Ann Oliveri

Best. Decade. Ever.

The first 10 years of the 21st century were humanity's finest--even for the world's bottom billion.  That's the slug line of Charles Kenny's piece for Foreign Policy magazine this fall that enumerates why the "Aughties" was a time when "more people lived better, longer, more peaceful, and more prosperous lives than ever before." 

Just consider that:

• average worldwide incomes are up 25% since 2000
• the world's population classified as "undernourished" fell from 34% to 17% by 2008
• the number of children who died annually from measels dropped 60% due to vaccinations
• child mortality dropped more than 17%
• all people, on average, are living two years longer
• more than 80% of the world can now read and write
• worldwide combat deaths dropped 40% from 2000 to 2008
• more than 4 billion people are mobile phone subscribers, up from 750 million in 2000--and yes, this is good news!

Despite a decade of horrific singular tragedies, this was also the best of times for the bottom billion. (Need more good news?  Check out Ode Magazine's Top 10 Most Positive Stories of 2010.)

What are you doing to repair the world?  What's your New Year's Declaration?

Merit Badge for Organizational Leadership

Georgetown Univesity's leadership coaching program is in its 10th year and I am privileged to be in the current cohort 30, sharing a learning circle with Graham Segroves, and working with alumni and instructors like Scott Eblin, author of The Next Level. 

Last week, Scott blogged about what a Boy Scout merit badge for organizational leadership would require and look like. Inspired by Graham's addition to our cohort's coaching tool kit, Scott wrote:

Last week, while teaching at Georgetown’s leadership coaching program,  I was reminded of something that shaped me as a kid and a leader that I haven’t thought of in a long time.  In a segment where the students share their favorite coaching tools, Graham Segroves from the Leadership Education and Development department of the CIA, acknowledged a resource that was helping him with his newly adopted physical activity of cycling (one of the requirements of the Georgetown program is that the students take on some sort of physical activity that’s new to them). Graham’s tool for learning about cycling? The Boy Scout requirements booklet for the Cycling merit badge.   Read more

Both Graham and Scott are Eagle Scouts and great coaches! What would your Merit Badge for Organizational Leadership require? How do you challenge yourself to improve?