“Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical, and expecting more than others think is possible.” – Ronnie Oldham
In a recent interview with Mark Zuckerberg on the Acquired podcast, they discussed the difference between good and amazing. There should be good things that are practical, that work, are reliable, and are extremely useful. There are other things that should amaze, elevate, engage, and inspire. The world needs both. So does your community and your organization.
When you visit a city, you may appreciate that its airport, mass transit system, or way-finding tools are useful and make it easy to move about the area. You may also visit other cities and be truly amazed by mass transit systems (Tokyo), or their investment in public art, or how they have embraced architecture to convey their values. Some of these things have no utility to you as a visitor, but they are memorable and distinctive and will be what you speak about to others. As you measure the return on your public investments, I hope you consider the value of both good and amazing.
As you think about your own community and it’s economic development strategies, consider the difference between good and amazing, and seek a balance between the two. Good should be built to deliver every time without fail and without worry. Amazing should be much harder to build, to pay for, to sustain, and to justify in the short-term, but it may be the thing that draws people to visit you, to invest in your community, and distinguish you from the masses. Whether you decide to create an amazing physical environment, public school system, or utility network – consider whether good is good enough or if you want to strive for amazing. As with most things, it begins with a choice.
Let’s have a great week, stay intentional about building our communities and the strategies to sustain them, lift each other up, and move forward together.
Kenny McDonald
President and CEO
Columbus Partnership