I have two guys in mind. Let's call them Sam and Joe. Sam started a theatre company. So did Joe. Both were in a big city on the east coast of a big and powerful nation. The city was considered a hub of financial and cultural activity for much of the century during which these two began.
Sam loved rules. Joe loved playwrights. Sam said he loved actors and playwrights but really he secretly loved rules more. Joe said what he meant and did what he said. Whenever someone came to see one of Joe's company's shows and extended an offer of help, only one question came to mind: How? How best to put this person or company's enthusiasm to work for our vision, or mission?
By contrast, whenever Sam was met with a similar offer from a newcomer, he asked himself: Why? Why are they coming to me now? What is it we've created that they want for themselves and how can we protect it?
These two theatre companies both still exist. One limps along, even after the departure of Sam because, it seems, his philosophical outlook lives on after him.
Joe still runs his company and it's thriving. I won't tell you who Sam was. That's really unimportant. Largely because, sadly, there are so many Sams. Joe, on the other hand, is worth knowing about.
Big thanks to Laura Callanan for her brilliant talk, The Surprise Social Entrepreneur, given at Duke University, which I copy here for your enjoyment.
