ☑️ Hosting online committee meetings has proven effective, because relationships are also built from f2f video interactions, as groups commit time to do actual work together with the best brains. ☑️ Spend less time on fancy presentations and presenting to each other, and more time providing valuable industry updates through conversational report outs and with data! ☑️ Focus on information mobility! Communication is a board’s key responsibility. Figure out how to mobilize the information that shows you’re paying attention to your audience’s needs and pain points. If you serve on a board or in an organization that has a board, feel free to offer additional tips from your experience 👇 More to come on this topic! #nonprofitleadership #associationmanagement #leadership #service #volunteering #makingadifference